Kodak's breathtaking price increases (at least in Japan)..

Zonan

Zonan

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As reported today in Thom Hogan's blog "bythom filmbodies"


"Kodak Film Prices Going Up?

Kodak film prices will be going up on June 1st, at least in Japan. It’s unclear whether this is a global price increase or just a delayed response to the yen’s slide against other major currencies.

The price increases are variable, ranging from 30% to 80% in the T-Max 35mm line. 4x5 users will find T-Max 400 increases 120% for 50 sheets.

The high percentages of the increases would tend to indicate to me that we’ll see global increases, as they’re more than the yen slide would demand. Indeed, “lower global demand and high raw materials prices” were quoted as reasons for the increases.

If you do a lot of film shooting, it probably pays to be keeping a reasonable stock in your refrigerator until ideal storage conditions. We’ve had a steady increase in prices and removal of less popular stocks for several years now, and there’s no end to that in sight.

May 5, 2014
 
Not good news... I was just about to decide, to make Tri X my only film, hmmm.
BTW, who knows of a cheap suppy source of Tri X in continental Europe?
The best I've found so far is 4,15 EUR for 35mm and 4.30 EUR for 120 in larger quantities at Macodirect...
 
I posted this in the Double-X thread but the prices for XX went up about 25% since January.

I think an 80% increase in Tri-X price me out of that film stock for good. Or make it so that Tri-X was an occasional treat rather than an everyday film.
 
mfogiel said:
Not good news... I was just about to decide, to make Tri X my only film, hmmm.
BTW, who knows of a cheap suppy source of Tri X in continental Europe?
The best I've found so far is 4,15 EUR for 35mm and 4.30 EUR for 120 in larger quantities at Macodirect...
Click to expand...

Macodirect are the best in EU, as far as I know.

Last year I ordered 100 rolls of Trix at 3.10 Euro. Their price now is 4.15, which is a 33% increase. Wow ...
 
Prices are definitely going up. I've got about 1000' of TMAX400 and ACROS in the 'fridge and I'm thinking about stocking up on TMAX100.
 
So far I've shot between 150 and 200 rolls a year, so if even the online prices are approaching 5 EUR/roll, that is pointing towards a 1000 EUR/year cost, and luckily I develop and scan myself. No wonder the Leica duochrom is selling so well, particularly with the pros...
 
  1. Kodak is a luxury brand.
  2. No one's forcing you to buy Kodak. If you can't afford it you can always buy cheaper alternatives.
  3. Kodak is a small company and their films are timeless - the quality is well worth the price.

(just decided to see how pro-Leica comments regarding the price of Leica items hold up when it's not Leica but another brand increasing their prices)

Cheers,
Dave
 
The alternative, Ilford HP5+, actually costs more that Trix in Europe, which I always found very strange.

What other alternatives to Trix are there?
 
Used bulk film loaders are practically free these days. I find the Lloyd loaders are particularly fast and easy to use. If a 30 m roll is less than 20x the price of individual rolls, you're saving money.
 
Well, I almost switched to Illford entirely. It started with Kodak discontinuing PX-125. Tri-X and Portra, for a little bit of colour that I do shoot, are the only two Kodak films I still use. Maybe I should start taking some drawing classes- if the price of film keeps going up at 80-120% rate i'll be priced out of that market pretty quickly.

As an alternative to Tri-X, I shot some Arista 400 recently and it was actually quite nice. Depending where you are it might be hard to find.
 
The alternative, Ilford HP5+, actually costs more that Trix in Europe
Click to expand...
This is only true for single rolls 135. If you buy bulk rolls Tri-x is about double the price of Hp5+.
As for Tri-X alternatives: I have been told that Orwo N74+ looks a lot like old Tri-x. I have not tested it, but the spectral-response curves look similar.
N74+ data sheet: http://www.filmotec.de/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/V-I-TI-N74plus.pdf
Old Tri-x datasheet: http://static.photo.net/attachments/bboard/004/004G0A-10700584.pdf
N74+ can be had for about 2.80€ a roll if you buy a 400' (or 1000') roll and load the cartridges yourself.

edit: You can buy it directly from the manufacturer ('Filmotec') or from 'wephota'.
 
I'm suprised prices are as low as they are. Silver is crazy right now. I'm burning through a roll of the Kentmere 400 to see how I like it. If so this will be my mainstay as long as I can get it.
 
Isn't "Kodak" the film supplier now a different company from the Kodak we all grew up with? I wouldn't be surprised if they're just trying to make/keep film profitable in light of (probably) lower year over year demand.

I imagine at some point though, significantly higher prices will themselves cause a drop in demand.

I realize anyone shooting film now does it for their own reasons. That said, is shooting a film Leica that much cheaper than a digital M? If you're approaching 100+ rolls a year, then you're definitely in the annual digital M depreciation zone (if you bought one new).
 
dcsang said:
  1. Kodak is a luxury brand.
  2. No one's forcing you to buy Kodak. If you can't afford it you can always buy cheaper alternatives.
  3. Kodak is a small company and their films are timeless - the quality is well worth the price.

(just decided to see how pro-Leica comments regarding the price of Leica items hold up when it's not Leica but another brand increasing their prices)

Cheers,
Dave
Click to expand...

Dave, I'm now thinking film might just be a luxury item. Each frame shot on it will be precious to me.
 
In some of the shops in Tokyo they are having trouble keeping Tri-X on the shelves, it sells very well. Two out of the last three times I have been to Bic Camera in Yurakucho, they have been sold out. But they always have plenty of T-Max on hand, as well as Fuji Presto.

I usually have to go to Yodobashi in Shinjuku if I need Tri-x, as they are one of the few places which have it in stock consistently.
 
Bummer.... With film
First i had to deal with fuji discontinuing my all time favorite ...neopan 1600
Now my Second favorite film Tmax 400... May soon be tooooo Expensive

I suppose HP5 may now be chaeper than Tmax...
There is still some Hope :angel:
 
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