Latest news from Kodak (K40)

[vanderVelden]

HI,

After having sent several mails to Kodak USA, I just received a detailed answer about their decision to stop producing Kodachrome super 8.
This mail answers most of my questions (and also yours I believe.) Personally I do find the anser makes sence.
Rgds
George van der Velden
South Africa
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dear Mr. van der Velden:

Thank you for sending along your thoughts regarding the Kodachrome 40
announcement. We appreciate your taking the time to write on a subject
that is obviously of great importance to you. We put tremendous value on
our communication with customers.

We fully appreciate your concern with Kodak's decision to discontinue our
Kodachrome 40 product. It was certainly a difficult decision to make, as
Kodachrome has been a brand icon for decades. The simple fact of the
matter is that we find ourselves operating within the parameters of a new
reality.

Motion picture is still very much a film business (and we have every
expectation that film will remain an important part of the imaging chain
into the foreseeable future), yet our business is undeniably impacted by a
fundamental change occurring in the imaging industry worldwide. Consumer
preferences are changing with the increasing popularity of digital
photography. Consumers are buying far less film in major markets, which
affects all of Kodak's film manufacturing because it is integrated
throughout the company. Declining demand for any one film product has
manufacturing ramifications for all film products. Given this, Kodak is
being forced to create a new business model for a new reality. We have no
alternative but to adapt to the marketplace.

We are undergoing a transition, which involves a lot of change. Yet we are
confident that the outcome of this transition will be a very healthy
future, including a robust silver halide portfolio for our motion picture
customers.

That doesn't diminish the importance of our Kodachrome 40 customers. We
took very seriously our responsibility to weigh out every viable option
regarding this Super 8 product. And, we worked very hard to bring our new
EKTACHROME replacement product to market. We support our Super 8
customers, and at present have five great products from which to choose.

As we work together to manage this transition, we want to respect and
understand the views and input from all Super 8 users. That is why we set
up this website, which we access on a regular basis to sample customer
replies.

So, thank you for the dialog, and please see the Frequently Asked Questions
pages on our website relative to the Kodachrome S8 discontinuance and the
EKTACHROME replacement.

Kodachrome Super 8 FAQ’s:
http://www.kodak.com/US/en/motion/about ... odqa.jhtml
EKTACHROME 64T FAQ’s:
http://www.kodak.com/US/en/motion/about/news/ekqa.jhtml

In the meantime, we hope you'll try the new EKTACHROME 64T. We are excited
about its imaging characteristics and the overall quality of the film. We
anticipate it will be a very robust component of our Super 8 portfolio.

Bob Mayson
General Manager, Image Capture Product Group
Vice President, Entertainment Imaging
Eastman Kodak Company

[Bru]

Being an occasional user of S8, at amateur level, I can only offer my opinion based on my limited experience. And I say - whoopee! Now I can home-process colour S8. This also allows me the chance for some inventive push-processing. So I guess there is a little silver in the cloud yet. I mean, imagine if there was no colour reversal stock replacement.. shocking.

[tlatosmd]

From what I can tell, that mail is in no way different from their official announcement on 64T 'replacing' K40, it only lacks their link to themselves wrecking down their own Switzerland lab.

[Angus]

Well I imagine they've worked out that we aren't buying the link with the selling of the Swiss site.

At least you got a reply. I sent a polite letter to Kodak UK and US the day I discovered K40 was being discontinued...I am yet to receive any response. However that is unusual, in the past whenever I have contacted Kodak they've been helpful - even putting me in touch with former employees who manufactured super 8 equipment in the 70's for help repairing an ektasound camera.

I think their reasoning in the communication above is more realistic. The market is changing, so they took the decision to axe K40. I appreciate some honesty at last. I still don't like or support the decision but I am thankful for Kodak finally being honest.

I'll be trying 64T, it will likely be my only feasible option for colour filming though I might do a little neg filming with the prints from Andec.

[Carlos 8mm]

Bob Mayson wrote:

In the meantime, we hope you'll try the new EKTACHROME 64T. We are excited about its imaging characteristics and the overall quality of the film. We anticipate it will be a very robust component of our Super 8 portfolio.

It could means that in a near future Kodak will release a new generation of Ektachrome MP films ? 8O

Carlos.

[Angus]

Well those of us who use colour reversal films are hoping for a higher speed film, preferably E6 such as 100D but at the moment Kodak seem to be thinking of only one colour reversal. I remember something about 'deciding which of 64T and 100D was more appropriate to super 8'

[tlatosmd]

I think their reasoning in the communication above is more realistic. The market is changing, so they took the decision to axe K40. I appreciate some honesty at last. I still don't like or support the decision but I am thankful for Kodak finally being honest.

What do you mean by 'at last' and 'finally'? That's exactly the same reasoning they used in their initial announcement on their site.

[audadvnc]

I guess there is a little silver in the cloud yet.

But don't you remove all the silver in E6 processing?

[marc]

We support our Super 8
customers, and at present have five great products from which to choose.

"AT PRESENT" !!!!!!!!

[John_Pytlak]

We support our Super 8
customers, and at present have five great products from which to choose.

"AT PRESENT" !!!!!!!!

A pessimist will say fewer films in the future.

An optimist will say more films in the future.

I like being optimistic.

[Uppsala BildTeknik]

We support our Super 8
customers, and at present have five great products from which to choose.

"AT PRESENT" !!!!!!!!

A pessimist will say fewer films in the future.

An optimist will say more films in the future.

I like being optimistic.

Yeah, it is like impossible to say how many stocks they will offer the year 2015, and rather untinteresting to hear how many stocks they had 1974. ;)

It is THE PRESENT that is interesting and the future is still the future. ;)

Let us all be optimistic and thankful that there are stocks offered, OK? ;)

[marc]

We support our Super 8
customers, and at present have five great products from which to choose.

"AT PRESENT" !!!!!!!!

A pessimist will say fewer films in the future.

An optimist will say more films in the future.

I like being optimistic.

What would KODAK say?

[Carlos 8mm]

John,

Will Kodak release in a near future new T- Grain Ektachrome MP film/s?

Carlos.

[John_Pytlak]

Suggestions for additional Super-8 films should be sent to:

WW-EI-Super8@Kodak.com

Include information about how you normally use Super-8 film (e.g., direct projection, telecine transfer, scan yourself, for "look", music videos, travelogs, documentary, home movies, etc.) and why you think the film you suggest would be a good addition.

Best chance for additional films are films that are already used in another format (e.g., 16mm, 35mm).

Although the Kodak EI Super-8 team members read postings on user groups like Filmshooting.com and Cinematography.com, the postings often do not develop a concensus, or give precise reasons for why a particular film would be the best choice for a particular application.

[Carlos 8mm]

Best chance for additional films are films that are already used in another format (e.g., 16mm, 35mm).

How expensive to Kodak can be the releasing of Ektachrome E-family slide stocks for Motion picture films?

Carlos.