MirkoBoeddecker
It became official this week. Kodak is discontinuing HIE (High Speed Infrared Film).
We were informed of this two weeks ago, but Kodak timed the announcement in such a way that almost all stock had been cleared beforehand. We ordered a two-year supply two weeks ago, but it is doubtful whether we will receive 100% of the goods we ordered.
Incidentally, the problem for Kodak lay in the packaging process. Standard Kodak packaging facilities are equipped with infrared lighting and infrared goggles for staff. All display instruments also show IR. Without this technology, workers can only operate if they are trained to work in complete darkness.
So a separate packaging operation was set up, in a separate building with its own team, using machines without IR displays that handled only IR packaging. This is not viable for anyone with an annual turnover of less than half a master roll of material.
As Kodak generally does not outsource packaging (due to quality control, which is an essential part of any packaging process), they could not resolve the dilemma and pulled the emergency brake.
What we are now naturally missing (once Kodak’s stock has been sold off) is a genuine ‘high-speed’ infrared film, so that with filters above 715 nm one does not have to make do with 2–6 ASA, as is the case with the otherwise excellent and, in some respects, genuinely superior efke (tonal range).
Once the new APX-400 successor emulsions have been developed, we’ll have a look at them.
With the same grain as HIE and the same spectral sensitisation, this is within the realm of possibility.
However, it depends very much on the expected turnover as to whether the research effort is really worthwhile.
Best regards,
Mirko
leoz
Very interesting background information, Mirko,
Ektachrome 64 and 100 will also be discontinued from the end of 2007.
According to Kodak, Ektachrome 100 G and GX are the recommended replacements.
It looks as though Kodak is now scaling back its film division somewhat.
