Kodak to End Manufacture of Acetate

[Sarcophilus Harrisii]

Has this been reported here yet? Apologies if so.
More details here, via Rochester.
http://rochesterhomepage.net/fulltext?nxd_id=394722
Cheers,
Brett

 

[oftheherd]

I hadn't seen it. Thanks for the link. Another reason blow to film production.

 

[Michael I.]

I wonder, does ilford produce its own base?

 

[sevo]

There are other makers of clear acetate and of polyester film. But it might mean an end to daylight-loadable 135 film from Kodak, if they cannot source a tinted, light piping safe acetate in North America - and if they quit 35mm they will presumably quit it all.

 

[sevo]

I wonder, does ilford produce its own base?

They used to have a partner (or perhaps daughter), BX chemistry, that supplied them. Their former site has been flattened, so Ilford presumably shop elsewhere these days.

 

[Clint Troy]

Perez wins another round. Baby steps.

The day when Kodak will become a tortilla food chain Restaurant is getting nearer every day.

 

[Photo_Smith]

Not particularly good news, they can (and have done for a while) buy in materials for CTA and Estar films. So if they're just stopping raw pellet production that may be no big deal.

There are other makers of clear acetate and of polyester film. But it might mean an end to daylight-loadable 135 film from Kodak, if they cannot source a tinted, light piping safe acetate in North America - and if they quit 35mm they will presumably quit it all.

The CTA is tinted and coated after casting, the acetate is produced clear and then goes into a machine where the tinting and subbing is added (one on each side obviously)
Estar is likewise coated but has an extra layer.

 

[sevo]

The CTA is tinted and coated after casting, the acetate is produced clear and then goes into a machine where the tinting and subbing is added (one on each side obviously)

Sure? I have never run across a film where the anti-lightpiping stain appeared to be surface-only. Not that I have scraped all on them, but I have scraped or cut into many as part of retouching or montage efforts, and ought to have noticed if they had gone clear over that.

 

[Michael I.]

so basically, it can be done?
i do not worry about it. ilford haven't produced their film canisters since the fifties but when need arose - they set up shop. just buy the damn thing.

They used to have a partner (or perhaps daughter), BX chemistry, that supplied them. Their former site has been flattened, so Ilford presumably shop elsewhere these days.

 

[Michael I.]

for what its worth...

http://motion.kodak.com/motion/About/The_Storyboard/4294971668/index.htm

 

[Photo_Smith]

Sure? I have never run across a film where the anti-lightpiping stain appeared to be surface-only. Not that I have scraped all on them, but I have scraped or cut into many as part of retouching or montage efforts, and ought to have noticed if they had gone clear over that.

I have seen the machine that does it. Kodak uses two types of film base CTA and PET. The acetate base is naturally grey to a point where if you stack 50 sheets it would be like neutral density material (less light piping). PET (ESTAR) is clearer, thinner and stronger and a far bigger problem (for light piping); yet many films use it and it requires extra layers.
This news could mean several things, they are outsourcing CTA production because a small percentage (probably just B&W) use it and the orderbooks require more PET based film production (Movie film) or they are dropping all CTA films from their line-up and reformulating to be on PET.
It would be interesting to see what percentage of current production is on CTA.
Time will tell...

 

[sanmich]

when acetate is dead, I'll shoot estar based films.
why worry?

 

[sanmich]

for what its worth...

http://motion.kodak.com/motion/About/The_Storyboard/4294971668/index.htm

"kodak remains commited..."

🙄

 

[semi-ambivalent]

Perez wins another round. Baby steps.

The day when Kodak will become a tortilla food chain Restaurant is getting nearer every day.

tortilla Dak!

10 characters

 

[tunalegs]

You'd think acetate would have a market beyond film, you know for overhead projectors... wait never mind - or maybe in animation? ... no never mind that too.

I guess there isn't much of a market for acetate these days.

 

[Faintandfuzzy]

I think I'm gonna ditch 35mm and just use 4x5 for my film use. B&W from Ilford. If I need a tortilla, I'll swing by Kodak. Anyone wanna buy an F5?

 

[clayne]

You'd think acetate would have a market beyond film, you know for overhead projectors... wait never mind - or maybe in animation? ... no never mind that too.

I guess there isn't much of a market for acetate these days.

Surely you can't be serious.

Anyway, I'm not sweating this announcement.

 

[sevo]

I guess there isn't much of a market for acetate these days.

As a matter of fact there is. The packaging industry uses more a year than ever was made into film. Besides, it is a component in many flat panels - so there even are large amounts of optical grade CTA being made.

 

[Photo_Smith]

It may interest some to know the screens of LED panels use similar materials to that used in film, PET is used in drinks bottles so I doubt plastic will disappear any time soon.
The Fuji Factory in Tilburg Holland, that used to make all the European photo film now makes products for chemical industry and water purification membranes using the same technology that goes into your photo film base.
For quite some time now photographic films have ceased to be the main consumers of plastic films, those other uses are increasing so it won't disappear overnight.

 

[Photo_Smith]

Adox/Efke KB 25 was CTA possibly you mean Adox Silvermax which is on PET base as are some of the Rollei films.