really no purpose anymore for traditional films (negative or diapositve) (by 2006) ?

"babelfish" wrote in message
news:X5Nah.36548$a_2.10967@trnddc01...

"Greg "_""
I've done E-6 in the past. I don't want to do it again.

Some are better at it than others. Their are trade offs for and against.
I have had mixed results. If you invest the time and understand it am
sure you can get every bit as good results doing it yourself- perhaps
with calibration of your system even better than the labs.

The question is really whether or not you'll be able to buy the film and
chemistry in a few years, not whether or not you can do it yourself. I've
been running a large custom lab for thirty years and I can't believe the
drop off in support from Kodak in just the last six months. I get the real
feeling that they want film and chemistry gone as soon as possible. Let me
qualify that. The friends in tech support that I have there are doing the
best they can under the circumstances and they are great people, but
management and marketing have their own agenda and it has nothing to do
with the film or the past.


"As democracy is perfected, the office represents, more and more closely,
the inner soul of the people. We move toward a lofty ideal. On some great
and glorious day the plain folks of the land will reach their heart's
desire
at last, and the White House will be adorned by a downright moron."
- H. L. Mencken, in the Baltimore Sun, July 26, 1920.

I love Mencken and this quote in particular. After Gore Vidal goes, there
will be no critical thinkers left of this stature on the American
landscape.


It is no secret that Kodak has embraced digital. They saw the handwriting
on the wall. Kodak is a sort of mass-marketer, and they cannot base their
future growth on a technology that is shrinking.

That they will have to withdraw from manufacturing film is a virtual
certainty. But that does not mean that other, smaller companies cannot
prosper with film.

Kodak had a distribution and support network that was well-established, and
that is the part that we'll miss most. When Kodak pulls out of film, you
can bet that the majority of retailers will use their floor space for more
profitable items. Film will then become a commodity that must be gotten
online, not something that one buys at almost any retail store.

On-site processing will certainly take a major hit. Sores that don't sell
film are hardly likely to process it.

This is not to say that film will disappear, only that it will be made
probably in China, and will be purchased and processed via mail order,
rather than locally. For now I intend to continue enjoying film.

The bright side is that camera equipment (digital) continues to become more
readily available, and that our ability to create images will grow, not
shrink. I suspect that there will be relatively few photographers that work
exclusively in film. More likely those that use film will do so along with
digital, and will utilize film for its unique characteristics in creating
the images they want, the way that a photographer today might select a
particular format to work in.

I do not believe that Kodak embraced the change, but rather had the courage
to not be in denial about the shift in the wind. Kodak will survive. Other
photographic companies will not.

As much as I support film, I scan and edit my images digitally, and I use an
online printing service rather than patronize a local lab. There is no
argument with the fact that I have more control over my images now than I
ever had in the past. The Qualex prints that I had done just last year look
anemic compared to the stuff I can produce with a $59.00 copy of Paint Shop
Pro Photo. I never did like (wet) darkroom work anyway. Whether there will
continue to be a market large enough to support even a single enlarger
manufacturer is an open question.

There is little doubt that traditional amateur film photography has no real
future growth prospects. But this scenario has occurred countless times in
many lines of business. Just look at how the Internet and other forms of
killer technologies have virtually wiped out the long distance business. I
remember when a daytime coast-to-coast call on AT&T cost $.57 per minute,
and when Western Union charged $4.00 for transmitting a Telex message
between two teletype machines at distant locations. Today we can call or
email virtually for free, as part of the broader Internet packages that we
all have.

There was a time when every one-horse town had a village blacksmith, too . .
..

Change brings new opportunities. I only hope that those of us that want to
hang on to the traditional technologies will continue to be serviced. I
believe that we will, but not quite as conveniently as now.

In article ZaQah.8502$gJ1.6389@trndny09, jeremy wrote:

That they will have to withdraw from manufacturing film is a virtual
certainty. But that does not mean that other, smaller companies cannot
prosper with film.

Fuji still appears to be supporting film. In fact they just brought
back Velvia 50 (presumably due to demand).

wrote in message ...
In article ZaQah.8502$gJ1.6389@trndny09, jeremy
wrote:

That they will have to withdraw from manufacturing film is a virtual
certainty. But that does not mean that other, smaller companies cannot
prosper with film.

Fuji still appears to be supporting film. In fact they just brought
back Velvia 50 (presumably due to demand).


But could Fuji remain committed to film if Agfa, Ilford and Kodak were all
producing large quantities of film?

I remain convinced that film itself will remain, but I am uncertain of
whether the familiar manufacturers will continue to produce it. Perhaps
have it outsourced to a Chinese manufacturer, and sold here with the
familiar brand name on the box? Kodak already does this with their Gold 200
negative film. "Made in China for Eastman Kodak" is discreetly printed on
the box. Other than that, one would never know the difference.

And it costs about 33% LESS than the Rochester product used to cost me.

In article w7Rah.7340$Kw2.4199@trndny05, jeremy wrote:

Kodak already does this with their Gold 200
negative film. "Made in China for Eastman Kodak" is discreetly printed on
the box. Other than that, one would never know the difference.

