Availability of Kodak b/w chemistry?

Haven't heard that one yet...and I'd assume it would be all over APUG if it was the case. I can still easily get Kodak B&W chemicals including Dektol.
 
Stephanie Brim said:
Haven't heard that one yet...and I'd assume it would be all over APUG if it was the case. I can still easily get Kodak B&W chemicals including Dektol.
Click to expand...

Thats true, it seems everything is still available, however a friend of mine, who manages a camera store has an email from one of his jobbers that says that Kodak is phasing out its darkroom chemicals, and that as stocks are used up it (the jobber) would try to replace items with Ilford equivalents. Now this jobber is just that, a jobber, not a direct Kodak representative. It would be the jobbers choice to use Ilford for substitutes.

It would just seem criminal to discontinue D-76, Dektol, Rapid Fixer, Photoflo, and other common stuff. And, Ilford could only offer similar products in b/w chemicals, not color chemicals such as E-6 and C-41 and RA-4. Of course there is Fuji/Hunt, and others that offer these chemicals, but not in reasonably small quantites.
 
Last edited:
American business management for you. "New" Coca Cola comes to mind. As Kodak products disappear, consider other more committed sources. If you need direct replacement products, check out Photographer's Formulary.
 
FID Alert! :rolleyes:

Kodak is also "phasing out" production of their own cameras.

I think they're pretty much carrion at this point.
 
For a specialized proprietary product like HC-110, that's probably a sound idea irregardless of the validity of this particular rumor. Which I highly doubt, BTW. I wouldn't be surprised if the jobber doesn't make more on Ilford products as one possible source for this statement ;)

OTOH, Kodak is dying. Any product of theirs that you like you should either be looking for a replacement (me with Fomapan 100 for Plus-X) or stocking up as much as possible on anything without a direct replacement. I'd expect that properly stored syrup should last fairly well.

William
 
peter_n said:
Can you reveal your source for this information?
Click to expand...

I don't have a name. I was read an email received by my best friend, who manages a camera store (part of a regional Arkansas chain) today. He didn't identify the source, however he said it was from one of their "jobbers" and not an email directly from a Kodak rep.

I can understand Kodak "phasing out" b/w chemistry used in large processing machines, such as Royal Print...but I just cannot get my mind around loosing staples such as D-76 and Rapid Fixer w/Hardener. Surely the art/college/amateur market would sustain this?

It's true I don't use b/w for any of my commercial work, I do however, use a lot of E-6 and process it myself. I use quite a bit of b/w film and processing chemistry for myself personally...my personal work as seen in my gallery here. (link below)
 
thelovecollect said:
does this mean we have to go back to shooting wet plate collodions? :(
Click to expand...

I dunno, but that's the direction I'm headed. :)

Give me four months and I'll have some van dykes / cyanotypes from homemade emulsion on (dry) glass plates. I'm ordering the chemistry as soon as I get settled in my new place. It won't be very fast, but my goal is to get it acceptable for portraiture.
 
tetrisattack said:
I dunno, but that's the direction I'm headed. :)

Give me four months and I'll have some van dykes / cyanotypes from homemade emulsion on (dry) glass plates. I'm ordering the chemistry as soon as I get settled in my new place. It won't be very fast, but my goal is to get it acceptable for portraiture.
Click to expand...


someone in my school did wonderful albumen prints (real egg whites and all). it was a pain in the ass but totally worth it..

i'm taking an alternative process class this semester, i dunno what i want to do...

back on topic, even if they stopped selling D-76, can't you just mix your own with a triple-beam scale?

what is it, metol and 3 other things??
 
HC-110 sells like hotcakes in my local Calumet. It serves all the local colleges and HC-110 seems to be the developer of choice for them. The Ilford stuff sits on the shelves and doesn't move but the Kodak chemicals do move, no question.
 
The last local store carying chemicals has four packages of ID11 left, only other choice is Tetenal, so I'm switching to Tetenal Ultrafin plus which isn't bad a 1+4.

Have to try a bit with agitation and development times, here is an example from APX400 at EI400 developed per Tetenal instructions for condenser enlargers.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
The only Kodak chemistry I would miss would be HC-110, and I'm not even using that right now. Just having HC-110 available is somehow important to me. But Raid Fix? Photo-Flo? D-76? There are other choice for all of those, and multiple choices at that.

BTW/OT, I've never had great luck with Photo-Flo at the recommended dilution of 1:200. For the last roll I processed, I diluted it to 1:400 and it worked fine. With Rochester water at that. :rolleyes:
 
peter_n said:
HC-110 sells like hotcakes in my local Calumet. It serves all the local colleges and HC-110 seems to be the developer of choice for them. The Ilford stuff sits on the shelves and doesn't move but the Kodak chemicals do move, no question.
Click to expand...


that's unfortunate as ilford still actively supports b&w film & chemicals and even introduces the odd new product.
 
It would be a shame to loose HC110. However, chemistry for black and white is easy to make. Formulas abound.

If necessary you can just use a digital camera, create an 8x10 digital negative and contact print. Alt processes are well documented, as Conor mentioned, you have Van Dyke, cynotype, Kallitypes, POP. Loosing Kodak would have all the guys at Ritz photo doing the "I told you so" dance and some folks will hang up their analog gear for good, (cheaper lenses and systems for the rest of us.) but the hardcore will always find a way.
 
I'm much more concerned about loss of materials than chemistry; I can't make my own FP4 or Forte Fiber paper at home.
That said, I get the feeling that the "culling" in the materials/ chemistry industry has mostly already happened. There are enough chemical process devotees out there to keep the industry alive, just nowhere near the size it was during its heyday.
So, where is this alleged supply of new production Rodinal?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom