BW 400CN 120 Discontinued

[Mr_Flibble]

Originally Posted by CLE-RF

My local shop sends everything out to a big lab in the south of the country.

Johan, my local lab (RPQ) still develops 120 C-41; the main reason I use Kodak BW400CN in 120 format!

I guess it's Ilford XP2 from now on.

[Jamie123]

Originally Posted by batterytypehah!

But that's of course not what it means...

For Kodak to stop confectioning BW400CN in 120 means one thing only: fewer people are shooting 120. They make the emulsion, they have the choice into which formats to cut it, they decide to axe 120. Read: Not even worth our trouble to package and distribute this product.

How that can be good news is beyond me, whether you shoot 120 or 135, silver or chromogenic. It's bad news for all of us in the long run when choices dry up. Whether it's your own preferred choice that goes first is irrelevant.

I agree. I shoot almost exclusively Portra NC which is probably the C-41 emulsion most used by pros and serious photographers alike so personally I couldn't care less about BW400CN being discontinued. Still I can't be happy about this. Both Kodak and Fuji have been discontinuing a lot of emulsions recently and that's not a good film. Add to that the fact that a lot of pros who have held out for a long time as they have built their career on film are slowly coming to terms with digital (or so it seems).

Personally, I'm hoping for another 10 years of film at current price levels. After that I'll probably switch to a digital mf back on a manual camera. I'm liking what I see from mf digital and given a few more years of development it should get fairly close to the aesthetic of film.

[shadowfox]

Originally Posted by batterytypehah!

But that's of course not what it means...

For Kodak to stop confectioning BW400CN in 120 means one thing only: fewer people are shooting 120. They make the emulsion, they have the choice into which formats to cut it, they decide to axe 120. Read: Not even worth our trouble to package and distribute this product.

How do you know this? do you work for Kodak or have enough insider knowledge to postulate this?

The more correct assumption would be: less people are shooting *BW400CN* in 120 format.

Can we still buy TriX in 120 format? yes, how about Plus-X, yes, how about TMX, TMY, TMZ? sure. So why is the sky falling just because they stop BW400CN in one format?

Originally Posted by batterytypehah!

How that can be good news is beyond me, whether you shoot 120 or 135, silver or chromogenic. It's bad news for all of us in the long run when choices dry up. Whether it's your own preferred choice that goes first is irrelevant.

It's not a good news, but it's what has happened. Now, go buy the remaining choices. And get other people to do so. Now that would be useful. Yes?

[batterytypehah!]

Originally Posted by shadowfox

How do you know this? do you work for Kodak or have enough insider knowledge to postulate this?

The more correct assumption would be: less people are shooting *BW400CN* in 120 format.

Can we still buy TriX in 120 format? yes, how about Plus-X, yes, how about TMX, TMY, TMZ? sure. So why is the sky falling just because they stop BW400CN in one format?



It's not a good news, but it's what has happened. Now, go buy the remaining choices. And get other people to do so. Now that would be useful. Yes?

What's with this aggressive tone? I refuse to engage with you on this level.

[Pickett Wilson]

battery, standard response. Still another film is discontinued and the film defenders immediately post, "doesn't matter, still plenty of film left." Like there will always be "plenty of film left."

[Juan Valdenebro]

Originally Posted by Pickett Wilson

battery, standard response. Still another film is discontinued and the film defenders immediately post, "doesn't matter, still plenty of film left." Like there will always be "plenty of film left."

Almost no film left in the world...

Maybe more than 10 brands and more than 100 different films in lots of sizes...

As good as always!

Best news is lately I don't take you as seriously as when I heard you saying the same a year ago... Funny guy!

Cheers,

Juan

[Keith]

Juan ... you can't deny that slowly but surely our options are being reduced ... and that's ineviteable behaviour by any manufaturer selling into a shrinking market!

How far our options will be reduced is unknown at this stage ... Pickett, bless his soul, is just trying to toughen us up for the final hammer blow ... if it comes!

[Eugen Mezei]

Slide is gone completly. 3 emulsions from Fuji, Velvia beginning to dissapear also (no 4x5"). The rythm film dissapearing is accelerating.
Funny thing, it seems that 135 format shooters have to pay more than 120 format photographers. Did you notice that? I see 35mm film being almost double in price than rollfilm lately. They were at the same price per roll only a year before.

Back ontopic: What is the last batch of BW400CN-120 produced? I was offered this film in 120 format with expiratin date 8/2014.

I used this film in 35 mm and was impressed. I would like to use it in 120 when travelling. (Easy to drop it for developing, no need to wait until I go home and can develop myself.)

[thegman]

That's strange, I thought BW400CN was only available in 35mm for the past few years. It is a shame, I really like BW400CN. I seem to have had better results from it than Ilford XP2, but with consideration, it's almost the same. Shame, but XP2 is still here...

[KoNickon]

I don't know how I missed seeing this -- I will try and snap up what I find. A shame, since I really love this film. Thank God for XP2!

[BlackXList]

REALLY hope that 35mm doesn't follow suit, I'm a huge fan of BW400CN, and it'd put a big dent in my usual work methods

[Kenj8246]

I just 'won' 8 rolls of 120 BW400CN on 'an auction site'. Guess I better enjoy it.

Kenny

[stompyq]

Originally Posted by chris00nj

The discontinuation makes sense, because there is no convenience of 120 C-41. It is only convenient in 35mm due to the number of one hour photo labs.

