Fujifilm Neopan 400 and PRO 400 to be discontinued !

[jonmanjiro]

However, last time I was in a shop, I noticed the packaging for Acros changed--could that mean it's going strong still?

Fujifilm announced a change to the packaging design of some films in March 2013 (see here). Acros was one of those films, but Neopan 400 wasn't. I assume that Fujifilm wouldn't go to the trouble of changing the packaging design if they didn't intend to keep producing those films. Or... perhaps Gabor is correct and Fujifilm no longer makes film at all and have all their remaining stock stuffed in freezers (with considerable stock of those films with redesigned packaging). I'm hoping its the former, but I guess we'll never know for sure either way.

 

[Rodchenko]

I'm on my last ever roll of 400X, and it breaks my heart. I'm changing over to 400H, but it isn't the same. If we lose that, I guess I'm switching to monochrome, and Ilford.

 

[jsrockit]

I just wish Fuji would split off their film division and sell it to someone who cared enough to keep making it.

Well, is it their fault that there is decreased demand?

 

[johannielscom]

All the same to me. I shot a roll of fresh Fujichrome (cost EUR 14.99...) recently and had it developed, it looked like SH*T.

There isn't a decent developing lab left in Western Europe. My film went to Germany for development and even with the expected bigger volumes of developing and subsequent fresh chemistry it was utterly bad.

I'm doing B&W at home as a hobby and shooting digital for color and B&W. Hate it but there it is.

 

[Rodchenko]

Well, personally, I've been very happy with the results I've received from Peak Processing.

 

[sevo]

There isn't a decent developing lab left in Western Europe. My film went to Germany for development and even with the expected bigger volumes of developing and subsequent fresh chemistry it was utterly bad.

Where did you have it processed? So far, I haven't had bad results from Eurocolor, Studio 13 and Farbglanz, nor bad C41 from Cewe (E6 was not bad there either the last time I tried, but they cut right through every fifth frame - guess I was lucky not ordering framed, or they'd have destroyed them all).

 

[Bille]

All the same to me. I shot a roll of fresh Fujichrome (cost EUR 14.99...) recently and had it developed, it looked like SH*T.

There isn't a decent developing lab left in Western Europe. My film went to Germany for development and even with the expected bigger volumes of developing and subsequent fresh chemistry it was utterly bad.

I'm doing B&W at home as a hobby and shooting digital for color and B&W. Hate it but there it is.

What lab? Or did you use a Fuji mailer?

 

[Photo_Smith]

All the same to me. I shot a roll of fresh Fujichrome (cost EUR 14.99...) recently and had it developed, it looked like SH*T.

There isn't a decent developing lab left in Western Europe. My film went to Germany for development and even with the expected bigger volumes of developing and subsequent fresh chemistry it was utterly bad.

I'm doing B&W at home as a hobby and shooting digital for color and B&W. Hate it but there it is.

Peak Imaging in the UK are absolutely brilliant, their service is fast and results are first rate*
Peak Imaging Website
Try some Agfa Precisa (cheap) send it to them and you'll be happy.

This is Provia developed by them

Crab Fishing net by Photo Utopia, on Flickr

*I have no links with the company apart from being a very satisfied customer.

 

[semilog]

400H, Pentax FA 50/1.4, Leica M6.


20140130-15530012.jpg by Semilog, on Flickr

 

[jsrockit]

Nice one semilog...

 

[Tijmendal]

I just wish Fuji would split off their film division and sell it to someone who cared enough to keep making it.

This. It's not like they give a damn about film. I bet it could be profitable if they marketed it better.

 

[mani]

The defeatist and negative attitude seen in these sorts of threads, seasoned with totally unsubstantiated speculation that Fuji are no longer making film (any factual basis whatsoever for this?) helps to bring the usual ’end-of-film’ wailing and gnashing of teeth one step nearer reality.

As for whether there are any ’decent labs in Western Europe’ - I just don't understand the psychology of anyone making such a remark? My local lab - Teamframkallning - recently produced some AMAZING images shot by photographer Jens Assur in Africa on large-format film and finally printed at 3,5 x 2,5 meters http://www.africaisagreatcountry.se/om.html (link in Swedish).

I can’t even imagine how many other labs are working hard across Europe to keep film alive and healthy, in spite of the thoughtless and dismissive attitude they get from people on threads like this.

The very least we can do is to try to be constructive: if a lab has shortcomings then let them know specifically what you think is wrong, and how they can fix it. Just piling negativity on a whole industry because a roll of film didn't meet some (unspecified) expectations just helps the naysayers who are looking forward to film ultimately disappearing.

 

[Noll]

Well, is it their fault that there is decreased demand?

