Saturday, April 16, 2005
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I'm watching the film horizon, and can see the storm ahead, but the future is not as bleak as it may seem. This message arrived on the alt-photo-process listserv today:
Subject: RIP: Ilford HP5 12x20
Dear Ilford 12x20 HP5 Plus Customer,
I'm sending this out to all customers that have order [sic] HP5 Plus 12x20 film from us in the past or who currently have an order with us.
I received a call from Ilford this morning informing me that production of HP5 Plus in 12x20 has been discontinued and our order with them will not be filled.
In sizes larger than 8x10 this leaves 11x14 HP5 Plus as the only size still available, but Ilford tells me that availability is limited to the stock on hand and 11x14 HP5 Plus will also be discontinued when stocks are gone. (NOTE: I'll be placing an order today for HP5 Plus 11x14)
This leaves Bergger BPF as all that will be available in the future in sizes larger than 8x10.
Dear Ilford 12x20 HP5 Plus Customer,
I'm sending this out to all customers that have order [sic] HP5 Plus 12x20 film from us in the past or who currently have an order with us.
I received a call from Ilford this morning informing me that production of HP5 Plus in 12x20 has been discontinued and our order with them will not be filled.
In sizes larger than 8x10 this leaves 11x14 HP5 Plus as the only size still available, but Ilford tells me that availability is limited to the stock on hand and 11x14 HP5 Plus will also be discontinued when stocks are gone. (NOTE: I'll be placing an order today for HP5 Plus 11x14)
This leaves Bergger BPF as all that will be available in the future in sizes larger than 8x10.
When a bell rings and it has a dominant tone, but the shape resonates in such a way as to produce notes throughout the chromatic range. The dominant note in this is the death of film, it is very difficult to ignore. The 12" x 20" film is being dropped, the 11" x 14" is just clearing shelf space, leaving the 8" x 10". But the other tones say that Berrger, a much smaller manufacturer, may actually be in a better position to keep selling the larger films. Naturally, their market will increase - there are so few people using larger than 8" x 10" that I don't think that the digital revolution will ever effect them, and so I suppose that they will just carry on using Bergger film and pick up the Ilford slack. Bergger, probably, will have greater overheads (due to less volume in the sector's use of raw materials) and the so aggregate price of film will increase, but beyond that I don't suppose they'll stop due to obscurity. They're already obscure. I'd guess that Ilford will probably cease all larger formats soon as it easier for them to close their set-up they re-figure for a tiny market (I'm thinking here of the 8" x 10") and cut their losses.
In short: film has died, long live film!
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