How many places process 120? Any local labs that will process 120, will do both traditional B&W and C-41 B&W. If you take it to Walmart or Ritz Camera, they will ship it out for development which will take the same time as if they shipped out E-6 or B&W.

Well I hope they don't extend that same logic and get rid of Portra 400 in 120mm as well.

[shadowfox]

Originally Posted by Pickett Wilson

battery, standard response. Still another film is discontinued and the film defenders immediately post, "doesn't matter, still plenty of film left." Like there will always be "plenty of film left."

It's a standard response only if you're a standard "film will be gone soon" perspective-holders

It's two years since the above post. There are still plenty of film left.
Are you still here to keep your view current ?

[shadowfox]

Originally Posted by Eugen Mezei

Slide is gone completly. 3 emulsions from Fuji, Velvia beginning to dissapear also (no 4x5"). The rythm film dissapearing is accelerating.

Slide is gone completely?
Film types that disappear are lacking buyers. Just like some types/models of cars that disappear.
Also, Ilford has not dropped any of their films, why don't people mention that?

More importantly, please tell me one type of film that you regularly use but couldn't get anymore, I'll tell you an alternative that does the same thing. Still available.

Originally Posted by Eugen Mezei

Funny thing, it seems that 135 format shooters have to pay more than 120 format photographers. Did you notice that? I see 35mm film being almost double in price than rollfilm lately. They were at the same price per roll only a year before.

Film used to be a commodity, now it has become a niche product. A niche product cannot sustain the commodity pricing. You will pay more for film now, that's a given, not a surprise.

Originally Posted by Eugen Mezei

I used this film in 35 mm and was impressed. I would like to use it in 120 when travelling. (Easy to drop it for developing, no need to wait until I go home and can develop myself.)

Use Ilford XP2.
Same results, you can even print the negative in a darkroom, you can't easily get the same good results with BW400CN.

[shadowfox]

Originally Posted by BlackXList

REALLY hope that 35mm doesn't follow suit, I'm a huge fan of BW400CN, and it'd put a big dent in my usual work methods

I'm just curious, can you not use XP2 for your work?

[bobbyrab]

I have to say I had a bit of a wake up call this morning, I generally take some c41 B&W at my weddings alongside digital canon. It's not necessary for me to use film, my clients don't book me because I shoot some film so it's self indulgent on my part really, but I'm now beginning to question at what point does it just become too expensive.
This morning I've gone to my usual online retailer who has had remaining stock of Kodak cn to find it's all gone, so my only option now is Ilfords XP2, but at over £6 per roll, then add postage development and scanning costs and it's getting close to £20 per roll. As well as the cost, if Ilford drop xp2 I'm left with an M6 and four lenses that won't be viable to me as work cameras. So do I bite the digital M bullet or give up on my lovely Leica. I don't doubt films continued availability but it's never again going to be cheap and easy.

[BlackXList]

Originally Posted by shadowfox

I'm just curious, can you not use XP2 for your work?

I'd love to use XP2 Super, especially since I don't live all that far from Ilford, but shooting it at box speed I always get appalling results with it.

I've seen some lovely results in the "XP2 super love" thread, I just can't seem to produce anything that isn't a grainy mess, (loses definition/detail to grain). wheras BW400CN is fantastic at box speed.

I need to give Neopan400CN a try, but I'd much rather stick with BW400CN for as long as possible, simply because I know how it works

I've just checked an online retailer who I'd bookmarked only last week for BW400CN and it's no longer on their site in any size. it's still on the Kodak site, but under consumer film, rather than professional film (kind of silly considering it has "professional" in the name)

[buzzardkid]

Funny to read the number of alarmed posts in the last few days.

The OP is over two years old, BW400CN in 120 apparently was terminated somewhere end 2010, early 2011...

[bobbyrab]

It's also gone in 35mm, I managed to pick up a pack of ten today but it's only what stock is still on the shelves. Neopan 400cn is also no longer available.
Personally I don't have time to be developing film at home, so C41 is great for me, and has been quite cheap up until now, but that's drawing to a close which I fear will put further pressure on film sales. One of the cheapest sources of film in the UK was seven day shop, they seem to have dropped Ilford as their price has risen.
I don't mind paying a premium for film in the future, but there is a point where it's not really viable for my commercial work, I know that's not an issue for most people here where the increase is of less consequence.

[BlackXList]

I realise this is a UK centric point but at the start of the week 7dayshop were supplying 5 packs of BW400CN in 35mm, today, it's not on their site at all. No 5 packs, no single rolls, no note to say "out of stock", no results when searching for it, the listing has simply gone.

I'm certainly heading towards "alarmed" on this one.

I sent Kodak a message through facebook the other night, have had no response, so today I've emailed someone there to see if I can get a reliable clarification (of course if I do I'll come back to this thread and share the news, good or bad).

[bobbyrab]

Originally Posted by BlackXList

I realise this is a UK centric point but at the start of the week 7dayshop were supplying 5 packs of BW400CN in 35mm, today, it's not on their site at all. No 5 packs, no single rolls, no note to say "out of stock", no results when searching for it, the listing has simply gone.

I'm certainly heading towards "alarmed" on this one.

I sent Kodak a message through facebook the other night, have had no response, so today I've emailed someone there to see if I can get a reliable clarification (of course if I do I'll come back to this thread and share the news, good or bad).

As far as I'm aware it was discontinued by Kodak some months ago, I've bought a few boxes of 50 at a time, but it's getting to the bottom of the stock now, and I assume 7day shop are out all together.