Acros II 100: Where?

[John Wiegerink]

Find catlabs x 80 film. The back of my roll said Shanghai gp3 and only cost $5 us.

Yes, that's not bad, but I'll throw a few pennies with that $5 and just buy Ilford. Before Shanghai GP3 manufacturing was closed down I was buying it for less than half of the current $5. That made it a bargain I couldn't refuse, but now with the deal worked out with Catlabs the normal eBay sellers are keeping their prices higher also. Shanghai GP3 sheet film is still the real bargain of 2020. I haven't tried it yet, but will get some before Spring.

 

[removedacct1]

Yes, that's not bad, but I'll throw a few pennies with that $5 and just buy Ilford.

Agreed. Why pay $5 for second rate film when for $5.49 you can get either HP5+ or FP4+??

 

[foc]

If I can remember correctly when it was announced that Fuji would reintroduce Acros as Acros II, there were cries of joy, shouts of "at last Fuji listened to us", talk of Fuji not abandoning film, whispers of film being on the rise again.

Now that it is on sale, there are calls for a boycott because of the price, "that will make them sit up and listen", suggestions that it is the same as its predecessor, advice on buying a cheaper alternative.

Are we ever happy?????????????????????????

 

[Pat Erson]

Now that it is on sale, there are calls for a boycott because of the price, "that will make them sit up and listen", suggestions that it is the same as its predecessor, advice on buying a cheaper alternative.

Well selling a film that comes out of the Ilford factory at twice the price of comparable Ilford products should be an opportunity to pause and wonder, right?
My theory is Fuji is in a "scorched land" short-term parasitic position : they suck every last penny out of the fanatic Fuji fanclub. Then when the customer realizes that prices of Acros or color stuff is really high and stops buying, Fuji will walk out the film market just like that. "Take the money and run!"

I much prefer giving my money to Ilford who are in it in the long term.

 

[chris77]

ACROS 100 II WHERE?

in my pentax67, whiners !

 

[foc]

My theory is Fuji is in a "scorched land" short-term parasitic position : they suck every last penny out of the fanatic Fuji fanclub. Then when the customer realizes that prices of Acros or color stuff is really high and stops buying, Fuji will walk out the film market just like that. "Take the money and run!

I respect your opinion but I totally disagree ( to me it sound too much like a conspiracy theory )
I have purchased from Fuji (professionally) for the last 35 years and never had that impression.
They are a business and like any business, they price their product wholesale ( with a retail guide price) and then the distributor prices it to the retailer who then has a retail price.
Big business is very complex so what you or I say or do has very little effect.

 

[mshchem]

ACROS 100 II WHERE?

in my pentax67, whiners !

. Are you sure? Better open the back quick and check.

 

[Tom Kershaw]

Fuji certainly does make excellent products, in the analogue and digital domains. I wonder though whether there are distribution issues which have increased prices for the new Fuji Acros II, at the moment it is more expensive than Pro 400H which seems an odd situation. ILFORD make product for Bergger which is price competitive with the rest of the market.

 

[mshchem]

Well selling a film that comes out of the Ilford factory at twice the price of comparable Ilford products should be an opportunity to pause and wonder, right?
My theory is Fuji is in a "scorched land" short-term parasitic position : they suck every last penny out of the fanatic Fuji fanclub. Then when the customer realizes that prices of Acros or color stuff is really high and stops buying, Fuji will walk out the film market just like that. "Take the money and run!"

I much prefer giving my money to Ilford who are in it in the long term.

Whoa! Who's saying Acros II is coming out of the Ilford factory?

 

[MattKing]

Whoa! Who's saying Acros II is coming out of the Ilford factory?

The boxes say made in the UK.
That means Harman.
Although it is at least possible that Harman is finishing master rolls that are coated by Fuji, although that wouldn't seem to make sense.

 

[Tom Kershaw]

Acros II apparently has 'Made in UK' printed on the box which means that Harman / ILFORD is at least finishing the product.

