Kodak's last moments

[Guest]

Sad to see that Eastman Kodak have filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. As a child I was the rpoud owner of a box Brownie and later the ubiquitous Instamatic. It seems they misjudged just how popular digital would become.

[Don Petter]

It doesn't necessarily mean the end, though they can do it only once. I once worked for an American company which filed but survived.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Sad to see that Eastman Kodak have filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. As a child I was the rpoud owner of a box Brownie and later the ubiquitous Instamatic. It seems they misjudged just how popular digital would become.

I'm a little surprised nevertheless, for they were not slow in getting in on digital themselves. However, Kodak was respected more for its films than its cameras by photographers. Most Kodak cameras were cheap mass produced cameras with single element lenses. But the quality of Kodachrome, etc., put it in a class by itself. Some of Kodak's marketing was almost sly, with their attempts to corner the market with new film formats: 620, 126, 110 and the rather pointless "disc". Super 8 cine film was a better idea, rivalled in Japan by the even better Fuji Single 8 format.
My first camera was a Brownie Twin 20. I lost it in 1963

Fuji still seems to be doing well, though Agfa disappeared some years ago. Ilford and Sakura were always minor players...

[old khayyam]

Fuji still seems to be doing well

I was going to say - all this hoolah about the 'death of film'. When the guardian printed a centrespread of the "last photograph from the last ever roll of kodak film", it gave us all the impression that 'its all over, we have to go digital now'. I bet Fuji (and others) wanted to sue! Just because kodak is dead does not mean the competition is dead. Film is not dead.

[Stunsworth]

When the guardian printed a centrespread of the "last photograph from the last ever roll of kodak film", it gave us all the impression that 'its all over, we have to go digital now'.

Wasn't that the last roll of Kodachrome? Kodachrome was discontinued recently after 80 years of so of production - yes the formulation had changed over that period.

The best hope for Kodak is to float off the film division as a separate company, or sell it to a third party.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Wasn't that the last roll of Kodachrome? Kodachrome was discontinued recently after 80 years of so of production

Yes. That was Kodachrome - a remarkably stable product. There are lots of excellent Kodak films still in production.

[old khayyam]

Yes. That was Kodachrome - a remarkably stable product. There are lots of excellent Kodak films still in production.

Well then even Kodak will want to sue. The article definitely said something about Kodak 'giving up the fight against digital'. On first reading i was left with the impression that we will not be able to buy analogue film ever again. With misleading articles like that, it wont be long.

[Serial_Apologist]

Does this put the final end to photograph albums then? I'm too embarrassed to go to my local chemist and ask if films are still available, and can they develop them.

[pmartel]

I was going to say - all this hoolah about the 'death of film'. When the guardian printed a centrespread of the "last photograph from the last ever roll of kodak film", it gave us all the impression that 'its all over, we have to go digital now'. I bet Fuji (and others) wanted to sue! Just because kodak is dead does not mean the competition is dead. Film is not dead.

THANK YOU.

As an avid photographer of 30 years, I STILL shoot film. B&W on film has a look like no other.

Last year when I was in Montreal, I shot a roll of b&w, Adox 100ASA Art film.

To shoot old Montreal in B&W is like a true time warp, BUT the effect is quite stunnig

[Mahlerei]

My understanding is that this doesn't herald the death of film but the end of Kodak as a manufacturer of cameras. It seems they will now focus on printers and inks.

[Stunsworth]

Film isn't about to die. Other brands, as they say, are available. Even if Kodak as a corporation goes down the pan - which I expect it to - I would expect Kodak film to continue. Either as a stand alone company or after being sold to a competitor. Last quarter Kodak's film division made around $15 million profit. Unfortunately Kodak as a whole are making a $600 million loss per annum.

[John Wright]

My understanding is that this doesn't herald the death of film but the end of Kodak as a manufacturer of cameras. It seems they will now focus on printers and inks.

Just when printing of photos is on the decline....

Since digital cameras I've always had a Kodak, we have oldish 743 and 753, very reliable, exellent photos (up to 7megpixels) and for short video clips.

But what really annoyed me about Kodak was the software which I didn't need but dumbly put it on my (previous) PC, and it was never the same again, it slowed down from that day, and their program for extracting images from the camera and for 'sorting and storing' was useless from day one, slow, crashed, and not necessary and I was too afraid to uninstall in case other image programs got screwed up.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Well then even Kodak will want to sue. The article definitely said something about Kodak 'giving up the fight against digital'. On first reading i was left with the impression that we will not be able to buy analogue film ever again. With misleading articles like that, it wont be long.

This kind of rubbish can indeed become self-fulfilling.