RE: Demise of HSI

[Jason Revell <jason.revell@xxxxxxxxx>]

>I have used HSI for several projects dealing with infrared study of
paintings,
>for forensic applications, etc. and did not find any evidence of a major
>manufacturing flaw in the film. Furthermore, if the the film was indeed
>inferior I would not blame Kodak for discontinuing it. Why put up with
>perpetual complaints? 
>
>However, I do not believe this was the case at all. There simply is not
enough
>demand. At some point if becomes economically unfeasible to continue
production.
>I think this is what happened.
>
>regards,
>
>Andrew  o o  0 0 o . o  Davidhazy, Imaging and Photo Tech


I am in a similar position.  I use the film almost on a almost daily basis
here at work, for the examination of paintings and other works of art.  Over
the last 6 years of using the film, I have only ever had 2 sheet's showing
the pinhole problem.

When is was reported first of all that HSI was going to be discontinued, I
rang Kodak UK and they said it was due lack of sales.  When I questioned
this further it appeared that only about 300 GBP of sales were made in the
UK last year (under $500).  I thought this was a little odd and have since
spoken to some of the photographers at other art conservation places
throughout the UK  (and abroad) thinking that they must surely be using the
film, but they are not to any real extent (maybe a box a year).  With that
being the case I can fully believe the sales figures to be correct, and if
that is the case even though it is going to cause me immense problems here,
I fully understand Kodaks decision.  I may not like what they are doing but
they are a company and as such you can not expect them to make the film as a
jesture of goodwill.  Also if they make a loss on every pack they sell and
then have the users complaining that it is not made properly, from a
business point of view I would scrap it.

Also, after speaking to the other photographers, their use of the film has
declined over the past few years, as they are moving to a more digital
basis.  Remember most HSI film is used in a studio (though not by us on the
list, but how many of us are there !) and with modern technology we can see
a stronger IR effect by the use of video/digital equipment which has fallen
in price dramatically over these last couple of years.  This video equipment
has several advantages of HSI in the fact you can see the
damages/inpaintings/alterations/underdrawings ect. to the artwork that IR
show up straight away, no need to process and print the film first.  Also
the video/digital equipment can see further into the IR spectrum than HSI
giving a 'stronger' image.  I have had some artwork's that have shown
nothing under HSI but when viewed with our IR camera you got to see lot's.
You can now even get good prints from computer printers these days which can
be captured from the video/digital equipment.  Also now forensic work is
mainly being carried out at wavelengths longer than HSI can see, you also
get more accurate readings from spectrometers than from photographic film.
So if you can get better results, quicker would you still use the 'old
fashioned' method?  With this in mind the market for HSI must of fallen
dramatically over the years with now only the limited sales to the 'artists'
market plus a few 'old hands' like myself.

It is a truly great shame that the film has now gone and it will be missed
by many people, but I fear not by enough people to get Kodak to reverse
their decision.  However it is not only HSI that has been hit, last year
they stopped manufacturing the Industrial X-Ray film I use, and the
replacement film has now been made unavailable in the UK.

We are all moving into a digital age for better AND for worse.

Jason Revell
jason.revell@xxxxxxxxx


*
****
*******
******************************************************
*  To remove yourself from this list, send:          *
*         UNSUBSCRIBE INFRARED                       *
*       to                                           *
*         MAJORDOMO@xxxxx                            *
*----------------------------------------------------*
*   For the IR-FAQ, IR-Gallery and heaps of links:   *
*  http://www.a1.nl/phomepag/markerink/mainpage.htm  *
******************************************************