[Leica] Re New TriX

[Carl Pultz <cpultz@earthlink.net>]

Ernie wrote:

Carl - thanks for the inside scoop.  it is tough to be competitive in
the film world when everyone is saying that the medium is dead, going
to be dead.  I harbor no illusions that Ilford ( which is really
International Paper) wouldn't do what Kodak is doing if they needed to.
   It's just that so far Ilford has stayed consistent for several years
now, no Xtol debacle etc.
___________________________________

Yeah, I used Ilford back when B&W was my thing (20 years ago), and poverty 
forced me to have one film at a time, which I bought in 100' rolls. For 
some reason FP4 always gave me better results than Plus X - smoother 
gradations, very sharp. Worked great in Rodinal. Ditto HP5, though I didn't 
really form a preference for it over Tri X.

I like to pick a film that's good and stick with it and learn it. Whenever 
I bounced around with different stuff my work sucked. Same with a camera 
(haven't used a Nikon since getting the Leica). Since I'm only shooting for 
myself it's a luxury I can get away with.

Back then, we had Kodacolor II or Vericolor and they were great. (At least 
the old negs I've scanned look fine, almost as good as my favorite Reala.) 
Now, Kodak tries to make and market NC, VC, someotherC, Supra, Blah blah, 
all in multiple speeds. No wonder they're going broke.

If the future is to scan film and make prints (chemical or whatever) from 
files, than why not make one film at each speed with a neutral pallet and 
do the "look" in software? Transparencies are a different story, but for 
color neg, which is so flexible, I don't see the point in offering such 
specialized emulsions - none of which seem as good for general purpose work 
as Fuji's one product.

Then, there's Kodak's absurd, confusing, suicidal marketing of consumer 
films. Marketing by function ("versatility") is stupid. You don't build 
loyalty and trust to something called Versatility or Gold. You trust 
something called Kodacolor, Kodachrome, Kodanothingbetterontheplanet. You 
married your wife named Barbara. You didn't fall in love with her Social 
Security number. Jeez!!

And, aren't you likely to say, "but I liked your hair before" when she 
changes it for no apparent reason?

Now the Royals are gone - the only consumer film they made which most 
people considered decent - because it was overpriced. And now there's this 
High Definition 400. Does that mean the Versitility 400 sucks? Yes, that is 
the message. Then why are you selling second rate product? And making me 
pay more for something good? Fuji doesn't play these games, and they're 
cheaper.

Time for my pill,

Carl

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