Acros 100 in peril?

B.S.Kumar · Apr 3, 2018

I'm not getting into a war of words here, and I don't think this is the place to discuss Fuji's corporate strategy. They have managed to grow as a company, when their competitors faltered or fell by the wayside. In that process, if they have to give up film, they'll do it.
Fujifilm is a company responsible primarily to its shareholders. When investors feel that a company is not meeting their expectations, they take action, which could include calling for the resignation of the board, or worse.

Just accept that Fuji has determined that Acros is no longer giving them the profits they need. It is also a matter of scale. When a company is as large and diversified as Fuji, they may not want to commit resources to a small niche. Indeed, it may be the efforts of a few unsung heroes who are keeping the "film" in Fujifilm.

Kumar

RattyMouse · Apr 3, 2018

B.S.Kumar said:
I'm not getting into a war of words here, and I don't think this is the place to discuss Fuji's corporate strategy. They have managed to grow as a company, when their competitors faltered or fell by the wayside. In that process, if they have to give up film, they'll do it.

That's fine if they are honest about it. What is perturbing has been there CEO's constant reaffirmation that they remain committed to film. If they were honest about the situation then we'd know that the future with them was pretty dim, as far as film is concerned. Instead, they led us to believe that the company had a strong commitment to film. I have brochures, somewhere in storage, from the medium format cameras (the GF series) where they talk about how important film photography is for the world and that they would continue to produce film to keep that art form alive. They should be honest about their intentions. We are left guessing instead.

removed account4 · Apr 3, 2018

RattyMouse said:
Fujifilm is not in any danger of losing money. So forget that thought. Lots of companies have less than profitable parts of their business, my own included. We support a lot of legacy customers with products that have no so great margins because we treat customers with respect and not just as cash registers.

maybe ... fuji is a giant company, maybe parts of their film division is in a slump ?
for DECADES kodak got rid of products that didn't meet a certain sales magin
maybe that is what is happening with some of their films, and they plan on keeping
some of them in production and cancelling others. companies do this all the time,
and over the years fuji has done this as well. i used to use one of their films
called fuji press something or other. great film, but they discontinuted it because
it didn't meet sales expectations .. im not saying this is what is going on
but having been in retail an provided services for customers since i was 12 or 13
i know from personal experience, if someone doesnt' want something don't offer it.

faberryman · Apr 3, 2018

RattyMouse said:
They should be honest about their intentions. We are left guessing instead.

What's to guess? They have been consistently reducing the number of films they offer for years. The only guessing is which one is next, which I suspect it is based on demand, not some irrational reason.

Ai Print · Apr 3, 2018

RattyMouse said:
I have in my B & H shopping cart right now a 500 roll 120 size order along with 100 rolls of 35mm Acros. I have not pulled the trigger yet because they are closed for the week due to Jewish holidays.

I sure hope you pulled the trigger, they went from 2,000+ rolls Friday to zero today. Even if they are closed for a holiday you are wise to still place the order so you can claim your stock. They will ship when back on a regular business schedule.

bvy · Apr 3, 2018

So everything Acros is out of stock at B&H -- 35mm, 120, 4x5 -- all packaging. Glad I ordered my measly five pack the day before the panicky announcement.

Am I missing it? I don't see Acros available in bulk rolls at B&H.

RattyMouse · Apr 3, 2018

I have Acros on the way. I backed off a bit from my order, due to lack of freezer space, but clearly B & H had over 500 rolls of 120 in stock.

Clearly there is demand for this film.

RattyMouse · Apr 3, 2018

Adorama is sold out as well too.

Such a great product, recognized by photographers everywhere, yet Fujifilm can't make money on it. Must have have picked up some ex-***** employees to run the division.

Mackinaw · Apr 3, 2018

RattyMouse said:
.........Clearly there is demand for this film.

But there isn't demand for the film. If there were, Fuji wouldn't be discontinuing it.

What you're seeing now is panic-buying. I did the same when Fuji discontinued FP-100C. Bought 20+ packs that are still sitting in my fridge.

Jim B.

cmacd123 · Apr 3, 2018

RattyMouse said:
Then why did Fujifilm's CEO keep blathering on about Fuji's commitment to film?

He was saying that having prints was important, hence liking Instax, which inherently gives prints and spending resorces on reatial Printing shops to let folks make albums and other keepsakes from their Flat Fone pictures.

cmacd123 · Apr 3, 2018

bvy said:
Am I missing it? I don't see Acros available in bulk rolls at B&H.

A long time Ago, Freestyle sold a lot of "Legacy Pro 100" bulk film. surprisingly this came in a can with a Eyemo style spool. once you get the spool out of your bulk loader one discovered that both flanges were stamped "Fuji Film". the published development times were the same as Acros. (the published times for Legacy Pro 400 which came in the same sort of package coincided with the late lamented Neopan 400)

Both types had edge markings corresponding with the way that Fuji does their bulk film with the word "fuji" not present.

redrockcoulee · Apr 3, 2018

cmacd123 said:
A long time Ago, Freestyle sold a lot of "Legacy Pro 100" bulk film. surprisingly this came in a can with a Eyemo style spool. once you get the spool out of your bulk loader one discovered that both flanges were stamped "Fuji Film". the published development times were the same as Acros. (the published times for Legacy Pro 400 which came in the same sort of package coincided with the late lamented Neopan 400)

Both types had edge markings corresponding with the way that Fuji does their bulk film with the word "fuji" not present.

