Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1998/08/15

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Subject: Re: [Leica] Ilford Film & Developer
From: "Michael D. Turner" <mike@lcl-imaging.com>
Date: Sat, 15 Aug 1998 20:26:52 -0700

At 06:17 AM 8/16/1998 +0000, D Khong, you wrote...

>The underdog perception of Ilford is slowly changing.  They are coming up
>with liquid chemicals which are so easy to just dilute and use and I see no
>point in going back to Kodak's DA-163 and Unifix since I discovered Ilford
>Multigrade developer and Rapid Fixer.  Weighing out those powder chemicals
>were such a pain since I use only a small quanitity each time I darken the
>darkroom.
>
>IMO, Kodak is likely to lose more of the market share.  I can see that
>their marketing departments are quite insensitive to the changing consumer
>trends and demands in this part of the world.  At a time when there is so
>much concern about photo chemicals damaging the environment, I cannot find
>a box of XTOL where I am staying and I have to rely on friends in the US to
>help ship me packs of XTOL for my personal use.   Is there an Ilford
>equivalent to XTOL?
>
>Dan K.
>
As a former small commercial lab owner, I found Ilford reps to be very
responsive, and Kodak reps difficult to find. I'm in the US. Given my
father's experience of 50 years ago, not much has changed. Kodak's
priorities have been, throughout their existence, consumer market=95%,
professional market=5%, amateur market=0%. Kodak often have developed great
products, but the driver has always been the consumer market. Is it any
wonder that they have never really supported their dye transfer products? 

Ilford's priorities are not driven by the consumer market. You will find
Ilford reps to be much more accessible and infinitely more helpful than
those of other photographic material manufacturers.

Sorry to get up on my soap box. I don't hate Kodak (my father does), but my
understanding of their approach to the market has been helpful in my
maintaining my perspective. We all benefit from the ferocious competition
in the market, but remember that most of that competition is for the huge
consumer market dollars. Ilford is more of a niche player. Thank God!

Now. Having not answered your specific question and don't know the
answer--I've always used Kodak or home-cooked developers for film, and
would like to try XTOL. Check the Ilford website, and, believe me, your
local Ilford rep may well be a BW photographer himself. Call him (or her).
They are happy to talk to people who don't have accounts with them. If you
don't know how to get in touch, your local photo supply/camera store can
help. Or e-mail me and I can find out for you.

Mike

"Sing whatever is well made..."
- -W. B. Yeats