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Photo Forum / Film Photography / Darkroom / December 2004Two Kodak rumors
I just ran into a semi-informed Kodak rep the other day and he told me two rumors: Rumor #1 Kodak has or will move all film production overseas. Rumor #2 Kodak has or will introduce a new B&W film product this year. Can anyone confirm either of these? Thanks >I just ran into a semi-informed Kodak rep the other day and he told me >two rumors: >Rumor #1 Kodak has or will move all film production overseas. Almost certainly crap. Kodak has consolidated almost all U.S. film production at a highly automated plant in Texas; it's hard to see what the benefit would really be to moving it overseas (and there is a great deal of very recent sunk cost in Texas, as well). >Rumor #2 Kodak has or will introduce a new B&W film product this year. Already done: the T-Max films were changed (by removing their gelatin overcoats) when production moved to Texas.  SignatureThor Lancelot Simon tls@rek.tjls.com But as he knew no bad language, he had called him all the names of common objects that he could think of, and had screamed: "You lamp! You towel! You plate!" and so on. --Sigmund Freud > >I just ran into a semi-informed Kodak rep the other day and he told me > >two rumors: [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > Already done: the T-Max films were changed (by removing their gelatin > overcoats) when production moved to Texas. Don't think that constitutes "new." >>I just ran into a semi-informed Kodak rep the other day >>and he told me [quoted text clipped - 16 lines] > their gelatin > overcoats) when production moved to Texas. I talked with a Kodak customer service person this morning. Kodak does not have any film production in Texas, its all at Rochester, N.Y. I will be talking to a specialist tomorrow about changes in B&W film but from what I already know T-Max was produced in the color film plant for some time before moving Tri-X and Plus-X there. The films still are overcoated. Overcoating is important to protect the emulsion from abrasion and also carries an anti-static material. Also, it controls the rate of diffusion of developer into the film. In the past the overcoatings of T-Max 100 and T-Max 400 were adjusted so that the development times were enough alike to allow simultaneous development of the two. Kodak did announce that it was improving the anti-static properties of the films. I suspect some changes were made in the emulsion for Tri-X since there are many reports of finer grain from the newer film. Small changes in emulsion making are made continually during a film's lifetime. Although Tri-X has been on the market as a roll film for 50 years (but at least a decade longer as sheet film) its very unlikely the current emulsion is exactly the same as in the past, just similar in overall properties. I will post tomorrow if I am able to learn more specific information. BTW, I think Kodak has a large photofinishing plant in Texas, perhaps this is what you were thinking of. Signature--- Richard Knoppow Los Angeles, CA, USA dickburk@ix.netcom.com > BTW, I think Kodak has a large photofinishing plant in >Texas, perhaps this is what you were thinking of. Yeah, I think I mixed up "consolidated photofinishing at" and "consolidated film maufacturing at". There's a lot of consolidation going on at Kodak these days (let's hope they get the efficiencies they need to keep film in production at all!). SignatureThor Lancelot Simon tls@rek.tjls.com But as he knew no bad language, he had called him all the names of common objects that he could think of, and had screamed: "You lamp! You towel! You plate!" and so on. --Sigmund Freud > >>I just ran into a semi-informed Kodak rep the other day > >>and he told me [quoted text clipped - 45 lines] > I will post tomorrow if I am able to learn more specific > information. I've had recent experiences with ragged edges and peeling of the overcoating/emulsion with 100 TMX 4x5. Quite a number of sheets, in fact, though to date Kodak representatives I've spoken to have denied any knowledge of such a problem. Don't know if anyone else has had this issue but maybe you might ask whoever you talk to if he/she knows anything about it. > BTW, I think Kodak has a large photofinishing plant in > Texas, perhaps this is what you were thinking of. [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > Los Angeles, CA, USA > dickburk@ix.netcom.com >>>I just ran into a semi-informed Kodak rep the other day >>>and he told me [quoted text clipped - 43 lines] > BTW, I think Kodak has a large photofinishing plant in > Texas, perhaps this is what you were thinking of. Per Don Thompson of Kodak, on the phone a few minutes ago: All T-Max films, Tri-X, and Plus-X have overcoating. The overcoating was changed when production was moved to provide improved anti-scratch protection. Also these films all now have UV filtering in the overcoating, T-Max did not have UV filtering in the past. All of the films have added anti-static properties partly to make it easier to manufacture and partly to protect it from static charges during use. Static electricity can build up on the film during winding and result in small lightning like marks on the film. There is no manufacturing plant in Texas. All Kodak films are made in Rochester, N.Y. He did not address the question of a new film but the fellow I talked to the other day did and said he did not know of any such plan. However, Kodak did come out with a new version of its B&W chromogenic film about 2 years ago and this may be a confusion with that. Signature--- Richard Knoppow Los Angeles, CA, USA dickburk@ix.netcom.com > He did not address the question of a new film but the fellow I talked to > the other day did and said he did not know of any such plan. However, > Kodak did come out with a new version of its B&W chromogenic film about 2 > years ago and this may be a confusion with that. I think they also recently dropped the version of the chromogenic film that doesn't have the orange dye in it. Perhaps they're planning on reinstating it? >> He did not address the question of a new film but the >> fellow I talked to the other day did and said he did not [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > chromogenic film that doesn't have the orange dye in it. > Perhaps they're planning on reinstating it? AFAIK, Kodak never made such a film. Ilford does. Kodak's chromogenic films are made to print on color paper on "one hour" machines with minimum adjustment of the filtration. The "professional" film has less of the orange mask color than the amateur films, but all have some. Ilford XP films are intended to print on B&W paper so they don't need the mask. Kodak films will also print on B&W paper but the mask looks like a very high base density to them and it may throw off variable contrast filters. I doubt if Kodak or any of the other large manufacturers is gong to come out with any new films of any sort in the forseeable future. For one thing none of them has a research department any more. They are all concentrating on surviving in a market which has largely switched to digital. It makes no sense for them to spend research dollars on new products which will appeal to a small and perhaps shrinking market. Signature--- Richard Knoppow Los Angeles, CA, USA dickburk@ix.netcom.com > AFAIK, Kodak never made such a film. Ilford does. >Kodak's chromogenic films are made to print on color paper >on "one hour" machines with minimum adjustment of the >filtration. The "professional" film has less of the orange >mask color than the amateur films, but all have some. The T400CN had almost no color mask in the film. At least not in the few rolls that I used. You couldn't mistake it for T-Max of course. Regards, John S. Douglas, Photographer - http://www.puresilver.org Please remove the "_" when replying via email > > AFAIK, Kodak never made such a film. Ilford does. > >Kodak's chromogenic films are made to print on color paper [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > in the few rolls that I used. You couldn't mistake it for T-Max of > course. I have trouble keeping up with these developments, so perhaps I am incorrect, but wasn't T400CN recently replaced by a film which does have the orange color mask? I thought that the new film was intended to replace both T400CN and their other 400 speed chromogenic film. Charles Hohenstein >> The T400CN had almost no color mask in the film. At least not >> in the few rolls that I used. You couldn't mistake it for T-Max of [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] >the orange color mask? I thought that the new film was intended to >replace both T400CN and their other 400 speed chromogenic film. Kodak stated the following : "Does KODAK PROFESSSIONAL BW400CN Film replace any other products in Kodak's portfolio? Yes. BW400CN Film is a direct replacement for KODAK PROFESSIONAL PORTRA 400BW Film and also replaces KODAK PROFESSIONAL T400CN Film." As usual, I have to disagree with the marketing department. This film is NOT a replacement for the discontinued T400CN which was easily printed on regular B-&-W materials. Regards, John S. Douglas, Photographer - http://www.puresilver.org Please remove the "_" when replying via email > I doubt if Kodak or any of the other large manufacturers is gong to > come out with any new films of any sort in the forseeable future. For one > thing none of them has a research department any more. They are all > concentrating on surviving in a market which has largely switched to > digital. It makes no sense for them to spend research dollars on new > products which will appeal to a small and perhaps shrinking market. There's one, already in the planning stages, which I really hope comes through. According to someone at Kodak a year or more ago, Elite Chrome 200 and E200 are soon to be reworked the same way that Elite Chrome 100 and E100 were recently reworked, to make them considerably finer-grained. I would have expected this to happen by now, and I'm worried that Kodak is just never going to get around to it. > I just ran into a semi-informed Kodak rep the other day and he told me > two rumors: [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > Can anyone confirm either of these? > Thanks Well I don't really care _where_ they make film. And Kodak introducing a new film sounds good to me. > I just ran into a semi-informed Kodak rep the other day and he told me > two rumors: > Rumor #1 Kodak has or will move all film production overseas. HUH? They just spent 1 billion on a new plant in Rochester. > Rumor #2 Kodak has or will introduce a new B&W film product this year. A C41 type? > Can anyone confirm either of these? > Thanks > > I just ran into a semi-informed Kodak rep the other day and he told me > > two rumors: [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > > A C41 type? That's exactly what I asked him and he said he didn't know. He then launched into a discussion of the digital world - of which I have no interest, but I pretended like I did hoping to pick up a few more rumors. > Rumor #2 Kodak has or will introduce a new B&W film product > this year. Perhaps we will start seeing some the new technology high speed films. They are about due. Dan >I just ran into a semi-informed Kodak rep the other day and >he told me [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > Can anyone confirm either of these? > Thanks I talked to Kodak today and will get more info tomorrow. Kodak has been shutting down its overseas production facilities. They recently closed the Harrow, England plant and the plant in Australia, and shut down production in France some time ago. They ARE working with a Chinese film manufacturer but not to make film for the world market. At present Kodak is concentrating all film production in Rochester. This makes sense because film is a shrinking market. The person at Kodak did not know of any contemplated new film but thinks this may be a confusion with the new chromogenic B&W film Kodak came out with about two years ago. Signature--- Richard Knoppow Los Angeles, CA, USA dickburk@ix.netcom.com > >I just ran into a semi-informed Kodak rep the other day and > >he told me [quoted text clipped - 20 lines] > chromogenic B&W film Kodak came out with about two years > ago. After reading this, I might have heard one of my rumors wrong. I thought I heard that they were moving film manufacture overseas, but then he went on to talk about overseas operations they were shutting down. This confused me at the time and now I'm thinking that he actually was saying that they were shutting down overseas operations and not the other way around. But the "new" B&W film I did not mishear. He made it sound like it was going to be introduced real soon. Now it could have been just an improvement to TMX or something like that, but he mentioned it more than once that there was a "new" B&W product coming out. |
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