Am I contributing to Fuji slide film demise? Quite possibly. But, since they won't listen, the little me can't help it...
I have to disagree.
All other manufacturers have stopped reversal film production.
All but Fujifilm!
Fujifilm has been
the only manufacturer which has kept reversal film alive during the last five years. They are producing the films, the E6 chemistry (both for prof. labs in bulk and for amateurs with the excellent Fuji Hunt E6 home kit), and they are even running some big mass volume professional labs which offer E6 development at very low prices.
Only because of Fujifilm's commitment to reversal film the whole global infrastructure for E6 has been kept alive!
Only because of Fujifilm's brave behaviour now Film Ferrania and Kodak have the chance to enter the reversal market again.
If Fujifilm would have followed Kodak in 2012 by stopping the whole reversal film production, too, then the whole infrastructure would have collapsed in the last years, and with it any chance for a reversal film revival.
Therefore: Kudos and a big thanks to Fujifilm for keeping slide film alive despite all the severe difficulties in the market!
And as explained by me in my posts above, Fujifilm is listening. And when in a segment there is new, increasing demand they react positively with new products.
But if the demand is decreasing and going under a critical level for a certain product, they must react as well to protect the other films with sufficient demand.
No matter which manufacturer: They only discontinue products in the following cases:
- collapsed demand, volume too low to keep the line running
- loss of essential raw materials
- new legal restrictions.
In most cases it is collapsed demand. If photographers stop using a product, the consequence is the discontinuation of this product.
The bitter truth is:
The films we have lost in the past were lost because of the
behaviour of us photographers.
Photographers have discontinued films by stopping buying them.
And not because a manufacturer is "evil".
If we change our behaviour, increase our demand again, get additional photographers hooked in using film, then we will see re-introduced films in the future!
We want Provia 400X and Astia 100F back on the market again?
If we increase our demand for Provia 100F (and / or its derivate AgfaPhoto CT Precisa) and the Velvias and give Fujifilm a clear signal for the reversal film revival, they will react in a positive way.
There is no or little R&D necessary to bring these films back. So if there is new and sufficient demand, it makes economic sense for them. And they will take the chance. As they did with Instax.
