Fuji film price increase

Well, isn't it always the case that if you have a horse in the race, you'll be optimistic? Film will increasingly become more of a niche and will become a lot more expensive in years to come. Let's just be thankful that it is still made, sold, and available ...
 
Dante_Stella said:
And Ferrari's pricing will pick up wherever Fuji's leaves off. Because they will have you over a barrel.

Dante
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Doesn't have to be that way. They'll want to take market share fast so a reasonable price is more to their advantage than starting at a pricepoint that is driving customers away. They also have a disadvantage that their last product wasn't up to the same standards as Fuji is (was). Heck even their price for the kickstarter was lower than Fuji is now.
 
I just started assisting in our Community College silver gelatin class. 2 dozen new film photographers most in their early 20s. It's not just us old guys, whole new generation turned onto film. When I started doing wet plate, there were less than a dozen of us in North America, now there are thousands. The Internet is actually spreading the word. I don't think film will ever die, but large multi national companies will probably give up on it because of the lower demand. Others boutique suppliers will continue and be profitable.
 
ww2photog said:
I just started assisting in our Community College silver gelatin class. 2 dozen new film photographers most in their early 20s. It's not just us old guys, whole new generation turned onto film. When I started doing wet plate, there were less than a dozen of us in North America, now there are thousands. The Internet is actually spreading the word. I don't think film will ever die, but large multi national companies will probably give up on it because of the lower demand. Others boutique suppliers will continue and be profitable.
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Well, as long as you can get the chemicals, are willing to read up the literature and willing to go for it there is nothing to stop those wanting to do it. You actually don't need a "company" for it.

If that is what you enjoy of course. I don't enjoy b&w nor digital.
 
Spanik said:
Well, as long as you can get the chemicals, are willing to read up the literature and willing to go for it there is nothing to stop those wanting to do it. You actually don't need a "company" for it.

If that is what you enjoy of course. I don't enjoy b&w nor digital.
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The silver gelatin class is a Black and White FILM class. I was just making a point that some obscure processes have gotten more popularity since the Internet.
 
I worry more about availability in the future than prices. If they are pricing people out of their market to make them switch to digital, I just hope that some niche company will buy their plants for cheap and still produce.
 
Faintandfuzzy said:
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
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The comment quoted below (made on flickr here by this Japanese flickr user) matches what I've read/heard locally about this.

In Japan, Natura 1600 (which has four color layers - data sheet available here) replaced Superia Venus 1600, which also had four color layers. I think early on there was also a Superia 1600 with only three color layers.

I have made an enquiry about this issue to Fujifilm Headquater in Japan.

They say ...
"Natura 1600 and Superia 1600 is identical. They started Natura brand film when they introduced Natura camera. Because these two brands from one identical film caused a lot of confusion, they took off Superia 1600 from Japanese market and left only Natura 1600."
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jonmanjiro said:
The comment quoted below (made on flickr here by this Japanese flickr user) matches what I've read/heard locally about this.

In Japan, Natura 1600 (which has four color layers - data sheet available here) replaced Superia Venus 1600, which also had four color layers. I think early on there was also a Superia 1600 with only three color layers.
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Which is exactly what I said. Superia 1600 is not Natura 1600. Your post backs upmwhat I said....it does not contradict it.
 
Faintandfuzzy said:
Which is exactly what I said. Superia 1600 is not Natura 1600. Your post backs upmwhat I said....it does not contradict it.
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Just found the data sheet for Superia 1600 on the Fujifilm USA website. If there's any difference in the data sheets, I'm not seeing it.

Superia 1600 (current version with 4 color layers)

Natura 1600

Venus was just the branding used in Japan (never used outside Japan AFAIK) to indicate the 4 color layer versions of Superia 400, 800, and 1600 released in February 2003.
 
jonmanjiro said:
Just found the data sheet for Superia 1600 on the Fujifilm USA website. If there's any difference in the data sheets, I'm not seeing it.
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You cannot see any difference, because there aren't any.

All Superia films, when they came out with a 4th color layer back in 2003, were renamed Superia X-Tra for a while in the Western world (and Venus in Japan). Then the X-Tra and Venus namings went away when the previous Superia films sporting 3 color layers got all sold.

Most of the remaining stocks of the 3 color layers Superia 200 rolls were then sold in supermarkets as film bricks. For some obvious reasons this film had not hit any market success.

Natura 1600 and Superia 1600 are indeed the same film now, identical to the first Superia X-Tra 1600.
 
bmattock said:
Film division, yes. Won't help them when they are losing 100 million per year overall. Unsustainable, as I said. They just emerged from bankruptcy and they are not looking good.
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It OK though. I'm sure their new Super 8 camera will turn things around.
(I love film, stills or motion, and welcome any new initiative to encourage its use—but, seriously?)
 
Here is the official statement from the global site:
http://www.fujifilm.com/news/n160122.html

The most important sentences:
To sustain its photo imaging business, Fujifilm has decided to increase the price of photographic films. Fujifilm remains committed to photographic products despite its price change.


All this "Fujifilm is leaving the market" is BS. We have 2015. More than a decade of the "digital revolution". If Fuji would have wanted to quit the business, they would have already done that years ago.
Don't believe the Fuji bashers and haters.


By the way: Looks like a quite moderate price increase of 10% by Fuji.


Kodak is raising it's prices by 15%. Why nobody is talking about that?
All brainwashed by prominent Fuji haters like Bellamy Hunt (Japancamerahunter)?


Ilford is raising its prices up to 50%. Why is no one talking about that?
And Foma will definitely follow. They have to to survive. Their current pricing is much too low for a living.


I see all of this quite relaxed. With the new pricing the manufacturers can survive. And on the new level film photography is still very affordable compared to digital imaging and other hobbys.


Cheers, Jan
 
All you are seeing is an adjustment for currency.

Fuji was keeping the prices artificially low because the currencies were in the completely opposite position only 3 years ago or so.

Price changes will occur every time the yen gets very weak or very strong, you just have to deal with it..

As for film having no future, Kodak is bringing back the Super 8 and more and more young people are picking up LOMO / clone type cameras than ever. I don't think film is finished yet.

There is one segment in the US that is growing more than ever before: Preppers.

Preppers love everything that has no batteries, and they tend to love retro stuff because it's made better. Preppers for example, were the primary reason that US Ham Radio licenses have exploded in popularity, something like 8 times the number of amateur radio users licensed as compared to before 2007. These same guys are into film cameras.
 
Jan, no one is talking about the rumored Kodak and Ilford price hikes because unlike the link to Fuji's official announcement in the very first post of this thread, there are no official announcements or solid sources to cite given the other two company's plans.

If you have valid info that you can link to as far as Kodak and Ilford are concerned, by all means, it is now Monday the start of business in the EU, please share.

If not, then please don't spread what are still just unsubstantiated rumors that can turn into the doom and gloom frenzy that APUG is legendary for.
 
In a previous post it was stated that Fuji's film sales peaked in 2000 and current turnover is 1% of that figure. That's a staggering statistic when you consider it!
 
I find it odd that Fuji, being a rather large company, will not push more for film. They're leaving it to Kodak (it seems to me). The price of their E6 films in 135 is already very high and their C41 in 120 is also pricey.
 
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