The thing is, I don't want to buy Gold 200. That seems to be the
difference with Fuji. Fuji seems to making film for people who want to
continue to use film. Kodak's attitude is more that there are some people
who have not yet converted to digital; so let's speed up that process.


--
That was it. Done. The faulty Monk was turned out into the desert where it
could believe what it liked, including the idea that it had been hard done
by. It was allowed to keep its horse, since horses were so cheap to make.
-- Douglas Adams in Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency

David Starr wrote:
On Mon, 27 Nov 2006 13:42:09 GMT, "Thomas T. Veldhouse"
wrote:


True .. but the number of film manufacturers and the amount of film required
and the number of labs required to service film users is rapidly decreasing.
It is easily forseable that your only choice for film development will be a
local specialty shop or mail order.

Process it yourself; it's not that hard.


Sure ... if you have the volume. I do not.

--
Thomas T. Veldhouse
Key Fingerprint: D281 77A5 63EE 82C5 5E68 00E4 7868 0ADC 4EFB 39F0

In article X5Nah.36548$a_2.10967@trnddc01,
"babelfish" wrote:

"Greg "_""
I've done E-6 in the past. I don't want to do it again.

Some are better at it than others. Their are trade offs for and against.
I have had mixed results. If you invest the time and understand it am
sure you can get every bit as good results doing it yourself- perhaps
with calibration of your system even better than the labs.

The question is really whether or not you'll be able to buy the film and
chemistry in a few years,

Perhaps not. However I'll be able to B&W for some time I imagine. I am
doing less color by the year. I feel less attracted to doing my personal
work since color digital direct capture is quite good for the subjects
I regular use color for.

not whether or not you can do it yourself. I've
been running a large custom lab for thirty years and I can't believe the
drop off in support from Kodak in just the last six months.

Is that across the board? Like in RA papers- I would be surprised
if so. Film I could care less.

I get the real feeling that they want film and chemistry gone as soon as possible. Let me
qualify that. The friends in tech support that I have there are doing the
best they can under the circumstances and they are great people, but
management and marketing have their own agenda and it has nothing to do with
the film or the past.

I can see many reasons why the management could want this, probably lots
of potential liability issues.



"As democracy is perfected, the office represents, more and more closely,
the inner soul of the people. We move toward a lofty ideal. On some great
and glorious day the plain folks of the land will reach their heart's
desire
at last, and the White House will be adorned by a downright moron."
- H. L. Mencken, in the Baltimore Sun, July 26, 1920.

I love Mencken and this quote in particular. After Gore Vidal goes, there
will be no critical thinkers left of this stature on the American landscape.

Best part is Mencken was a good Maryland writer.
--
"As democracy is perfected, the office represents, more and more closely,
the inner soul of the people. We move toward a lofty ideal. On some great
and glorious day the plain folks of the land will reach their heart's desire
at last, and the White House will be adorned by a downright moron."
- H. L. Mencken, in the Baltimore Sun, July 26, 1920.


Reality-Is finding that perfect picture
and never looking back.

www.gregblankphoto.com

In article ,
"Thomas T. Veldhouse" wrote:

David Starr wrote:
On Mon, 27 Nov 2006 13:42:09 GMT, "Thomas T. Veldhouse"
wrote:


True .. but the number of film manufacturers and the amount of film required
and the number of labs required to service film users is rapidly decreasing.
It is easily forseable that your only choice for film development will be a
local specialty shop or mail order.

Process it yourself; it's not that hard.


Sure ... if you have the volume. I do not.

There are small batch chemical kits from Tetenal, and room temperature.

You can use a single tank for a single roll, and fill the bottles of
stick with marbles to slow air exposure. Its all in what one wants....
where there's a will there's a way.
--
"As democracy is perfected, the office represents, more and more closely,
the inner soul of the people. We move toward a lofty ideal. On some great
and glorious day the plain folks of the land will reach their heart's desire
at last, and the White House will be adorned by a downright moron."
- H. L. Mencken, in the Baltimore Sun, July 26, 1920.


Reality-Is finding that perfect picture
and never looking back.

www.gregblankphoto.com

In article ,
Greg \"_\" wrote:

There are small batch chemical kits from Tetenal, and room temperature.

For E6?

In article , () wrote:

In article ,
Greg \"_\" wrote:

There are small batch chemical kits from Tetenal, and room temperature.

For E6?

Certainly for C41 on both accounts, & small batches for E6.
--
"As democracy is perfected, the office represents, more and more closely,
the inner soul of the people. We move toward a lofty ideal. On some great
and glorious day the plain folks of the land will reach their heart's desire
at last, and the White House will be adorned by a downright moron."
- H. L. Mencken, in the Baltimore Sun, July 26, 1920.


Reality-Is finding that perfect picture
and never looking back.

www.gregblankphoto.com

In article ,
Greg \"_\" wrote:

There are small batch chemical kits from Tetenal, and room temperature.

For E6?

Certainly for C41 on both accounts, & small batches for E6.

I was able to find C41 but not E6. Do you have a link?