I don't shoot much 135. I bought a bulk load of Legacy 100 when Freestyle had them on clearance and still have 8 rolls left. Or for me a lifetime supply. I have 100 rolls of Acros 120 comng to me from Toronto but that will not be a lifetime supply. Never heard of Eyemo before however it certainly is different and 8s stamped Fuji (just checked)

NB23 · Apr 3, 2018

I’m flabbergasted to say the least.
We are a bunch of cheapskates, discussing what developer is the cheapest, looking to save 0.07$ per film.

How can we even believe for a second that our money is enough to make a company profitable?

We live with the idea that the film market is on the rise but let me doubt it.

I’m a die-hard filmster, but let’s face it: even my 15 bulk rolls a year are not going to save a company. My money probably barely pays ONE worker’s quarter-day salary.

cmacd123 · Apr 3, 2018

redrockcoulee said:
. Never heard of Eyemo before however it certainly is different and 8s stamped Fuji (just checked)

the Eyemo was a 35mm movie camera most associated with the 35mm by 100 ft "daylight spool" in the Kodak Movie catalog they refer to that spool as an "S-83" although any Kodak versions that have had marking that I have seen say "Kodak Film # 10 Spool"

Daylight loading only counts for movies where you don't care that the first 6 feet or more of teh film is fogged.

other small 35mm movie cameras also use that spool, in a movie camera it will run just over a minute.

mshchem · Apr 3, 2018

Fujifilm is alive and well. If they exit film so be it. Fuji is a incredibly well managed company. They provide products people want. They never let themselves become a "film company " the cameras they make today are an outstanding value and extraordinarily well made. If there's a market, there will be products available, and we will all survive.
Best Regards Mike

Andrew O'Neill · Apr 3, 2018

mshchem said:
Fujifilm is alive and well. If they exit film so be it. Fuji is a incredibly well managed company. They provide products people want. They never let themselves become a "film company " the cameras they make today are an outstanding value and extraordinarily well made. If there's a market, there will be products available, and we will all survive.
Best Regards Mike

They were a film company for decades before they really got into other areas, such as cosmetics. They were smart to do so.

B.S.Kumar · Apr 3, 2018

An article on Fuji's CEO, where he speaks of Fujifilm's commitment to photography, (not film): https://www.businesswire.com/news/h...higetaka-Komori-President-CEO-Fuji-Photo-Film
and how Fuji remained in business: https://www.economist.com/blogs/schumpeter/2012/01/how-fujifilm-survived

Roger Thoms · Apr 3, 2018

Try Glazers or Unique, just ordered from both companies. Also have an order in with B&H, to ship on the 9th. Been stocking up on Acros for a while now, figured it was only a matter of time.

Roger

destroya · Apr 3, 2018

everyone laughed at me when my samy's sales guy told me to buy all the acros I could as it was slated to be cut, and i posted it here.

find it a little funny, sad and almost hypocritical that in the last year, didn't fuji sell a bunch of new gf670 film cameras?

mshchem · Apr 4, 2018

Andrew O'Neill said:
They were a film company for decades before they really got into other areas, such as cosmetics. They were smart to do so.

Kodak exited any business that didn't generate the enormous profits of film. Fuji went right along making professional cameras, lenses, ever facet of image making . Fuji being in business of manufacturing, not sourcing, consumer and professional electronics, and optics, put them several steps ahead of Kodak at a critical time.

mnemosyne · Apr 4, 2018

Mackinaw said:
But there isn't demand for the film. If there were, Fuji wouldn't be discontinuing it.

Not necessarily. As we live in the glorious days of shareholder value economy with a constant pressure to squeeze the last penny out of every process and product, simply "selling" or "making money" may not be good enough to satisfy the greed. There are several possible reasons why this product might have been discontinued despite of seeing demand and even despite of being profitable.

a) an ingredient may have become unattainable or risen dramatically in price. The R&D cost of looking for a suitable replacement substance might be deemed too expensive by Fuji and make continued production unattractive

b) Fuji may have found out that they can make even more money, when they use the production/coating capacities taken up by Acros for a higher margin product (e.g. Instax film?)

I think the writing is on the wall. My personal stake is that Fuji has already taken a strategic decision to exit all film business with the exception of Instax, maybe as early as several years ago.

halfaman · Apr 4, 2018

So clear for so many years that Fuji is walking out from film business that I don't use Fuji film at all (color or B&W). You don't miss what you don't care...

RattyMouse · Apr 4, 2018

B.S.Kumar said:
An article on Fuji's CEO, where he speaks of Fujifilm's commitment to photography, (not film): https://www.businesswire.com/news/h...higetaka-Komori-President-CEO-Fuji-Photo-Film
and how Fuji remained in business: https://www.economist.com/blogs/schumpeter/2012/01/how-fujifilm-survived

"Film, because it is a pleasure to shoot. Medium format, because it has a quality all its own. All in a compact, high performance folding camera for the photographer who has a passion for excellence. It's the GF670 Professional, the one camera that lets you enjoy both 6 x 7 and 6 x 6 formats. From Fujifilm, where we are committed to our philosophy of preserving and nurturing the Culture of Photography."

zanxion72 · Apr 4, 2018

They have been gradually diminishing the availability of Across for the last two years. Where I live, it has been already a year without it.

halfaman · Apr 4, 2018

There is the story that the production of mastercoils of Acros was already discontinued by Fuji long time ago and they are keeping the film in their portfolio until the stock of mastercoils is over.

Acros 100 in peril?

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