What is the price per roll that will stop you using film?

[Einst_Stein]

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Kodak mentioned one important change is to make sure they can be self-sufficient on all relevant materials so that they can be less dependent on foreign materials. Not clear to me exactly what but meant.

Probably more flexible to produce any type of film would make sense too. 

But, since it said the budget for this run of change is a couple of millions dollars, it it not likely to be a big change.

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[Bill Clark]

Only use black & white film. I bulk load my 35mm film. It’s still pretty reasonable.

120 film is getting a little expensive. I don’t use it much any more.

Still have my analog darkroom and I have plenty of paper in various sizes as well as chemistry.

For color my iPhone works great.

Edited November 30, 2024 by Bill Clark

[Einst_Stein]

9 hours ago, mark_s90 said:

Hate to break it to you, but Kodak is barely making enough film to satisfy its customer demand. Making LESS film is not going to help supply OR prices of Kodak film. 

And if Ilford film production  had been fully satisfied by their reduced capacity machines and reduced production hours,, Why did Ilford just get major loads to start building an EXTRA  film production line?

Ilford is Ilford, Kodak is Kodak. Different profile, different business model. 

[Einst_Stein]

The two biggest film suppliers have taken different approach to deal with digital movement and the long term decline of film demand.

Fujifilm has chosen to use their photography chemistry's knowledge to apply to other areas, such as medical, cosmetics, etc,  and successfully shift their business income so that the photography is now very small, not sure I remember it right, something like less than 10%.  Not counting their digital photography business. 

Kodak somehow did not aggressively pursue the opportunity out of phography. I imaging they will put more efforts to secure the photography business, at least much more so than Fujifilm. 

If so, they might want to maximize the profit in terms of supplying photography material to other old suppliers, the “In-sourcing”?

 

[250swb]

5 hours ago, mark_s90 said:

Since 2019 Kodak has said that they have been running the machines day and night, starting NEW production lines up, raising prices every year to "stabilize supply and control demand".

 

Making less film, is not goign to solve the issue. 

Perhaps an exaggeration if they have to raise their prices when they are allegedly starting new production lines, in almost any other industry that would stabilise prices or bring them down? The answer is they are playing catch up after shut downs and start ups and are now trying to fill shop shelves again. But there is much going on that the normal consumer will never get their hands on packaged in a Kodak box, like film for the movie industry, and it only takes a couple of orders to require a vast amount of film. And then there are the films that Kodak make for other companies, which like Ilford's come in boxes that don't make any mention of the original manufacturer. So just because all these other things are happening it doesn't mean Kodak are reacting to a vast increasing consumer demand for their own branded stock but they are instead coping with a latency of stock. If you ever buy film you will have noticed that there are often long gaps between the availability of Kodak stock. So yes there will be healthy sales of yellow boxes but their profits are coming from elsewhere in the factory given Hollywood have already pre-ordered film with the intention of keeping Kodak afloat.

[PetPhoto]

On 11/30/2024 at 2:42 PM, 250swb said:

I imagine you didn’t read what I said, which isn’t unusual in the way you to reply to posts. Kodak cannot continue running large machines day in day out, there isn’t enough consumer demand so basically at the moment they don’t do it, hence the up’s and down’s in supply. If they can configure the production lines to make less film but more economically that will work for them and the consumer. My god I hope you aren’t an economist.

I doubt anyone on this forum is an economist. But i have to say, an interesting debate was missed here.   Do you believe that the newly announced Kodak film prices for 2025 are result of modernizing equipment to make film at a lower price point, or do you see the new 2025 prices as a standardized price hike as Kodak has done for the last 6 years?

[250swb]

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50 minutes ago, PetPhoto said:

I doubt anyone on this forum is an economist. But i have to say, an interesting debate was missed here.   Do you believe that the newly announced Kodak film prices for 2025 are result of modernizing equipment to make film at a lower price point, or do you see the new 2025 prices as a standardized price hike as Kodak has done for the last 6 years?

Surely the economy of modernising the equipment is for the benefit of Kodak isn't it? So they can stay in business and be more efficient. Prices to consumers are made based on what their market can take after the price of raw materials are taken into account. If Kodak can win back market share with a consistent reliable supply maybe 2026 will be kinder to consumers? The price 'hike' as you put it is what it is given without it Kodak may have folded a long time ago, a case of being careful what you wish for. Nevertheless they now have to deal with tariffs which may be a nail in the coffin.

Edited February 24 by 250swb

[andybarton]

5 minutes ago, 250swb said:

Nevertheless they now have to deal with tariffs which may be a nail in the coffin.

I think that there’s a big future in coffin and nail production.