Fuji film stock coming to an end?

[Faintandfuzzy]

E6 film hardly sells today. B & H has both expired Provia and Velvia for sale. Fuji's going to need some BIG freezers to keep this stuff fresh.

According to shops I deal with, E6 is selling better now than it has for years.

 

[jarski]

What affects Fuji as everyone else in business, was mentioned in recent Adox videos.

Likely many of their film line workers were trained in 1980s and 90s, and having a gray hair now. And it won't make sense for a long training millennials to work after them. While not mentioned in official announcements, its probably contributing factor when deciding further cuts in production etc.

 

[telenous]

Fuji still sells at least one colour film for every ISO from ISO 50 to ISO 800. If/When they have a glaring gap in that line, e.g. no ISO 200 or ISO 400 film, we 'll know for sure they are going. So far that's not the case.

 

[ChrisPlatt]

Just steal a copy of the corporation's 500-year business plan! 😉

Chris

 

[NickTrop]

Panic = Click bait. Even with such things as film stock. No wonder the Russians were able to sway US elections and we're in the shape we're in.

 

[Ted Striker]

According to shops I deal with, E6 is selling better now than it has for years.

That perfectly explains why there is so much expired film lying around.

 

[brbo]

Fuji still sells at least one colour film for every ISO from ISO 50 to ISO 800. If/When they have a glaring gap in that line, e.g. no ISO 200 or ISO 400 film, we 'll know for sure they are going. So far that's not the case.

They don't have iso 800 anymore.

 

[Ted Striker]

They don't have iso 800 anymore.

Nor do they have ISO100 C41 film anymore.


Those two along with Superia 1600 were axed last year.


A radical thinning of their product line has been underway for the past several years.

 

[css9450]

Nor do they have ISO100 C41 film anymore.

Or 50 either; that would be E-6.

I miss the slow films when they go away.

 

[jonmanjiro]

They don't have iso 800 anymore.

Nor do they have ISO100 C41 film anymore.

We still have ISO 100 and ISO 800 Fujifilm C41 films in Japan, but no Fujifilm Superia 400 XTRA anymore! That got axed a while back, and instead we just have Superia 400 Premium at about twice the price 🙁

 

[Skiff]

I was told by a reliable sort I know for >10 years working at one of the two notable New York City-based camera equipment suppliers, that the film we see coming from Fuji are stores from deep freeze (after an enormous production run years ago) and that they have rid themselves of the machinery to make new stock. He further told me the decision was made long ago and based on expectations of film's imminent demise.

I pressed him on whether he was joking and he said he was dead-serious.

Anyone else here this?

This lie is running around for quite some time.
But it is easy to identify this as a lie:
1. Big film manufacturers do not freeze film!! None of them is doing that!
Because:
- it is much too expensive (too high enegry costs, too much bound capital for such a long time)
- it is too risky for the film (film can have brittle failures at too low temperatures).

Film manufacturers store their film after coating at about 8 ° Celsuis. On the former Agfa Belgium webpage that was explained and pictures of the storage were shown. It is also visible in the Kodak factory visit video of "Negative Feedback" on youtube. Former Ilford CEO Simon Galley has also confirmed at apug that all film manufacturers - including Ilford - do generally not freeze film but after coating store it for short- and mid-term storage at about 8°C.

And, very important:
Last year at the biggest photo fair in the world Fujifilm has made a very clear statement that they will continue to produce standard photo film. It was presented on a huge wall visible for all visitors. And it was also on brochures / flyers available for all visitors (and of course Fuji told all their big customers / retailers).
I quote that statement:
"Keep on Rolling!
Preserving The Culture of Photography
One of the most powerful innovations of the 19th century was the invention of film. Since then, film has been used to capture and document the most important events in history as well as the everyday moments in everyday lives.
FUJIFILM is on a mission to preserve the culture of photography, and with our range of silver-halide films, photographers can continue to harness the emotion, permanence and appeal of film photography."

Below that statement all current Fuji standard photo films were listed with available formats.

