Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2005/07/21
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Kodak was really counting on China for film too. Maybe they'll still have luck in Africa and South America. Film has become a "dinosaur" ? Damn, the dinosaurs lasted longer than a century. Chris ----- Original Message ----- From: "Don Dory" Subject: Kodak 2nd quarter woes and what should film dinosuars donow? > Today's edition of the Wall Street Journal talked about Kodak's woes. > Kodak will cut possibly a third of its work force and close one third > of its manufacturing capability. Makes one wonder if the MBA's will > tell Kodak to get out of a loser business like B&W film and chemistry. > > Kodak is stating that film sales fell at a 27% rate rather than a > predicted 20% rate with China switching to digital instead of going > through a film stage. I also think that there were significant > returns of digital cameras from the Christmas season that also hurt > the bottom line. > > Should the film dinosaur community close ranks around an acceptable > company(s) and support that business with their purchases. If we > assume Kodak will discontinue B&W film like it has paper, then we > should close ranks around Ilford which has gone through its > bankruptcy, or Fuji which seems to be weathering the storm in better > shape. Efke and others come to mine as business that support the odd > film size. > > On a personal basis, I have switched over to Fuji and Ilford for my > B&W materials and Fuji for color. Currently I use Xtol, but I might > have to use Photographers Formulary to mix my own equivalent soon as > the local stores are not stocking heavily. > > If the community of film consumers (small and dwindling lot that we > are) purchases from one (two) suppliers then possibly those suppliers > will at worst sell off to management that can make a nice living > making a steady while not increasing income. > > 0.02 > > Don