Kodak and Zombies

[David Graves]

Kodak just released its Q3 results. Film is less than one third of its business, but still showed a profit and goodness knows had positive cash flow. On its website Kodak poses the question "What do Kodak and Zombies have in common?"--I'm not making that up....So, which Kodak film would you miss the most if Kodak were to disappear? (No Kodachrome answers allowed, as it already did go away.)

 

[maclaine]

Tri-X, hands down.

 

[bmattock]

Tri-X yada yada yada

 

[MartinP]

The problem is that they will choose the 'winner' to get terminated next, just to make people buy more of the rest . . . .

 

[Pickett Wilson]

Sadly, the film division continues its double digit declines quarter after quarter, though.

 

[sepiareverb]

I won't miss anything Kodak anymore, they've already lost me. I don't want to use things I can't rely on being available the next time I go to buy.

 

[f6andBthere]

Kodak just released its Q3 results. Film is less than one third of its business, but still showed a profit and goodness knows had positive cash flow. On its website Kodak poses the question "What do Kodak and Zombies have in common?"--I'm not making that up....So, which Kodak film would you miss the most if Kodak were to disappear? (No Kodachrome answers allowed, as it already did go away.)

That's not hard:

Something dead with obvious signs of decay, though appears to be alive! 😛

 

[charjohncarter]

The problem is that they will choose the 'winner' to get terminated next, just to make people buy more of the rest . . . .

You think like I do.

 

[JPSuisse]

Now that Kodachrome 64 and Elite Chrome 400 are gone, I honestly don't think I'll miss Kodak. For color photography, I've pretty much gone Fuji film and digital now.

Maybe Kodak made a marketing mistake when they dropped Kodachrome thinking that customers would switch to Ektachrome. I don't really have anything against Ektachrome, but oddly, I can't buy it at any local stores. So... "Hello Fuji!"

Sure, I use Tri-X. But other stuff is good too.

I don't understand why German and Japanese companies can survive in mature markets and American companies just gradually kill themselves. Probably, I should start migrating to something other than Tri-X. Kodak has become a very unpredictable company to me. I wouldn't be surprised, if Tri-X suddenly disappears just like Kodachrome.

JP

 

[Pickett Wilson]

Fuji's film sales death spiral has had the same trajectory as Kodaks over the last several years.

 

[JPSuisse]

And?

Fuji brought back Velvia 50. It's really the best alternative to Kodachrome now. (At least, if you want to shoot as wide as possible in bright light.)

Like I said, I probably won't miss Kodak. Now let's see, if they can put a Fuji sensor in that Leica Mx camera....

 

[flip]

I don't understand why German and Japanese companies can survive in mature markets and American companies just gradually kill themselves.
JP

Well, it's either culture or government. In either case, it's a national choice. Bummer, that. 🙁

 

[David Graves]

A counter-example to the observation about German industry would be the entire camera sector (Leica is the exception that proves the rule) --though one could argue that it didn't die in the mature industry phase; instead, it was during a period of rapid growth....

 

[lawrence]

Surely Agfa died as a direct result of digital? And any company that has been in the same line of business for over one hundred years must surely be considered 'mature'?

 

[photogdave]

I'd miss Ektar 100. I've really grown to like it.

 

[rphenning]

i am not looking forward to the day they discontinue portra.

 

[Roger Vadim]

Well, tri-x is replacable (almost) with Neopan 400 - if you can live with the slightly different tonal range. But the new T-max 400 is great and I would def. miss it... strange ey? They won't kill tri-x though.
The 120 Tri-x 320 is also truly georgous. surely missed if abandoned.

 

[Trius]

Yeah, that German company Agfa sure knew how to survive. Strangely, I liked Agfachrome 50S and Agfachrome 64 about as much as Kodachrome -- except for the (lack of) archival properties. And Agfacolour and Agfachrome 1000 were the best super speed emulsions, IMO.

Anyway, I think they'll kill of Plus-X if the next "loser" is a b&w film.

 

[Toronto111]

I thought it was pretty weak. I also thought my 80 yr old mother was going to have a heart attack. It should have a "mature" rating somewhere. The comments on FB are much stronger, is anyone looking at them?

 

[Rogrund]

I thought it was pretty weak. I also thought my 80 yr old mother was going to have a heart attack. It should have a "mature" rating somewhere. The comments on FB are much stronger, is anyone looking at them?

Some of these spams are priceless! 😀