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Is something further happening at Kodak Alaris - film stocks low


wlaidlaw

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I have now been waiting some time for fresh stock of Kodak Ektar 100 in 35mm, my preferred colour print film, and XTOL B&W Hydroquinone free developer 5L powder sachets. I have had the film on order from two sources (6 rolls each), one of them for close to two months now. I was looking at Calumet UK's website to see if they had any and noticed that a significant number of their Kodak film/paper/chemistry items were "awaiting stock". The film and allied products production for Kodak worldwide, is I understand, now based in the UK, at Kodak Alaris, so the UK should be at the head of the queue for resupply. I hope this is just a hiccough in the transfer from the USA and Germany to the UK and all will be resolved soon. Any whispers heard? 

 

Wilson

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I don't think there is a problem with Calumet UK. Kodak film goes in and out of stock with the major retailers (Wex, Calumet, Firstcall, etc.) all the time, often out of stock for months at a time. I know for a fact that Calumet have received recent stock of some Kodak film (e.g. Porta 160) and gone out of stock again. Incidentally, there is virtually no Portra 400 to be had in the UK at present and this has been the case for a while. I sourced my last two 5-packs directly from Amazon but they are now out of stock with only a marketplace supplier selling it (at more than £50 per 5 roll pack!). I have a number of packs on back-order with Calumet (their price is the keenest around and they had a 10% discount code for film throughout February*) and I'm quite confident they will get it back in stock before long.

 

* That promotion may explain why Calumet in particular are now low on many Kodak films.

Edited by wattsy
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The film and allied products production for Kodak worldwide, is I understand, now based in the UK, at Kodak Alaris, so the UK should be at the head of the queue for resupply. I hope this is just a hiccough in the transfer from the USA and Germany to the UK and all will be resolved soon. Any whispers heard? 

 

 

Kodak have been pretty bullish lately – Ektachrome announcement and associated talk of increased sales. I appreciate it is naive to take things like this at face value but I haven't heard any whispers that there are any problems at Kodak. Kodak Alaris may be UK based but, as you know, the film is made elsewhere and I suspect the UK isn't at the head of the queue. In my recent search for Portra 400 I noticed that the major US retailers like B&H had the film in stock (at $38 per 5-pack just to rub salt into the wound).

Edited by wattsy
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I don't have the film on order from Calumet but from two other suppliers, where I have an account. I looked at 6 different suppliers this morning and they were all out of stock of Ektar 100 135-36 as was Amazon, either individual films or 3/5 packs. I want to get some before I go back to France next month as it is generally a lot more expensive there. 

 

Wilson

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I don't have the film on order from Calumet but from two other suppliers, where I have an account. I looked at 6 different suppliers this morning and they were all out of stock of Ektar 100 135-36 as was Amazon, either individual films or 3/5 packs. I want to get some before I go back to France next month as it is generally a lot more expensive there. 

 

 

Harrisons have Ektar in stock but at £8.99 per roll (the last time I bought Ektar, last year at Calumet, it was £5 per roll and I still didn't like it much).

 

Edit. Silverprint appear to have it in stock (£7.45).

Edited by wattsy
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Kodak have been pretty bullish lately – Ektachrome announcement and associated talk of increased sales. I appreciate it is naive to take things like this at face value but I haven't heard any whispers that there are any problems at Kodak. Kodak Alaris may be UK based but, as you know, the film is made elsewhere and I suspect the UK isn't at the head of the queue. In my recent search for Portra 400 I noticed that the major US retailers like B&H had the film in stock (at $38 per 5-pack just to rub salt into the wound).

 

Ian,

 

thought that Kodak Ektar and Gold colour negative film stocks were made at their Kirkby plant in Merseyside. 

 

Wilson

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Calumet Photographic Ltd are overdue in filing their accounts according to Companies House.

 

On this basis the credit agencies with usually give an automatic Zero credit rating. Kodak may have stopped or restricted supplies for this reason.

 

A private equity company has apparently invested in Calumet http://aureliusinvest.com/en/companies/calumet-photographic/

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Harrisons have Ektar in stock but at £8.99 per roll (the last time I bought Ektar, last year at Calumet, it was £5 per roll and I still didn't like it much).

