Neopan 1600: Status?

Well, this is interesting!

Seems that the conversation in this thread has been spotted by people in Japan and was the topic of a recent post (20101022) on the Haniwa blog (a well known photography related blog in Japan).

http://haniwa.asablo.jp/blog/2010/10/22/5430765

The interesting bit is that the blogger called up Fujifilm's customer communication center to ask about Neopan 1600 135-36, and was told that it is a "current product", not discontinued.

My guess is that someone forgot to tell the customer communication center 😱
 
Reminds me of the "Leica M7 / MP are still in production" story. 😀 ... Not the best marketing for a company if the left hand doesn`t know what the right hand is doing ... 🙄


Well, this is interesting!

Seems that the conversation in this thread has been spotted by people in Japan and was the topic of a recent post (20101022) on the Haniwa blog (a well known photography related blog in Japan).

http://haniwa.asablo.jp/blog/2010/10/22/5430765

The interesting bit is that the blogger called up Fujifilm's customer communication center to ask about Neopan 1600 135-36, and was told that it is a "current product", not discontinued.

My guess is that someone forgot to tell the customer communication center 😱
 
Reminds me of the "Leica M7 / MP are still in production" story. 😀 ... Not the best marketing for a company if the left hand doesn`t know what the right hand is doing ... 🙄
Jon probably found out something that wasn't official yet, but was in fact the truth. That is why companies are only supposed to respond through their PR department, but when companies get enormous like Fuji is people are bound to slip up.
 
Jon probably found out something that wasn't official yet, but was in fact the truth. That is why companies are only supposed to respond through their PR department, but when companies get enormous like Fuji is people are bound to slip up.

That's what I think happened too, Nate. On the bright side, it means more of a chance to stock up on the film before its gone.
 
Jon probably found out something that wasn't official yet, but was in fact the truth. That is why companies are only supposed to respond through their PR department, but when companies get enormous like Fuji is people are bound to slip up.

That was my point exactly, lack of internal communications (inside Fuji) resulting in inconsistent communications to the public.

As Jon says, we are hopefully lucky and might have some more time to stock up.
 
Here's a reply a poster over at APUG got from Fujifilm Japan. It's basically the same as my reply but with an added bit (highlighted in bold) not specific to Neopan 1600 that mentions Fujifilm is doing it tough manufacturing even minimum sized lots of film.

Really quick and dirty translation by me:

With regard to black and white films including Neopan 1600, the condition where (sales figures) are below the smallest producible lot size is continuing, and since we have reached the stage where we can no longer manufacture, we have advised that some sizes will be discontinued. We thank you for your understanding
.

Post copied from APUG (link):

xxxxxxxx 様

富士フイルム(株)コンシューマー営業本部 営業支援グループです。平素は富士フイルム製品をご愛用いただき心より御礼申し上げます。さてお問合せの件につきましてご連絡申し上げます。

弊社黒白フィルムをご愛用頂きまして、誠にありがとうございます。またフィルム製造に対しての励ましのお言葉を頂きましてありがたく思います。

ネオパン1600を含めた黒白フィルムにつきましては製造可能な最小ロットを下回る状況が続いており、もはや作れない状況となってきていることから、一部のサイズにつきましては販売終了のご案内を出しております。ご理解・ご了承を頂ければと思います。

ネオパン1600の135-24EXP.につきましては既に販売中止のご案内を出しておりますが、135-36EXP.につきましては販売しております。

但し、135-36も販売中止の予定であり、現在の各お店様の在庫分だけとなる予定です。量販店様(ビック、ヨドバシ等)やカメラのキタムラ様等で在庫されている分だけの販売となりますので併せてご理解・ご了承を頂ければと思います。

お店様によっては在庫が無く、お取り寄せもできない場合があるかと思いますが、その際はご了承頂きますようにお願い致します。

ご迷惑をおかけしまして誠に心苦しいのですが、何卒ご理解を賜りますようお願い申し上げます。

今後とも富士フイルム製品をご愛用頂ければ幸いです。
 
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That was my point exactly, lack of internal communications (inside Fuji) resulting in inconsistent communications to the public.

This is where Japanese companies excel... in baffling garbled communications and inconsistent actions and words, really makes me mad 😡

On the bright side though I found another 40 rolls at Fuji in Manila... all mine baby 🙂
 
OT: In picture posted by Yoda I see Inferia 400 and 800 with suffix X just like Provia 400X. Some changes in technology, anyone aware?
 
Astia distribution seems to have been discontinued by all major Fujifilm Europe offices - which may spell its death regardless of the position Fujifilm Japan may have towards it, as one national market will hardly keep it up. Besides, it is not that different from the current Provia generation as a foundation for scanning, and with the move towards scan-and-print even for enlarging, the justification of having two "natural colour" films is dwindling.

The fate of the three Velvias is puzzling me, too - there never has been much sense to that triplicate existence. Velvia 100 has been almost universally hated to the point they had to resurrect Velvia 50 - unless it has some big, well hidden market (like a OEM deal into China), its whole survival can only be a matter of the responsible executive saving his face. And Velvia 100F was the "VC" counterpart to Astia, but with Astia getting scarce and as Kodak seems to be abandoning its "vivid vs. natural" dual lines, that position may be crumbling.
 
Yeah I would like to see Fuji's film lineup as this in 120 @ 35mm:
B&W:
Neopan 100
Neopan 400
Neopan 1600

Slide:
Velvia 50
Provia 100F
Astia 100F
Provia 400X

C-41:
Superia 100
Reala 100
Superia 400
Superia 800
Superia 1600
 
This is where Japanese companies excel... in baffling garbled communications and inconsistent actions and words, really makes me mad 😡

Haha I hear you Mike. Though in my experience its mostly not intentional, and more the result of really bad translations. Native Japanese translators who can translate Japanese into English so that the English gets the point across as intended in the original are few and far between unfortunately. 🙁
 
Haha I hear you Mike. Though in my experience its mostly not intentional, and more the result of really bad translations. Native Japanese translators who can translate Japanese into English so that the English gets the point across as intended in the original are few and far between unfortunately. 🙁

Not so unfortunate since you have a great job because of their shortcomings.
 
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