 

[pentaxuser]

Matt and Tom, so "made in Britain" Why didn't you say so before election day in the U.K. in December? Maybe I could have organised a petition to Boris to include in his manifesto that "A vote for Brexit is a vote for cheaper Acros II"

Alas, too late now

pentaxuser

 

[mshchem]

Wow I need to pay closer attention. I guess that some people are so loyal to the Green Box they don't care. Amazing. Marketing 101, it costs more it's got to be better.

 

[mshchem]

Matt and Tom, so "made in Britain" Why didn't you say so before election day in the U.K. in December? Maybe I could have organised a petition to Boris to include in his manifesto that "A vote for Brexit is a vote for cheaper Acros II"

Alas, too late now

pentaxuser

Maybe talk to Ilford, have them spool you some Fuji on the Sly. The Delta 100 boxes with a green dot on the end flap. .

 

[MattKing]

I wonder what the per roll FOB factory prices for each of, for example, Acros II, T-Max 100 and Delta 100, 120 and 135-36 films actually are.
Probably very similar, but still a relatively tiny portion of the corresponding retail prices in each of the applicable markets.

 

[mshchem]

This is great for Ilford if they are making a profit and it keeps the machines running. Fuji could be sending over emulsion? ?? Who knows. Why Fuji leaves this to the customer to find out is beyond me. Ilford made Fuji Neopan CN according to the Internet.

 

[MattKing]

Well, it isn't Ilford who are doing this.
It is the contract coating/finishing services that Harman Technology will sell to anyone with the money to pay for it.
And no one who buys those services markets their product with Harman or Ilford's names attached to the product - I doubt that the contract they sign with Harman would even permit that.
Same goes for Eastman Kodak, Inoviscoat or anyone else doing contract coating or finishing.

 

[mshchem]

Well, it isn't Ilford who are doing this.
It is the contract coating/finishing services that Harman Technology will sell to anyone with the money to pay for it.
And no one who buys those services markets their product with Harman or Ilford's names attached to the product - I doubt that the contract they sign with Harman would even permit that.
Same goes for Eastman Kodak, Inoviscoat or anyone else doing contract coating or finishing.

Right! Fuji could have stated that Fuji is using a partner in the UK to help bring Acros back. Instead folks who are miserable from the loss of the Fuji made in Japan papers, film, and chemistry get, surprise! , the film is made in England !
Oy!

 

[DREW WILEY]

It says so right on the box! What on Earth are people complaining about while driving around looking for a picture in a car made of parts from a dozen different countries? Even people in the Stone Age understood the wisdom of trade and division of labor according to specific skills.

 

[mshchem]

We make wine in Iowa. Yikes!

Division of labor that

 

[eddie]

For me, the unique reciprocity characteristics of Acros would make the price justifiable for the few occasions my work requires it. Still, I wouldn’t mind it being less costly. I still have some in 120, but plan to monitor the pricing. I didn’t see it available at B&H yet. Perhaps competition will bring the price down a bit.

 

[MattKing]

Perhaps competition will bring the price down a bit.

Or maybe even more likely, perhaps higher volumes and wider distribution will bring the wholesale cost to retailers down, which itself will bring the retail price down.

 

[markjwyatt]

I suspect Acros II is rare right now so retailers are selling for "what the market will bear". I suspect once it comes in volume it will be a lot less. Lot of people want to put "Acros II" on their Flickr or Instagram feeds, so I suspect it sill sell in the mean time.

 

[GLS]

I suspect Acros II is rare right now so retailers are selling for "what the market will bear"

I hope this is the case.

In the meantime, I still have over 100 rolls of the original Acros 120 sitting in my fridge.

 

[pwitkop]

Freestyle is sticking it, and I've ordered some as it was my go to film for many years. But it's not actually being distributed in North America yet (or anywhere outside of Japan as far as I know), so to stock I'm assuming had to have been purchased in Japan and shipped to the US so it's expensive still. Fuji film in general is on the expensive side but normal distribution channels outside of Japan will hopefully bring it more in line with something like tmax.

Is it worth it? If like to get to back to using it and I miss it's reciprocity characteristics, so for me it is. But it's not somehow magical. It's a good film, but so are many others.