What will you do when Tri-x is dead?

[rxmd]

I'll wait for the "Film is dead" threads to appear... Oh wait.

[Sparrow]

Originally Posted by helenhill

Maybe XP2 ... Been wanting to try it
Different look but 'looks' lovely

Yep, looks lovely and a dream to scan ... bit pricey this side of the pond

[santela]

Buy a monochrome M...

NOT!!!

[jsrockit]

Originally Posted by mrrobleyleica

I wonder what Sebastião Salgado will do?

I don't think it's going to matter to him... he moved on from roll film use years ago.

[boomguy57]

Like the OP said..."I'm keen on returning to it [film]". If people aren't buying it, they can wax nostalgic all they like on film and it will go away.

If you want fil to stick around, buy some.

[sig]

I wiuld use something else,............

[Messsucherkamera]

Originally Posted by Sparrow

So is film dying then? ... you'd think someone would have posted a thread about it before now

Film is dying?? Hell, I didn't even know it was sick!

[gb hill]

Tri-X will out live ALL of us so I aint worried about it. I like shooting the Arista EDU 400 film so I buy that mostly anyhow!

[unixrevolution]

We will all be dead and stinking before Tri-X goes away.

Film is alive. Film is healthy. Film is real. Embrace it. Touch it. Shoot it.

[DamenS]

Originally Posted by jsrockit

I don't think it's going to matter to him... he moved on from roll film use years ago.

Yes - he's been using digital for ages now. However, he still gets his digital files printed on a film negative before it is printed so I'm assuming this part of his process would have to change if film was to die.

[paulfish4570]

shoot more digital ...

[Paul Luscher]

Buy a M9M?

[stratcat]

I, like many others, don't think Tri-X is going to die soon... But if it where to happen in my lifetime, I'll just go on shooting whichever other B&W film is still available. T-Max, Delta, HP5+....

[anjoca76]

Should Tri-X be discontinued, I will throw myself off a cliff because my life will no longer have any meaning...

Joking aside, though I do love Tri-X and it is my most-used b&w film, Ilford's films are just as good, and in fact are probably even a little better at times.

Tri-X ain't dead yet, and neither are lots of other emulsions. On the contrary, although there are less and less choices lately, the films that are still being made are, in my admittedly novice opinion, quite remarkable. Instead of always lamenting the death of a medium that is still being produced and made available to us, how about just buying it and shooting it while it's still here?

I can still buy vinyl records. I can still buy needles for my grandma's 120 year old victrola--and find folks who service those old phonographs. I can still buy cassettes. Atari consoles are still available. Landlines are still here. I know nothing about ham radios, but my guess is that there are people out there who still engage in that too. If I want to sit down and write a letter and bring it to the post office, as opposed to typing out an email, I can. The list of things still available to us that are supposed to have been dead for years are still out there to be enjoyed should we choose to enjoy them. Film will never completely go away in my lifetime (I'm 104 years old--just kidding, 35 . Stop talking about film's end and just shoot it. The best way to keep it around is to buy it and use it. Sheesh.

[shadowfox]

Tri-X is not dead yet.
If it does, I'll be more than happy to give my money to Ilford, Foma, Adox, Lucky, whomever.

Meanwhile I'll continue to show people around me that film photography is both satisfying and rewarding. 50% of them will listen, the others won't. That's life.

Now stop being depressed and shoot your film cameras this weekend

[J. Borger]

Keep shooting TMAX400.

[Speedfreak]

Originally Posted by mrrobleyleica

what will the film die hards do when their fave medium finally bites the dust?

Whine a little here and there, everything was better back then, bla bla... and then buy a small digital camera and forget about film.

[dazedgonebye]

I'd be forced to break in to my large (and growing) stash of frozen films that I love.
I'll just shoot the stash till one of us is used up.

[anjoca76]

Originally Posted by J. Borger

Keep shooting TMAX400.

Probably the best answer yet. I just recently shot my first couple rolls of Tmax 400 and kicked myself for having not tried it sooner. I really, really liked the results.

[maxwell1295]

Shoot for a few years with my super secret stash of Arista Premium 400...

[Teuthida]

continue to shoot hp5, which I've always prefered.

[rxmd]

Originally Posted by Sparrow

Yep, looks lovely and a dream to scan ... bit pricey this side of the pond

You can spool it yourself to get the price down, XP2 in 100' rolls costs around 75 EUR new and you get around 20 rolls of film out of that.

[mwoenv]

According to this article in 2011, citing an AP report, film sales are expected to be "as low as 20 million rolls this year" (http://www.ephotozine.com/article/35...-slowing-16617)

Assuming $4 per roll, roll film sales would be approximately an $80 million per year business. Several small to mid-size manufacturring plants could produce all of the world's demand, so the large producers like Kodak and Fuji will have to decide if they want to be part of a much smaller business compared to what they had or to just get out of the business. But it should still be a viable business for several firms. If Kodak and Fuji do decide to exit, you would think they would get some final revenue by selling or licensing their best formulations for others to make.

Also, it not clear if this includes cinema film. My understanding is that nearly all movies are shot digitially now but film is used for backup as digitial archival integrity is a concern. So film sales may be even higher.

Overall, I'm not worried about film disappearing.

[jsrockit]

Originally Posted by DamenS

Yes - he's been using digital for ages now. However, he still gets his digital files printed on a film negative before it is printed so I'm assuming this part of his process would have to change if film was to die.

Right, which is why I said roll film... or do they use roll film for that process? Perhaps he's moved onto something like the Lieca S2 by now?

[Fawley]

Originally Posted by mwoenv

According to this article in 2011, citing an AP report, film sales are expected to be "as low as 20 million rolls this year" (http://www.ephotozine.com/article/35...-slowing-16617)

If Kodak and Fuji do decide to exit, you would think they would get some final revenue by selling or licensing their best formulations for others to make.

I agree. I suspect that as long as Kodak is in the film business they will be making TriX. When they do exit I would be very surprised if another manufacturer doesn't pick up the rights to the name and formulation. After all, its the most recognized name in BW photography.