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Kodiak
19-Jan-12, 14:22
It seems that Eastman Kodak is in financial Trouble as they have applied for Bankruptcy Protection. Seems like no company is safe at all.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/01/19/us-kodak-idUSTRE80I08G20120119?feedType=RSS&feedName=topNews&rpc=71

bekisman
19-Jan-12, 15:03
Seems they ignored all the signs of a digital revolution - decided to keep their film rolls for the professionals and expected that bog-standard man in the street would continue to use 35 mil, then, too late they realised they were being left behind. Case of not adjusting?

theone
19-Jan-12, 22:13
A perfect example of a company that fails to keep with the times failing.

If they supplied what people wanted, needed and found affordable, they wouldn't have failed.

Scout
21-Jan-12, 12:45
A perfect example of a company that fails to keep with the times failing.

If they supplied what people wanted, needed and found affordable, they wouldn't have failed.


Funny thing that is what we think they are bankrupt look at what this chap has to say and you can see all is not what it seems

Kodak files for Chapter 11: So?
Family and friends keep asking me "wow, Kodak bankrupt? Is the sky falling?"
Few of you guys have asked, because as photographers, we are all our own businesses. There are no "jobs" in photography (http://www.kenrockwell.com/tech/go-pro.htm#jobs) except those we create for ourselves (http://www.kenrockwell.com/tech/go-pro.htm#biz).
As business owners, we know that filing for reorganization under chapter 11 is merely a trick used by irresponsibly managed parties to weasel out of promises made to others — but to stay in business.
If you're going out of business, you file under a completely different chapter, chapter 7, but you guys know that.
The news media loves to get everyone all riled up, so they report irresponsibly as if chapter 11 is "going out of business." Heck, almost every airline and Ritz (http://www.ritzcamera.com/p/?location=KRRC01&tmreturn=true) has pulled this same "Chapter 11" rich-guy's trick, and they're all still around.
Chapter 11 merely means that you're run irresponsibly and want to skip out on your promises, but to stay in business shining your big ugly teeth back at the people you managed not to pay by playing the chapter 11 legal trick.
All filing under chapter 11 means is that you're a poorly managed and irresponsible operation. It's a badge of shame — but you or your company will still be around, and that you're promising the judge to be better next time.
I'm amazed that Kodak floated along this long. It's been poorly managed for decades. I remember 20 years ago when neither I nor any of my other colleagues could figure out who our Kodak rep was, while we always knew our Fuji guy. We still have no idea who our local Kodak guy is.
Whenever we could find a Kodak rep, all they did was whine about how bad Kodak was doing and how short lived their job might be, and this was told to us as part of their job representing Kodak!
George Eastman invented film, and the ride was easy for the first 100 years. Kodak could do what it wanted, and do well, until Fuji came along with better film that looked better and lasted longer without fading. Old faded color pictures? Kodak film and Kodak paper.
Kodak hasn't been the leading film maker for pro use for 20 years since Fuji replaced them. Kodak floated along on its laurels for decades. For recent decades, Kodak was run it its interest, not in our interests.
After Velvia came out and turned the world on its head, we kept waiting for Kodak to make something better. Ektachrome 100 VS. Lumiere. Every attempt was crummy; and as the years rolled on, Velvia kept making better, bolder and more vivid images than anything Kodak could try to copy, and even if Kodak did or does come out with a film that looks better, it probably would fade much faster than Fuji. If it doesn't last, why shoot it?
With its filing, I expect that Kodak will be around for a long time. I have no worries that I'll be able to get all the TMX100 (http://www.adorama.com/refby.tpl?refby=rflAID021866&sstring=TMX) I can shoot, and if not, Ilford, others and even Fuji make good B&W film, too.
The most important thing Kodak does today is make the CCD sensors used to protect the world's freedom (America's spy satellites are watching you now from space, even inside your home or office, with Kodak CCDs), and Kodak CCDs are used in most professional cameras like the LEICA M9 (http://www.kenrockwell.com/leica/m9.htm), LEICA M9-P (http://www.kenrockwell.com/leica/m9/m9-p.htm), Phase One (http://www.adorama.com/refby.tpl?refby=rflAID021866&sstring=Phase%20One), Hasselblad (http://www.adorama.com/refby.tpl?refby=rflAID021866&sstring=Hasselblad) and etc. (Nikon (http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/) and Canon (http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/) are consumer products.) But hold on - Kodak hocked their CCD division last year.
Kodak are still the eyes of professional photography, both real photography and "digital."
"Color Photography" is an oxymoron (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxymoron); photography is a black & white medium. "Color" is merely a distortion from pure photography.
No problems. No big deal. Nothing to see here, move along.