Lomography Price Rises

[HHPhoto]

It's a shame that Kodak and Fuji have taken this route.

All manufacturers have taken this route (Ilford has increased prices several times in the last three years, too, by the way).
Because they have to!
New machinery is needed, and that is extremely expensive for such high-tech products like film and photo paper. And new chemists and engineers have to be hired and educated. As the ADOX CEO explained on the Helsinki photo fair, for a Ph.D. in chemistry it needs another five (!) years of additional education in the factory to make him an emulsionist. During this time he costs the company money, lots of it.

They've essentially decided that this is the amount of film they're going to make, and just increase prices until demand levels off.

That is completely wrong! All film manufacturers are increasing their production and try to keep up with the strong demand. Kodak and Fuji are already running 3 shift/day film converting, and even despite that the supply is not enough. Therefore they are building additional machinery, and that is very costly.

It's going to become more of a niche.

No, it is just the opposite: The market has almost doubled in the last years. And will continue to grow. That is why the film companies invest in new products and production capacities.

Cheers, Jan

 

[Hogarth Ferguson]

No, not at all.
Because it has nothing to do with that. I know that the recent price increases are necessary for making the film producers fit for the future. It is needed for the new investments in production capacities and highly skilled workforce. And to absorb increasing raw material costs.

Cheers, Jan

Jan,

I was being sardonic as the first reply in this thread is "it's called greed" which is just an incorrect reply.

I completely agree with you on all the points you're making. I'm getting sort of sick of the "these companies are greedy" or "they don't want to make film" anything other than "they have to invest in their industry for it to continue into the future"

 

[Huss]

Lomography is run by older bunch now. They are not Austrian students anymore, but people with mortgages, cars and not cheap wine and dine preferences.

Yes they should live in a box down by the river and walk to work so you can have cheap film.

I’m going to be visiting Lomography in Vienna this May as part of the Metropolis release. They will be showing me around.

 

[HHPhoto]

Jan,

I was being sardonic as the first reply in this thread is "it's called greed" which is just an incorrect reply.

I completely agree with you on all the points you're making. I'm getting sort of sick of the "these companies are greedy" or "they don't want to make film" anything other than "they have to invest in their industry for it to continue into the future"

Hogarth, o.k., thanks.
I understand.

Cheers, Jan

 

[HHPhoto]

Yes they should live in a box down by the river and walk to work so you can have cheap film.

I’m going to be visiting Lomography in Vienna this May as part of the Metropolis release. They will be showing me around.

Please report from your trip to Vienna when you are back.
And if you want to extend your trip to Germany please let me know 🙂.

Cheers, Jan