Ilford faces closure

Yes! It is the paper division that they are talking about. I always thought that XP2 has a very strong following among C41 B&W photographers.
 
Agfa just sold out in part the other day as well, are we witnessing the rapid decline of film manufacturing? I did not think I would see it in my day, at least not anytime soon. Maybe Fuji and Kodak will hear our pleas.
I have to admit, while I hate being forced to shoot "Digi-Black and White", there are some benefits:

*ability to control grain (you can download plug-ins for PS that will simulate Tri-X, HP-3,4,5 as well as others.)

* you can actually capture 11 stops using proper exposure with digital vs. 5-8 stops with film.

* cost vs. film

* you can....blah, blahblah, blah blah and blah blah blah (I just couldn't keep defending digital anymore, I gotta puke)

I have spent more money on my DSLR and lenses than I would spend on a new M7, and it works well for it's intended purpose. I just don't see myself sitting around the house admiring my DSLR the way I do my QL17, Oly sp or my M6. When I pick one of these old used RF's they feel different, warm, solid, well engineered. When I pick up my DSLR I go straight to the battery check light and white balance setting, seems harsh and business-like.
I am not knocking digital, but I really like my RF cameras, and they use film.
One day we will all shoot digital, learn to work within it's parameters and even enjoy it, till then I guess I'll shoot whatever film is available, no matter the cost!

Todd
 
Speaking of digital, did you see the new cameras Canon introduced last week? They are taking that digital stuff pretty seriously too.
 
What worries me is the overall trend of companies cashing in on the digital wave and craze and ignoring the minority film users. already its so difficult to buy B&W development stuff, stocks aren't always moving or replenishing, now that ilford's papers are gone, it'll just be a matter of time before their chemicals section goes too. Agfa's film is dying apparently, and soon... shudder... rodinal?

what's sad is that I discovered B&W dev and printing only in the last year or so and its apparent to me that its highly uneconomical to pursue in the near future. I tot I may get myself a enlarger and etc stuff for printing in the future and totter around my own darkroom when I"m free but it looks like it won't be a plausible economical goal anymore.

I just hope digital printing quality improves to the point that its cheap and just as good as traditional prints!
 
Darrel, not to worry! Darkroom gear is going for give-away prices! You can equip yourself for almost nothing. Best thing probably is to buy an entire darkroom setup from someone dismantling theirs.
 
Doug said:
Darrel, not to worry! Darkroom gear is going for give-away prices! You can equip yourself for almost nothing. Best thing probably is to buy an entire darkroom setup from someone dismantling theirs.
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Doug, while that is true, but the long term cost of running a darkroom will be a lot higher as the years go by. As it is, over here in singapore you can only get ilford or agfa bw papers. (and now maybe no more ilford!!!) eventually I think papers and chemicals will get rarer and more expensive, and the equipment depreciation will drop like crazy due to lack of demand, all in all its a costly option to go into rite now? I think the cost of printing will be bearable only for the next 5 yrs at most before the cost will escalate sharply due to companies downsizing the traditional bw business.
 
OMG! ... I might have to get myself a chest freezer full of XP2 if the worst happens :(
 
Hmm, at 2 rolls per month lately (sad eh?) that makes 24 rolls a year, then add 50% extra for ... extra things, we have 36. Let's think 10 years from now that makes 360 years... then the active life of a fridge is around 10 years which means...

I'll have to buy 36 fridges !!! :eek:

Seriously, I think we must separate here the 'consumer' market from the rest. Personally I wouldn't mind getting my B&W film from some subterfuge hidden store in a dark alley in Barcelona instead of having to wait 20 minutes for all the people in the queue willing to buy a digital P&S... And this is a strictly true story, maybe they need a 'film-drive-thru' ? :)

And if worst happens, well, a bulk loader, some cans of roll HP5 or Tri-X, developer/fixer for some years and let's run. After all there are even recipes on the internet to cook your own developer... :rolleyes:

There's always a solution :)
 
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Marc Jutras said:
Peter, there might be some hope... I read the article on Manchester Online (http://www.manchesteronline.co.uk/b...ars_for_700_jobs_as_ilford_faces_closure.html).

It's seems to be the B&W papers division they're talking about. They clearly state that the Swiss based digital products division is not implicated. They don't talk about the film division (unless it's part of the B&W papers division).

Who knows, you might be forced to try my Fuji Press! ;)
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You can use Fuji's Neopan 400CN. It's almost identical to the Ilford XP-2. Just a bit more contrast. I like the stuff. It is made by Ilford, for Fuji. And yes, the Fuji "Press" films are excellent. They are just "Superia X-Tra, in the 36 exposure rolls.

Russ
 
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