120 Film is Not Dead

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FLEXARET2 - 22 Oct 2004 00:51 GMT

from: flexaret2@aol.com (Sam Sherman) 10-21-04

I was at the Photo Plus Expo at the Javits Center in New York City today.

I visited the Fuji, Agfa and Kodak booths and there is plenty of 120
film still being made and sold.

Kodak was kindly giving away three rolls per visitor of either
120 or 35MM of their new Ultra C-41 film. 100 and 400 Color Negative and 400
speed B/W C-41 process.

I am already testing the B/W film and will also try the others.
This is very good public relations for Kodak to give these test samples out and
I am impressed with this effort and intend
to use this film if it turns out as good as I expect.

- Sam Sherman

PS - I was surprised to note Agfa also selling a line of "Ultra" film and I
think they and Kodak should work this out to avoid market confusion.

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photo35744 - 22 Oct 2004 01:21 GMT

Hi, Sam. I was at the Photo Show today also but I missed the free film,
lines were to long.

> from: flexaret2@aol.com (Sam Sherman) 10-21-04
>
[quoted text clipped - 19 lines]
> I
> think they and Kodak should work this out to avoid market confusion.

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Bandicoot - 22 Oct 2004 02:57 GMT

> from: flexaret2@aol.com (Sam Sherman) 10-21-04
>
[quoted text clipped - 11 lines]
> I am impressed with this effort and intend
> to use this film if it turns out as good as I expect.

Every Kodak conference I've ever been to they've given out some free film -
I agree it is very good sense for them, so not surprised to see them doing
it at shows as well.

> - Sam Sherman
>
> PS - I was surprised to note Agfa also selling a line of "Ultra" film and I
> think they and Kodak should work this out to avoid market confusion.

I think Agfa used the name first, as a line of films called "Ultra". Kodak,
later, used it as a suffix to the Portra range: they had a Natural Colour
(NC) and a Vivid Colour (VC) version and then added (in 400 speed only) the
Ultra Colour (UC) version. Portra 400UC proved to be such a good film, and
to have applications beyond its original market, so they decided to
re-position it to sell to both the amateur and professional markets - at
which point some idiot decided to rename it "Ultra".

Similar to the confusion when they decided to re-position Supra: the Supra
'name' belonged to the professional line, so to position it as a range for
both the professional and amateur markets they added the name "Royal" which
(by that point) belonged to the amateur line within the company. This all
according to Kodak employees, who seemed to find the whole thing rather
amusing.

Peter

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Nick Zentena - 22 Oct 2004 03:41 GMT

> Similar to the confusion when they decided to re-position Supra: the Supra
> 'name' belonged to the professional line, so to position it as a range for
> both the professional and amateur markets they added the name "Royal" which
> (by that point) belonged to the amateur line within the company. This all
> according to Kodak employees, who seemed to find the whole thing rather
> amusing.

Kodak seems to have always reused names. I'd guess it's something about
keeping the trademarks active.

Nick

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Alan Browne - 22 Oct 2004 03:34 GMT

> from: flexaret2@aol.com (Sam Sherman) 10-21-04
>
> I was at the Photo Plus Expo at the Javits Center in New York City today.
>
> I visited the Fuji, Agfa and Kodak booths and there is plenty of 120
> film still being made and sold.

Thanks for the good news.

Did you ask specific questions, or was this a statement or an impression?

Cheers,
Alan

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FLEXARET2 - 23 Oct 2004 03:39 GMT

from: flexaret2@aol.com (Sam Sherman) 10-22-04

I spoke to the film rep at Kodak and he was positive about 120 film, but still
did say that the demand must remain to keep all of the emulsions.

- Sam

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Mxsmanic - 23 Oct 2004 07:41 GMT

> I spoke to the film rep at Kodak and he was positive about 120 film, but still
> did say that the demand must remain to keep all of the emulsions.

Since Kodak routinely kills emulsions before the demand drops, how would
he know?

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Q.G. de Bakker - 23 Oct 2004 11:49 GMT

> > I spoke to the film rep at Kodak and he was positive about 120 film, but still
> > did say that the demand must remain to keep all of the emulsions.
>
> Since Kodak routinely kills emulsions before the demand drops, how would
> he know?

Yes...

And how would you know that Kodak "kills emulsions before the demand drops"?

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Gregory W Blank - 24 Oct 2004 01:47 GMT

> Yes...
>
> And how would you know that Kodak "kills emulsions before the demand drops"?

And define the level he thinks they should support a specific product. For one person?

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RSD99 - 22 Oct 2004 20:38 GMT

Locally (Southern California) the Fuji reps have been giving away samples
of their pro emulsions at several "road shows" they have held at major
professional photo labs.

> from: flexaret2@aol.com (Sam Sherman) 10-21-04
>
[quoted text clipped - 16 lines]
> PS - I was surprised to note Agfa also selling a line of "Ultra" film and I
> think they and Kodak should work this out to avoid market confusion.

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