Kodak preparing to file for bankruptcy

[anerjee]

Kodak Preparing for Chapter 11 Filing - WSJ.com

What does this mean for Kodak films? I don't know, but maybe time for another MO, to build strategic reserve of Tri x, Ektar and Portra?

There are alternate sources for b&w, but what about color? I love both Ektar and Portra.

Here is one from Portra.

 

[NazgulKing]

It isn't just the films I am worried about. How about the developing chemicals!

 

[pinholecam]

Chapter 11 s just protection from creditors.
It does not necessarily mean the company will be gone.

Anyway, I won't be surprised someone buys the film making arm if they sell it off.
There is still a niche market for film.
Can't say prices will every be the same again though.

I have perhaps 2-3yrs stock of film for my slow rate of usage.
Sadly, I think by the time they are used up, I suspect films will no longer be cheap and more importantly, I won't be able to easily find a shop to develop them (esp. 120 color film)

 

[oceanpriest]

It isn't just the films I am worried about. How about the developing chemicals!

caffenol? parodinal?

 

[nstclicks]

Depends on how things work out. During bankruptcy old debts get cancelled out, or the film division might get sold cheap, then the new buyer can operate at a lower cost structure. Every major US airline has gone through bankruptcy, and they're still flying. Usually vendors still get paid because the companies need them to continue operating. It's just the bond-holders and shareholders who lose out.

Alternatively, if Kodak exits the film business totally, it might become cost-effective for Ilford and Fuji to restart some production lines. Sometimes there are benefits to being the "Last Man Standing" (like some of the products of my current company

 

[NazgulKing]

caffenol? parodinal?

Do those work great for C41 and E6?

 

[oceanpriest]

Do those work great for C41 and E6?

oops... black and white only ;p

 

[anerjee]

I thought all the minilabs used Fuji chemicals and DIY C41 and E6 used Tetenal etc. Also, for almost every Kodak b&w developer, there is a close Ilford equivalent.

http://www.ilfordphoto.com/Webfiles/2007361413322224.pdf

The intent of my original post was to whip up some hysteria and organize a color film MO. Seems like you guys are all very rational. :sweat:

Do those work great for C41 and E6?

 

[Shadowleong]

I want my portra!!

 

[virtualme78]

I sure hope Kodak will carry on... if not, whoever bought film division over keeps it running..

 

[kgston]

Ohh no..kodak produces some of the best negs on the market..portra, ektar, tri x.. Bw not so bad cos ilford has equivalents..but fuji negs are no where as gd as kodak's..

 

[Nikkornos]

Kodak will continue to maintain business by selling off Patents on D technology. They started selling off their Patents since Sep 2011.

Looks like its time to stock up some more Kodak E100VS. Sad.

 

[raytoei]

Eeeeeeeekkkkkkkkkkkkk!

And i was dreaming about starting a dark room.....

 

[NazgulKing]

Kodak will continue to maintain business by selling off Patents on D technology. They started selling off their Patents since Sep 2011.

Looks like its time to stock up some more Kodak E100VS. Sad.

I think the problem is that they have already sold off most of the patents.

 

[Achim Reh]

As there is still a demand for Kodak film and Chemicals , most likely some smaller company will take over the production. Small scale , niche market business, with much lower operating and admin cost might have enough customers for Kodak products to survive. Same happened with AGFA . After BAYER split of AGFA, the whole mega - infrastructure and administration lead to bankruptcy. Not enough turnover to cover the very high operational cost ( inherited form being part of an MNC) .
Now, Adox or better to say Fotoimpex, the brand owner , a small to medium size private company took over some of the business. Manufactruing APX Film, Rodinal and some other famous products . Enough to cover the cost, and make some profit, but of course, this will never be a big business again.

 

[kgston]

Can't they scale it down themselves??

 

[NazgulKing]

Can't they scale it down themselves??

One would first have to give the incompetent management the boot of course...

 

[Achim Reh]

Can't they scale it down themselves??

It is more than difficult for such traditional MNC's to scale down to market demands with the required speed. There are long therm contracts with employers, management, unions , pension funds and so on. It is a long costly and painful progress. Keep in mind, that kodak has lost almost all its main revenue creating business ( film). They where very active and successful in other areas to make up for this, for example high quality color printing ( NexPress) , but this market is just not big enough to recover the losses form the vanished film market.

 

[kgston]

It is more than difficult for such traditional MNC's to scale down to market demands with the required speed. There are long therm contracts with employers, management, unions , pension funds and so on. It is a long costly and painful progress. Keep in mind, that kodak has lost almost all its main revenue creating business ( film). They where very active and successful in other areas to make up for this, for example high quality color printing ( NexPress) , but this market is just not big enough to recover the losses form the vanished film market.

Icic.. looks like a sell off is the easiest way out for the top management.. Hmm.. I never heard anything about NexPress before.. All that was obvious was that their consumer range of cameras and printers weren't very competitive...

 

[Achim Reh]

Nexpress ( A Kodak / Heidelberg joint venture, taken over by Kodak 100% some 6 years ago) produced high end production color printers for the professional printing market. They where not the fastest ( this price goes to OCE and Xerox) , but the print quality from Nexpress was unmatched for the last 8 years. They where able to produce up to 100 A4 prints per minute in the absolute highest super glossy color quality. The machines where selling well, but then again, this is a small market. They also produced the Kodak Versamark, a high speed color inkjet, that had an output of around 1000 to maximal 1500 pages per minute, which they sold successful, they where the worldwide number 2 in this market of high speed production color, after OCE. However, turnover created by this machines was never enough to recover the loss in the film business.