Fuji film price increase

[kuzano]

Just added ACROS

Just added ACROS

I adore Acros but am convinced that Fuji is trying to price me out of it.

Did not Fujifilm just add ACROS to the film simulation on the X-Pro 2, and maybe on the new firmware for the X-E2?

I think I read that recently.

Of course you may be shooting the BIG ACROS!

 

[Kent]

Pushing through the second price increase within half a year is the first step to leaving the market completely.

Films are getting more expensive => fewer people buy fewer rolls => Fuji uses this as evidence that poeple lose interest in film => even fewer numbers are produced => prices rise again => (Go back to start) == enventually Fuji leaves the market.

But there are alternatives (even perhaps not on the same level).
I just hope they won't do the same to their instant film.

 

[Faintandfuzzy]

Unless you're thinking of Provia 400X (or Pro400H) and Superia 1600, I'm not actually sure those films are made anymore. I actually am not totally certain about the ones I listed either, to tell the truth!

Pro 400H is still available

 

[Faintandfuzzy]

Yep, all still available (for now).



Provia 400X is gone, but Pro 400H is still available, as is Natura 1600 (which is just Superia 1600 renamed to match the Natura line of compact film cameras).

Natura 1600 is not the same as Superia. I've compared both side by side. It was also discussed a fair bit on the Inside Analog Podcast as well. It would be like saying Superia 400 is the same as Pro 400H

 

[rowghani]

my local store just upgraded to a double sized fridge because of film demand.

 

[harpofreely]

I love, love, love ACROS, and even with this price increase, I still consider it a fairly priced film. However, I stopped buying it a year ago to switch to Delta 100, because as much as I love Fuji for digital, I just don't trust their commitment to film the way I trust Ilford, Foma, and Kodak Alaris. So I buy as much fresh Delta 100, Tri-X, and Fomapan 100 as I can, and cross my fingers that I'm backing the right horses.

 

[bmattock]

my local store just upgraded to a double sized fridge because of film demand.

That proves that worldwide plummeting sales reports must be wrong. Your stockist bought a larger film fridge. Has Fuji been notified of this?

 

[finguanzo]

Well, according to Illford, things are looking all right.. So one of them must be very wrong..
Illford US rep talking.

 

[rowghani]

That proves that worldwide plummeting sales reports must be wrong. Your stockist bought a larger film fridge. Has Fuji been notified of this?

this is not even worth a reply man.....enjoy your day.

 

[Hogarth Ferguson]

Fuji makes digital cameras that they update like the iphone, has a reason to stop making film.

Fuji increases prices of film over and over even though film demand is on the rise.

Fuji, unlike kodak, ilford, film ferrania, new55....etc all see a future for film.

Seems to me fuji has a reason to remove themselves from the film market.

 

[Hogarth Ferguson]

this is not even worth a reply man.....enjoy your day.

Yeah, I thought the same. Our film group seems to be just getting more and more people showing up to our meetups. Fuji films were backordered quite a bit last year.

Meanwhile, people closer to the situation have stated that fuji constantly raises the minimum order for their products so less companies can order it. It makes sense they'd play all this as a reason to leave the market all while blaming demand.

 

[bmattock]

Well, according to Illford, things are looking all right.. So one of them must be very wrong..
Illford US rep talking.

Math skills are so important.

If ten manufacturers make 10 widgets per day, that's 100 widgets daily. If demand falls to 80 widgets per day, and five manufacturers stop producing those widgets, then demand increases for the remaining five manufacturers. They might even increase production.

That does not change the fundamental outlook for those widgets. The trend is downward. There may or may not be a sustainable lower limit. But the direction of the arrow is down.

I realize that stockists and manufacturers benefit from competition leaving the market, which can make things look rosy for themselves at the time. It is, sadly, temporary unless demand changes.

 

[brbo]

Well, according to Illford, things are looking all right.. So one of them must be very wrong..
Illford US rep talking.

Since Ilford still doesn't have a single colour film for sale I think it's fair to say that, indeed, one of them hasn't got a clue.

Personally I think that price increase is better than dropping emulsion types one by one. I hope Fuji is done with dropping films and will rather increase the price to continue production.

 

[bmattock]

Yeah, I thought the same. Our film group seems to be just getting more and more people showing up to our meetups. Fuji films were backordered quite a bit last year.

Meanwhile, people closer to the situation have stated that fuji constantly raises the minimum order for their products so less companies can order it. It makes sense they'd play all this as a reason to leave the market all while blaming demand.

We are not the market and never were. We number in thousands. Mass market film consumers measured in hundreds of millions. We have as much impact on consumer markets as raindrops in the ocean.

 

[brbo]

We are not the market and never were. We number in thousands. Mass market film consumers measured in hundreds of millions. We have as much impact on consumer markets as raindrops in the ocean.

Not any more. Now we ARE the market.

 

[bmattock]

Not any more. Now we ARE the market.

All that remains of a once huge market, yes. But our demand still doesn't amount to much, unfortunately. I 'demand' many things I cannot have. A thousand people like me would not make a difference. A million, maybe. A billion, definitely. To fuji, kodak, etc al, we're a blip.

 

[bluesun267]

Corporations do not always obey the cold, logical machine myth of capitalism, they have belief systems just like individuals, and that belief system often trumps any logic or numbers. Raising prices and dropping products over and over again is not a good model for any relationship, personal or business. Only sense I can make of it is we're dealing with a highly ingrained belief system that is at odds with itself. At this point I'm a bit tired of it and feel like: either make it or don't, but I'm no longer interested in hearing about declining sales or difficulties in manufacturing.

 

[Huss]

I wouldn't say that this company is "doing well with film".

I would. They are finally turning a profit. Their future is with film.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/behind-screen/help-star-wars-kodak-ceo-848593

“We are building and investing in it to grow, including supporting and building labs around the world. There's so much artistic interest, and renewed support from studios. When artists spoke, it saved an art form.”

Fuji is making serious money from its Instax cameras and film, while its digital cameras are bleeding money. With the current resurgence of film, spearheaded by Lomography (yes haters, Lomography has done much more for film promotion than anyone else but that is another story) this seems like a really bad time for Fuji to leave. They could restructure their business model, but if their answer is to stick it to the consumer I say dont let the door hit you on the way out.

My money is with Kodak, Ilford, Lomo, Foma...

 

[bmattock]

I would. They are finally turning a profit. Their future is with film.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/behind-screen/help-star-wars-kodak-ceo-848593

“We are building and investing in it to grow, including supporting and building labs around the world. There's so much artistic interest, and renewed support from studios. When artists spoke, it saved an art form.”

Fuji is making serious money from its Instax cameras and film, while its digital cameras are bleeding money. With the current resurgence of film, spearheaded by Lomography (yes haters, Lomography has done much more for film promotion than anyone else but that is another story) this seems like a really bad time for Fuji to leave. They could restructure their business model, but if their answer is to stick it to the consumer I say dont let the door hit you on the way out.

My money is with Kodak, Ilford, Lomo, Foma...

Kodak lost piles of money in the 3rd quarter.
http://investor.kodak.com/secfiling.cfm?filingID=31235-15-10&CIK=31235

It is what it is. Their CEO can make all kinds of claims, these are the numbers. Unsustainable.

 

[Larry Cloetta]

I pretty much quit shooting digital this past year. Still have a couple of nice digital bodies, but 95% of what I shoot is film at this point. Acros 100 and Velvia 50 are my two favorite emulsions, by far. The primary use for the Velvia 135 and 120 is projection, not scanning. If Acros and Velvia were gone, I'd likely go back to digital.
It makes more sense, though obviously not to some here, to take Fuji at their word, that the increases are to enable them to keep selling the film. I'd grant that their heart probably isn't in it, but that's irrelevant. If they wanted to quit making film, they would just quit making film. Like they did with 400X. They have already demonstrated they have no reason to lie about it. When they've wanted to quit, they just quit. If they wanted to quit making Acros, it would not be any different, they'd just post a Dear John letter and quit.
I'd say that those who argue that Fuji raises prices to shrink their market have it exactly backwards. A shrinking market, which we know exists, forces one to raise prices (and increase efficiency of the supply chain by, yes, making retailers either be volume sellers, or leave the market to the efficiencies of volume sellers like B and H), or cease production. Fuji has chosen, for now, to raise prices and keep the films in production. The idea that they are staying in the film business in order to leave the film business is not only totally conjectural, it doesn't even make any sense.
Most of the prior posts are from those who have already posted their disagreements with my thoughts here, before I wrote them, so probably no need to double down.
If the new cost of Fuji film makes it not worth the trouble to us, we should buy something else. For myself, I'd rather keep buying, at least for now and work on my shot discipline instead.