Last year Fujifilm invested in new photo film products like complete new design and packaging for 3pack C200 and X-Tra 400.
Fuji NA also invested in several new marketing efforts like Workshops, film give-aways, instagram marketing and a new webpage completely dedicated to traditional photo film https://www.ishootfujifilm.com/

It would be completely idiotic to waste money on new packagings and lots of marketing if you already have stopped production.
It is another evidence that this "freezer" story is nonsense.
Some weeks ago at WPPI Fuji again confirmed that they continue to produce film.

 

[telenous]

The elimination of ISO 800 film is news to me. For the moment I can find here in Europe both Fujicolor 100 and Natura 800. By ISO 50 I meant Velvia (what else?) But let's say you guys are right. It hurts to see Natura go but the litmus test will be the continued production or axing of either ISO 200 or ISO 400 films. Anecdotal obviously, but I believe these two to be the most popular options. As an example, when Fuji stopped producing Neopan 400, I knew they were out of the game. You couldn't say they were serious about b&w just because they had Acros 100 in stock. Similarly, if Fuji drops completely either ISO 200 or ISO 400 films you 'll know they are leaving film- town.

 

[Ted Striker]

It was presented on a huge wall visible for all visitors. And it was also on brochures / flyers available for all visitors (and of course Fuji told all their big customers / retailers).
I quote that statement:
"Keep on Rolling!
Preserving The Culture of Photography
One of the most powerful innovations of the 19th century was the invention of film. Since then, film has been used to capture and document the most important events in history as well as the everyday moments in everyday lives.
FUJIFILM is on a mission to preserve the culture of photography, and with our range of silver-halide films, photographers can continue to harness the emotion, permanence and appeal of film photography."

The above is the BIGGEST lie in all of photography. That text has been around for nearly a decade and Fujifilm has utterly decimated their once great product line while singing from that hymnal.


Sure, some rationalization of the products had to occur. But the moment the line became incomplete the writing is on the wall. Fujifilm will not or can not sustain their film line.


I expect plenty more films of theirs to be discontinued in the future.

 

[ptpdprinter]

I expect plenty more films of theirs to be discontinued in the future.

They really don't have that more to go. I count three slide and three color negative left for the US market. Obviously no black and white.

 

[Ted Striker]

They really don't have that more to go. I count three slide and three color negative left for the US market. Obviously no black and white.

Right. E6 films are probably next. There's so much short dated film out there for sale that clearly supply is too great now.

 

[ptpdprinter]

Where is Pro 400H $2.99 a roll?

As has already been pointed out, I confused 400H with Superia 400, which is currently $2.99/roll at B&H.

 

[ptpdprinter]

According to shops I deal with, E6 is selling better now than it has for years.

The question is: are the shops you dealing with still processing it? My local store sells the new Ektachrome E100 but you have to mail it off for processing. All in cost is about $25.00/roll, which I think would limit its appeal.

 

[Ted Striker]

The question is: are the shops you dealing with still processing it? My local store sells the new Ektachrome E100 but you have to mail it off for processing. All in cost is about $25.00/roll, which I think would limit its appeal.

My shop sells both Fuji and Kodak E6 films but does not process it. Not enough demand I'm told. They process C41, once a week.

 

[Skiff]

The above is the BIGGEST lie in all of photography. That text has been around for nearly a decade and Fujifilm

Wrong. Again.
That text has never been published before by Fujifilm.

And it has not been so far presented in such a prominent way on the biggest photo fair Photokina. But last year at Photokina they did it, published it and made a big wall and flyers.
You have never been at Photokina. I have been visiting it for decades.

And fact is: The Fujifilm booth last year was very different to their boothes the Photokinas before: Much more about film! And all-in-all, about 50% of the booth space (it was one of the biggest booths at the whole fair) was for their silver-halide products!! Including mini-lab machines for silver-halide RA-4 prints (which were re-introduced by them because of increasing demand some time ago).

 

[nbagno]

I read an interview a week or so ago, or maybe it was a video interview, I’m sure I can find it. The Fuji person being interviewed said Fuji would be the last manufacturer still making film. Now what kind of film we don’t know...


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