Now you'd think on a site that is mostly about legacy equipment no longer made, there wouldn't be as much news as there has been, but here we go again:
Kodak has quietly discontinued T-Max P3200 (a black and white film), citing low demand. A statement on their Web site was the way they announced this. Kodak recommends that P3200 users switch to T-Max 400 (TMY-2), though this really only nets you a decent ISO 800 without resorting to pushing, at which point you quickly degrade results. Another alternative for film shooters needing fast black and white film is Ilford Delta 3200, which is still produced.
The bottom line for film shooters is this: the marginal stuff that sells in lower volume is going to disappear (or at least get very expensive). The mainstream films will probably continue for the foreseeable future. Either way, a dedicated film shooter really has to start buying bricks (typically 20 or 50 rolls) and refrigerating them. In other words, if you're a dedicated film shooter, figure out your annual film budget, and buy a year or more worth of product, then store it correctly to preserve it.
At some point we're also going to lose development options, though for black and white films there are enough options that the do-it-yourself darkroom aficionado probably doesn't have to worry yet.
