Planet Rochester: Portra Family reshuffle?

[amateriat]

Okay, according to a bit of 'net scuttlebut, Kodak (a.k.a. Rochester, Great Yellow Father), is doing a bit of a change-up in the Portra family: just like Portra 800, the 400 emulsion is being trimmed from two types (NC and VC) to one. I mentioned on Mike Johnston's blog that I'm giving Rochester the benefit of the doubt on this, based on their recent Portra family makeovers. Rochester's batting average with new film introductions has so far been damn good, so I'm hoping for General Goodness here as well. Portra has been my color-photography mainstay for quite a few years now, and I'm betting that the Portra line makes up the lion's share of Kodak's still-photography film sales, so screwing up on this front would be Bad News. I mostly shoot 160NC (which they're leaving alone, thankfully), but I want to get a bunch of the new 400 stuff to check out.

Some have griped about wanting Rochester to hold he price line at $4.00 or less per roll. Guys...Ektar retails at $4.29 a roll (as does BW400CN). I like cheap film as much as the next guy, but for Kodak, this is a business, not a philanthropy. I think the current going prices are quite fair, and I'm anything but made of money at the moment. Keeping perspective these days is key.


- Barrett

 

[Jamie123]

I mostly shoot 160NC (which they're leaving alone, thankfully), but I want to get a bunch of the new 400 stuff to check out.

I'm betting they'll merge the two 160 ISO emulsions into one line, too. Doesn't make sense to keep the two around.

I want to be optimistic about this but somehow it just looks like film companies are cutting their offerings one by one. That can only mean one thing - business is not going well. Of course I'm happy that they're improving their existing emulsions but somehow the good news don't make up for the bad news IMO.

 

[amateriat]

Jamie: I just think of the old song by The Police: When The World Is Running Down, You Make The Best Of What's Still Around. (This goes for far more than film-based photography, by the way.)

Kodak, like Fuji, is shuffling the deck as best it can. If they can make one emulsion at a given speed rating work as well as two, and i see results that let me get on board, then why not? How many times have you walked up to the counter and asked yourself: "Hmm...VC or NC? What did that five-day forecast say about overcast?" (Normally, I just go with NC; worse come to worst, I can tweak things in PS, though I rarely do.)


- Barrett

 

[Jamie123]

Jamie: I just think of the old song by The Police: When The World Is Running Down, You Make The Best Of What's Still Around. (This goes for far more than film-based photography, by the way.)

Kodak, like Fuji, is shuffling the deck as best it can. If they can make one emulsion at a given speed rating work as well as two, and i see results that let me get on board, then why not? How many times have you walked up to the counter and asked yourself: "Hmm...VC or NC? What did that five-day forecast say about overcast?" (Normally, I just go with NC; worse come to worst, I can tweak things in PS, though I rarely do.)


- Barrett

Sure, I'll make the best of the situation and am curious to use the new emulsion. But it's hard to remain optimistic. Also, I'm just glad I never got into 8x10 shooting as I'd be really disappointed about the new change.

How many times have I walked up to the counter and asked myself NC or VC? Not for a looong, looong time. I only shoot 400NC. Can't stand VC ever since they last updated their emulsions. I just really hope they didn't mess up the new Portra 400.

 

[amateriat]

How many times have I walked up to the counter and asked myself NC or VC? Not for a looong, looong time. I only shoot 400NC. Can't stand VC ever since they last updated their emulsions. I just really hope they didn't mess up the new Portra 400.

Oh, I grok that loud and clear. Like I said, I mostly shoot 160NC, probably 70% of the time I shoot color, with the balance a mix of Ektar 100, 400NC, and Fuji Pro 400/800 as applicable. Quite anxious to see what they do with this "one flavor" 400.


- Barrett

 

[Roger Hicks]

Not a rumour. Extracts from a Kodak e-mail I received recently:

The new film replaces the existing KODAK PROFESSIONAL PORTRA 400NC and 400VC Film offerings. Kodak estimates that current supplies of KODAK PROFESSIONAL PORTRA 400 NC and KODAK PROFESSIONAL PORTRA 400 VC Films will last until end of year 2010 at the current sales pace.

The new KODAK PROFESSIONAL PORTRA 400 Film will be available in 35 mm, 120/220, and 4x5 sheet format, beginning in October 2010.

Leaving for photokina on Sunday...

Cheers,

R.

 

[ItsReallyDarren]

I'm curious about the breakdown of what studio photographers use in the Portra line. Possibly 160 stays in two varieties because its what studio photographers use and they can make the most of the difference between VC and NC. 400 gets consolidated because its used less my studios?