The two lots I have ordered and paid for were at £6.49 and £6.99 a roll. I like Ektar because I find it scans well with my Plustek 7400 and Vuescan, albeit not as well as Provia does but with Ektar I get the 6 x 4's which are much easier to sort than looking at Provia on a lightbox. 

 

Wilson

Edited by wlaidlaw
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Alaris shut down one of their main manufacturing plants in Harrow at the end of last year.

 

A lot of their stock now is bought in from the Colorado, US where it is manufactured.

 

So I'd imagine current supply stocks are associated with that.

 

But there was a statement from the Director of Alaris saying while sales have declined and they have to shut down the Harrow plant, the company is "doing well".

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I did not think of Macodirect. I had a delivery from them just last week of 70mm Rollei 400S bulk film. I will give it another week or so and if nothing has arrived, I will cancel my existing orders and re-order from someone else who actually has stock, after I phone to check. The first company I ordered from showed they had stock when I ordered. When I queried where my order was, they just said their shop website had not been updated - not impressed. 

 

Wilson

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Ian,

 

thought that Kodak Ektar and Gold colour negative film stocks were made at their Kirkby plant in Merseyside. 

 

Wilson

 

Could be - but Kodak, Ltd, in a very-out-of-date (2004) web post, says Kirkby makes (made) just the raw chemicals.

 

As Paul J says, the Harrow factory (graphics film and color printing paper) closed in late 2016 - there may just be disruption as production gets shuffled around to other factories.

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I was just going through various drawers and the Tupperware box in the freezer trying to sort out what usable film I have, what is out of date and what needs to be used soon. I have found a half reel of bulk Kodak T-Max 3200 35mm, with a process by date of Nov. 2011. What on earth possessed me to buy that. It must been at some photographic fair when I had had too good a lunch. Four 35mm rolls of Fuji Superia 200, all expired Feb. 2013, that I have absolutely no recollection of buying. Various rolls of Ilford FP4 both 35mm and 120 with assorted process by dates.  The good news is that I seem to have 10 rolls of long dated Fomapan 200 and 4 rolls of equally long dated Provia 100. I also found to my delight 4 rolls of Rollei Crossbird 127 film for my Rollei Baby, that I thought was lost. I finally found a roll of Ektachrome, still sealed in its box with a process by date of June 1982!

 

Take more film - buy less film seems to be appropriate.  :)

 

Wilson

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Ian,

 

thought that Kodak Ektar and Gold colour negative film stocks were made at their Kirkby plant in Merseyside. 

 

Wilson

https://www.placenorthwest.co.uk/news/sale-of-kodaks-kirkby-plant-sparks-developer-interest/

http://www.amateurphotographer.co.uk/latest/photo-news/lab-and-film-factory-closures-hit-kodak-28662

 

The site was a chemical manufacturing unit and was closed, sold off in 2007.

The chemicals they made would be used in producing the film of course.

 

This page from Kodak.co.uk seems to think they still have it, news travels slowly.

 

http://wwwuk.kodak.com/UK/en/corp/manufacture.jhtml?id=0.1.4.16

Edited by chris_livsey
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https://www.placenorthwest.co.uk/news/sale-of-kodaks-kirkby-plant-sparks-developer-interest/

http://www.amateurphotographer.co.uk/latest/photo-news/lab-and-film-factory-closures-hit-kodak-28662

 

The site was a chemical manufacturing unit and was closed, sold off in 2007.

The chemicals they made would be used in producing the film of course.

 

This page from Kodak.co.uk seems to think they still have it, news travels slowly.

 

http://wwwuk.kodak.com/UK/en/corp/manufacture.jhtml?id=0.1.4.16

 

Chris,

 

Thanks for that update. I found another Kodak info sheet dated Nov 2016, which talked about the Kirkby plant coating film stock for Europe, when it would appear it shut in 2007. Indicative of the disorganisation going on in Kodak today. I suppose we should consider ourselves lucky that they are making film at all. 

 

Wilson

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