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The Fujifilm Professional Newsletter says:

Process 10 rolls of any brand of 120 colour negative film at London-based pro lab Genesis Imaging and receive a free 5 roll pack of either Fujicolor PRO160S, PRO160C or PRO400H 120 colour negative film.

The Fujicolor PRO Series offers an exceptional range of professional colour negative films to suit all purposes. PRO Series films produce natural skin tones, extremely fine grain, have a wide exposure latitude and are optimised for digital scanning.

To claim your free 5 roll pack, simply process 10 rolls of ANY BRAND of 120 colour negative film at Genesis Imaging. For more details contact Ken or Lynda at Genesis on +44 20 7384 6299.

This offer is open only while stocks last and is limited to one free 120 film 5 pack per order, per person, per day.

Genesis Imaging
Unit 1 Hurlingham Business Park
Sulivan Road
Fulham
London
SW6 3DU
United Kingdom

www.genesis-digital.net

Tel: 020 7384 6299

This article in Amateur Photographer says:

Polaroid is in fresh talks over the survival of its professional instant sheet film following its failure to reach agreement with UK firm Ilford Photo.

Polaroid bosses have confirmed that they are in discussions with a ‘third party’ over the continued production of 20×24in large format professional b&w sheet film.

In a meeting with Amateur Photographer, Polaroid’s European vice-president Paul Telford also revealed that there is a ’strong possibility’ that production of 8×10in format sheet film will be taken up by an, as yet, unnamed manufacturer…

Flickr member Dark Orange says:

Can’t buy the film you want any more? Just make the stuff!

In this set you will find random photos and information on a project a friend has undertaken - a machine to make his own camera film.

Plastic and goop go in one end, and camera film comes out the other end. This is not a trivial undertaking.

*update*

This bit of hardware seems to have created a bit of a stir…

On APUG

On galerie-photo

On the Nelson Foto Forums

Via MAKE Blog

Excerpt from a Fujifilm UK press release:

FUJIFILM UK Ltd. (Managing Director Hiroshi Saigusa) has announced that it is to increase prices on its range of photographic papers and films in the United Kingdom. The price changes are being implemented on a worldwide basis. [emphasis added] Prices will be increased from July 2008 and will range between 10% and 20% depending on the product group.

To sustain its photo imaging business, FUJIFILM has been undertaking intensive structural reforms to reduce fixed costs and improve productivity, and has been absorbing the increasing costs of raw materials used to manufacture films and papers over the past few years. However, the recent soaring costs of such materials as silver and crude oil mean that FUJIFILM is no longer able to absorb these costs during the production process.

FUJIFILM’S photographic paper and film continues to set the standard in terms of image quality and they are appreciated by professionals and enthusiasts alike. We remain fully committed to this important market and plan to continue our product development of new photosensitive material.

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 as 4×5 and 8×10, are not affected. [emphasis added so no-one freaks out]

READYLOAD Discontinuances:

• KODAK PROFESSIONAL T-MAX 100 Film
• KODAK PROFESSIONAL PORTRA 160VC Film
• KODAK PROFESSIONAL EKTACHROME Film E100G
• KODAK PROFESSIONAL EKTACHROME Film E100VS
• KODAK PROFESSIONAL READYLOAD Packet Film Holder

According to this post from Ilford/Harman on APUG, Ilford will not assume production of Polaroid’s discontinued black and white peel-apart/pack films:

Dear All,

I have been out for a few days and several of you have sent me PM’s re POLAROID : Please see below :

April 18th, 2008, Mobberley, Cheshire UK and Minnetonka, MN, USA — HARMAN technology Limited and its monochrome brand, ILFORD Photo and Polaroid Worldwide have been in discussions about ILFORD Photo taking on production of Polaroid’s black and white professional instant sheet film. Despite their best efforts, together the prospective partners have determined that they can not find a commercially viable way forward.

HARMAN’s Chairman and Managing Director, Phil Harris said. "The processes involved in the manufacture and assembly of professional instant sheet film products are very demanding and it would require substantial investment to re-establish them at HARMAN technology’s site in Cheshire, England. When compared with current and projected sales for the products, it was clear that such an investment could not be justified."

Phil Harris continues: "While we had hoped to work together on continuing the production of instant sheet film, it is cost prohibitive to meet the declining demand. As a company, we are saddened that such an inspirational form of expression will disappear, but we will always remain staunchly committed to the long term future of monochrome photography in all its facets and we will continue to do everything we can to support it".

Simon ILFORD Photo / HARMAN technology Limited

I’m not worried. Fuji’s FP-100B and FP-3000B are drop-in replacements for Polaroid’s ISO 100 and 3000 black and white pack films, and they’re cheaper! And personally, I like them better anyway. (Fuji also has an ISO 100 color pack film, FP-100C. Same goes: still available, cheaper, and IMO nicer. It’s the loss of Polaroid’s integral films, 600 and Spectra/779 that I’m crying over.)

The Jobo daylight film processing system seems confusing at first, and their web site is an unhelpful mess, but IMO it’s worth working through, because the stuff is good and does what it says it’s going to do well. Here’s what I have (all link to B&H):

#2561 tank with magnet base, holds 2 x 4×5 reels (12 sheets total), or 4 reels of 120, 220, or 127, or 6 reels of 135. You can get extension tubes for this tank to make it huge if you want to. There is a variant of this tank with a cog, which I’ve heard sucks for inversion and roller base processing, so unless you’re going to get the fancy temperature controller processor, stick with the magnet.

#2509N sheet film reel, holds up to 6 sheets. (Also holds 9×12cm.)

#2502 adjustable reel, fits 135, 127, 120, and 220 (you can gang up 2 rolls of 120 onto a single reel).

#1509 manual roller base, not necessary if you opt to use more chemistry and do inversion.

This gives me a nice, flexible system that will handle 135 through 4×5 in the same tank for not a lot of money. I’ve been really happy with it so far, I like it better than the Paterson system I was using for 135 and 120 and the dreaded Combi-Plan (of which I wrote a very profane review and follow-up).

There’s also the #2508 sheet film loader base (requires a film guide), which is meant to make loading sheet film easier, but I’ve never used it.

If you want to go fancier, there’s the Jobo expert drums, which are for sheet film only. I’ve heard they’re unbelievably easy to load, people seem to really love them, but they are more expensive, and I haven’t used them and can’t comment on them, either.

Check out this how-to on using 120 film in a 616 camera from Gayla

Six-16 film is pretty near impossible to find and when you do the developing cost is high and probably not worth the expense. Here’s how I modified 120 film spools to fit inside a 616 camera. Keep in mind that 616 film is much taller than 120 film. As a result you will end up with images that are shorter, but long, not unlike panoramic shots…

Continue reading at Making Happy

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.

Check out these how-to videos by Luke Healey on loading 120 film onto reels for at-home DIY film processing.

Loading metal reels:

Loading Paterson plastic reels: