By the end of this year, Kodak’s Kodachrome film will be no more. Given that it uses a different chemical process to develop than normal slide film, almost no-one offers processing any more. I think the only surprise is that it took as long as it did to get the axe, but it is the [...]

According to this Q&A page about their new Ektar 100 film, Kodak will discontinue their Portra Professional Ultra Color 400UC film by the end of 2008. I don’t shoot much 35mm these days, but I thought it really sucked when they discontinued it in 120 last year, it was great in 6×6 toy cameras.

Kodak says: Due to significantly declining sales volume, Kodak is preannouncing the discontinuance of READYLOAD Single-Sheet Packets for four films. The items listed below will be discontinued by year-end 2008. However, inventories may run out before then, depending on demand. Please note: This preannounced discontinuance applies to Readyload format only. Other cut sheet sizes, such [...]

Here’s a table of projected availability of films from Polaroid. Given that people are stockpiling like crazy and that a lot of retailers won’t be re-stocking (e.g. Costco), I think this is probably very optimistic, but there it is. It also lists the latest expiration dates you’ll find for each type.

It looks like the sky really as fallen: Polaroid are getting out of the film business. This article on Boston.com says: The Norwood and Waltham plants make large-format films used by professional photographers and artists. Polaroid also makes professional-grade films in Mexico, and its consumer film packs come from a factory in the Netherlands. All [...]

Two more Polaroid films are on the chopping block… this times it’s the super-contrasty Type 51 and the sepia Type 56, both 4×5. The pages linked above say: NOTICE TO OUR CUSTOMERS: Please be advised that Polaroid will be discontinuing the manufacture of its T51 [/T56] film within the next several months. We realize that [...]

Kodak’s film discontinuance notice says: KODAK is preannouncing the discontinuance of several smaller running families of Professional film – EPR, EPN and High Speed Infrared (HIE) effective end of December 2007. Demand for these products has been declining significantly in recent years, and it is no longer practical to continue to manufacture given the low [...]

Fucking hell, Polaroid are killing yet another range of films! This time it’s the 80 series (84, 87, 88, and 89) 3.25 x 3.38-inch peel-apart pack film—the stuff you shoot in Holgaroids, supershooters, and squareshooters. Each product page bears the following message: Please be advised that Polaroid will be discontinuing 8[x] film within the last [...]

Durst AG of Brixen, Italy, a longtime world leader in the manufacture of photographic enlargers, will cease production of enlargers on the 31st of July (i.e., Monday). Continue reading at The Online Photographer Read Durst’s press release

Well, the rumour that I’ve written about previously is true: Hasselblad are discontinuing the XPan panoramic rangefinder camera. According to this article in the British Journal of Photography, The decision follows new EU regulations—known as ROHS approvals—which come into effect on 01 July, designed to cut back on hazardous waste. The approvals state that new [...]