brbo
Well-known
Where does/did Rollei CN200/CR200, old AgfaPhoto APX100 come from?
Thanks for that info. As I don't own a digital camera and I almost exclusively shoot colour film that means that fresh Fuji film will be available for at least a year before it's destroyed by cosmic radiation (even if Fuji never coats another roll)
Photo_Smith
Well-known
Yes the demand is decreased but the profit is increased. Fuji are still making a profit mainly because of price increases rather than increased sales, the big problem for them is the Imaging group is being pulled down by digital compact cameras.
Photo_Smith
Well-known
The CN/CR is currently being produced I think in Mortsel, I doubt the APX is made in 2006 although being B&W they can stretch the 'sell by' dates.
People can tell you if the current APX is still old stock, that is VERY unusual almost alone I'd say. The Fuji colour films aren't 15 years old you can be sure of that.
Photo_Smith
Well-known
Thanks for that info. As I don't own a digital camera and I almost exclusively shoot colour film that means that fresh Fuji film will be available for at least a year before it's destroyed by cosmic radiation (even if Fuji never coats another roll)
Then you should be perfectly aware of how colour film RGB 'records' age at different rates and how base fog increases with age.
Cosmic radiation doesn't destroy film it makes it lose speed and changes the colours.
It is normal practice within the industry to coat in batches freeze some, confection the rest. You then look at your supply in order to plan the next coating date, if the film is in stock selling slowly and the frozen rolls still in store the film may risk deletion.
That's how Kodak work, I've no reason to think Fuji are different.
brbo
Well-known
Well, then indeed any worry is totally unnecessary. If those few rolls of CN/CR that are sold can be currenty produced and sold for a profit at a third of a price of Fuji E-6 then I do believe even E-6 will be around forever.
What am I missing here? Fuji got rid of these films because they were profitable?
Photo_Smith
Well-known
What am I missing here? Fuji got rid of these films because they were profitable?
Companies like Fuji might 'get rid' of products that are profitable for a whole host of reasons. It is possible (as in the case of film production in Tilburg) that even though current film lines are profitable the machines that make that film might be better used to make other higher profit lines.
Fuji makes touch sensitive screens with similar nano technology in the same factory that used to make photo film, so products with narrow margins might make way for products with higher ones without having to build new factories.
maddoc
... likes film again.
Official statements from Fujifilm (they are celebrating their 80 anniversary this year):
http://www.fujifilmholdings.com/en/news/2014/0120_01_02.html
http://www.fujifilmholdings.com/80th/en/
"From making cosmetics and pharmaceuticals to contributing to the exploration of the moon, Fujifilm has been reborn" and "Across six fields of business, the Fujifilm group continues generating new values: 1) Digital imaging 2) Healthcare 3) Highly Functional Materials 4) Graphic Systems 5) Optical Devices 6) Document Solutions"
Nowhere in their statements is mentioned that they will focus onto or continue large scale production of general purpose photographic films.
sevo
Fokutorendaburando
They just ran out of inventory of old APX 100, and seem to be selling other (presumably Kentmere) film under that name now. Up until a year ago it was the last batch from Leverkusen, and towards the end, that began to tell in terms of image quality and base fog.
Photo_Smith
Well-known
Yes, I'd imagined they'd found new suppliers as the base looks different. I still have 60+ rolls of Leverkusen APX 100 and 400 that I'm giving out to students; you can see the base fogging. I now rate it a 64-80EI.
Photo_Smith
Well-known
I think it's worse than that, if you deal with Fuji they want to sell you anything but film based product it seem the need to move you over to new systems and to diversify is the name of the game in their management and sales outlook.
For instance a friend was replacing his High St Minilab which consisted of Film processor and Fuji Frontier. Although they'd replace the Film processor with a new one they wouldn't give him a service contract.
The sales team suggested they could do him a good deal on a new technology 'drylab' and kiosk which will cut his overall costs.
So even within Fuji sales there is a shift to move away from technologies that are perceived to have less value. If I were the Fuji-Hunt management I'd be worried.
I wouldn't rely on Fuji, it seems that photo film isn't part of their future strategy even if profitable the sales drive is going in a different direction.
I don't think the company sees itself as a supplier of 'niche materials' the direction and drive for maximum profit for its shareholders seems to be the message coming from the top management, a spin off sale would be in our best interests.
Drago
Established
The color film is dead pretty much anyway, so why the fuss ? See Neopan is wonderfull film and i still don't get why on earth they'd remove it from their line. They did the same with 120 Neopan which has one of the nicest rich blacks out there
Wburgess
Established
Source?
Talking to my local pro lab and high street lab, they have processed more c41 in the past year than they have done for the previous 8 years.
brbo
Well-known
One lab is a very weak indicator of growing overall C-41 use/sales. Could be that hundreds of other nearby labs closed.
Drago
Established
yep ... there's not a single photo lab in my city anymore. Some still have the labs just cause nobody need them. And then again there'r labs with old chemicals who will handle the job, but the result will be questionable
Believe it or not, some of us still like to shoot it. Just because it is not important to you, don't assume it does not matter to anyone else, either. I find it curious that this needed to be spelled out to you frankly.
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Photo_Smith
Well-known
^^
Here here,why is that something has to be 'dead' because someone has no personal use for it?
There were 60 million rolls of colour film sold in 2012, although a tiny fraction of ten years before is still a significant number.
Here here,why is that something has to be 'dead' because someone has no personal use for it?
There were 60 million rolls of colour film sold in 2012, although a tiny fraction of ten years before is still a significant number.
It's certainly not dead... I mean lomo reissued 110 film after it being dead for 4 years or so.
Drago
Established
I think you get me wrong
Anybody can use whatever they like. But the sad fact is that color film is not going to stay as long as black and white. In the moment the film industry goes digital, which wont be long enough from now Kodak and Fuji will bash their color films. Until then shoot whatever makes you happy mani
Well-known
I think you get me wrong
I've been reading totally rubbish opinions like this for at least a decade. Because I was foolish I actually believed the arrogant nonsense for the first few years of my growing photographic interest, and so I stayed away from the 'soon dead' medium - after all, why get engaged in something that was about to disappear?
I'm still bitter at my own stupidity for all the wasted years using only digital. But I'm even more bitter at the self-proclaimed, know-it-all 'experts' still peddling the same poisonous message year after year - and frightening away other people who might not have the luck I had, to finally try film for themselves.