In part, yes. From my perspective they cranked up their prices once Kodak quit their E6 line and Fuji has abandoned any kind of film marketing or promotion. Certainly marketing film in the last 10 years has been challenging, but there are plenty in the younger generations out there still "discovering" something to love about film and taking it up and probably a lot more that never get the message. That's a potential market.

But of course now they are a player in digital and seem to be doing pretty well with it. Why should they bother? Spin the film division off from the big conglomerate and find an entity that can make it work on a smaller scale like Ilford.

Anyway, that's my idealistic armchair business critique. I mainly just want Velvia/Provia to stick around.

 

[BLKRCAT]

Quick, everyone post up pics shot on said film to keep this OT...

Now with that out of the way. It seems that Fuji isn't really trying to get any market in film. I see Kodak almost everywhere online. A lot of blogs, online videos, podcasts talk about kodak but more rarely, fuji. Maybe they should try some marketing? Lomography and IP have done so successfully amongst the younger crowd.

I feel like Fuji is trying to kill off film. Raising prices, discontinuing films because of a "drop in demand" is almost a slap in the face to the consumer. I for one can't afford to shoot fresh fuji E6 all the time because of the prices. I usually have to order online for mine also because buying it locally would bankrupt anyone. (@ 18.99 a roll of 35mm)

 

[semilog]

This. It's not like they give a damn about film. I bet it could be profitable if they marketed it better.

I think that's exceedingly unfair to a company with a rather proud place in the history of film photography —*a company that still sells some of the best films on the market and that has specifically leveraged its understanding of how to deal with color and tone in its development of digital imaging products.

Fuji is not a charity, and they have to do what is in the best interests of their ownership, their employees, and yes, their customers. Who speak with their wallets.

 

[semilog]

The market for these products has collapsed. And it's not just the consumer market. Several relevant commercial markets have collapsed as well.

Spending big bucks to advertise film from the late '90s on would have been like spending big bucks to advertise letterpress printing technology at the moment when offset printing was sweeping the industry. Like letterpress, film will survive as an niche technology for special, artisan applications. Like letterpress, film will not be economically relevant as a sector of the industry. Like letterpress, film will be (in relative if not absolute terms) expensive.

In part, yes. From my perspective they cranked up their prices once Kodak quit their E6 line and Fuji has abandoned any kind of film marketing or promotion. Certainly marketing film in the last 10 years has been challenging, but there are plenty in the younger generations out there still "discovering" something to love about film and taking it up and probably a lot more that never get the message. That's a potential market.

But of course now they are a player in digital and seem to be doing pretty well with it. Why should they bother? Spin the film division off from the big conglomerate and find an entity that can make it work on a smaller scale like Ilford.

Anyway, that's my idealistic armchair business critique. I mainly just want Velvia/Provia to stick around.

 

[Photo_Smith]

Sure collapsed since 2003-10 but resent years there has been a better profitability at least for those who post results of their film divisions Ilford and Kodak I have seen are profitable and appear stable and sustainable.

There's nothing 'nonsense' in that factual info.

 

[jsrockit]

In part, yes. From my perspective they cranked up their prices once Kodak quit their E6 line and Fuji has abandoned any kind of film marketing or promotion. Certainly marketing film in the last 10 years has been challenging, but there are plenty in the younger generations out there still "discovering" something to love about film and taking it up and probably a lot more that never get the message. That's a potential market.

They are a business and film is no longer mainstream. Marketing it may be futile. And can you quantify plenty? If it was profitable, they'd be interested in continuing it...why wouldn't they? I think RFF members sometime think that everyone in the world is like them. Most mainstream people think you cannot even buy film and they have no interest in it. Without the mainstream, Fuji cannot just keep film alive for the hell of it. Plus, many people do not have a digital bias and realize it is just another process in photography's long line of processes since 1839. It is sad, but I can't blame Fuji. You act like they are sabotaging themselves.

But of course now they are a player in digital and seem to be doing pretty well with it. Why should they bother? Spin the film division off from the big conglomerate and find an entity that can make it work on a smaller scale like Ilford.

How do you know ilford wants anything to do with Fuji? Ilford has their own thing going... I would say support them if you think they are in for the long haul.

Anyway, that's my idealistic armchair business critique. I mainly just want Velvia/Provia to stick around.

I understand. It's just that there is reality for businesses, and there is fantasy.
Film is a niche product now. It'll get worse unfortunately.

 

[Photo_Smith]

They are a business and film is no longer mainstream. Marketing it may be futile.

Mainstream as in the main image carrier no, but other companies have shown it is possible to make a profit at least within that sustainable niche. For Kodak that means their film division was one of the only ones that is profit making.

Marketing any profit making product is hardly futile.

 

[Colin Corneau]

Now that we're firmly into film vs. digital yelling, it seems the thread has run its course...can the last person out turn off the lights, please.