Alarming!

xtolsniffer · Aug 6, 2008

I just used up my last roll of velvia 50 in my RB67 this afternoon, so got online to stock up on film. Alas, my usual supplier, Speedgraphic here in the UK now lists the following:
Pro-C and Pro-Z to special order only
Velvia F 120 to special order only
All Fuji 220 films discontinued(!)
Kodak Elite colour discontinued(!)
Kodak T-Max 100 120 discontinued(!)

There is still a reasonable stock of others listed, and I have no idea whether 'discontinued' means 'we don't stock them' rather than 'they are no longer made' but this is a sudden and very worrying downturn.

Ian Grant · Aug 6, 2008

That means they have discontinued stocking them. Probably because no-one was buying enough for them to continue selling them.

Ian

benjiboy · Aug 6, 2008

Try Dale Photographic they are a pro dealer they stock Velvia 50 and 100 in 120 they are in your area (Leeds) if it's not too far from where you live you could call in and buy, it or they will mail order it.
http://www.dalephotographic.co.uk/

railwayman3 · Aug 6, 2008

7-dayshop.com seem to have most of what you need (can't see the 220).

It does get a little worrying, in the longer term, if, as Ian says, no one is buying enough for some dealers to stock them.

It makes me, at least, determined to "get on" and enjoy analogue photography and the choices of films while they are available.

benjiboy · Aug 6, 2008

If you think that's alarming go into a Jessops store and ask for Fuji Velvia , I bet they've never heard of it, I tried to buy some 35mm Fuji Reala a couple of days ago, and the salesman had to look on the computer to see what it was !
I agree with what railwayman 3 says, having worked in photographic retailing for many years I know that having stock on a company's inventory, stock with an expiry date on a shops shelves that isn't selling, taking up space that should be occupied by stock that is, especially in the current economic climate is financial suicide, most manufacturers, and wholesalers have minimum order charges that make it uneconomic even to special order it for a customer who wants to buy a fairly large amounts.
I don't know what the answer is, I personally have a stock of my favourite films probably enough for about three years usage in a deep-freeze in my basement, and buy an odd couple of rolls for my daily use as I need them, that's about all I can do

railwayman3 · Aug 7, 2008

^^^^@ Benjiboy.

Yes, you can't altogether blame Jessops and other retailers if there's so little demand that stock goes bad on their shelves.

The worry is when the lack-of-demand works back to the manufacturers.
Film making is a high-tech, capital intensive, operation, and can we (honestly?) expect manufacturers to take a loss just to please we analogue enthusiasts?

The Victorians said that the newly-invented photography would kill drawing and painting....it didn't, partly because artists' supplies, like paper, ink, pencils and colors are low-tech products, which can be produced profitably in small quantities. But I can't make my own color film.....

xtolsniffer · Aug 7, 2008

Thanks for the tip Benjiboy, Dale are about 10 mins from where I work, I'll drop in and buy some.

benjiboy · Aug 7, 2008

Railwayman 3- I don't blame them for not stocking it, and I agree with you entirely about the commercial implications, having worked as a manager in photographic retailing, what I find it hard to believe is they don't seem to know what most of the current films are or have even heard of them.

benjiboy · Aug 7, 2008

Enjoy

xtolsniffer said:
Thanks for the tip Benjiboy, Dale are about 10 mins from where I work, I'll drop in and buy some.

Glad to be of help xtolsniffer, I think you'll find all the films you want there, it's a nice shop, but don't spend too much, I do every time I go in the place.

Ian Grant · Aug 7, 2008

When I popped into my local Jessops on a recent visit to the UK I was shocked to find someone young & helpful who actually knew what he was talking about.

However Boots always have better film stocks than the smaller Jessops branches. There's something seriously wrong with the policy of only stocking a couple of rolls of each different 120 B&W film. After all how many serious photographers buy film one or 2 rolls at a time.

Ian

benjiboy · Aug 7, 2008

Jessops had four shops in my city until recently they have since closed three of them as part of a recent closure of seventy odd branches nationwide I'm not surprised because the shops never have anything in stock, but they can get it for you in two weeks, the company marketing policy seems to be based on the old song "yes we have no bananas" I could understand this in the current economic climate if it was an expensive piece of capital equipment , but I've been told this when I've asked for a 52mm rubber lens hood , or a couple of rolls of 35mm Reala.
I can't understand why the company pays what must be the very high rent on a shop in one of the most expensive parts of the city on a shop that has very little in stock to sell because if customers are willing to wait, they can get it much cheaper on the internet.

Ian Grant · Aug 7, 2008

Well it's not many years ago since Jessops had a very different policy. They wanted all the business they could get and had a superb policy of next day delivery to all their stores on out of stock items, (provided of course they had the stock in Leicester). I had business dealings with the then Chairman who instigated the policy and he was justifiably proud of what he'd achieved - he had been brought in by the owners to improve the compnany prior to floating on the Stock Exchange.

Unfortunately they are now very poorly managed.

Ian

Gary Holliday · Aug 7, 2008

I've just tried to buy some Kodak Portra or Fuji pro today. Not a single shop in Cambridge had any rolls in stock. I've arranged to pick some up in Belfast when I'll be there tomorrow. Got the same story there though...Portra expired on the shelves....

railwayman3 · Aug 7, 2008

^^^^Benjiboy - Yes, you would think that a specialist "photographic" shop would, at least have a working knowledge of films, etc. In my own profession I'm not expected to know an instant answer to every obscure and arcane question, but I do have to be able to quickly find up-to-date and accurate information when it's needed

And I'm not an impatient sort of guy, but if I was asked to wait two weeks for a special order, I'd certainly be looking around to buy on the internet. I, too, remember the time when Jessops could get things next day from Leicester.....I went in a Rohan shop last w/e but the shirt I wanted wasn't in my size. The manager sorted it on the PC, while I waited, and it arrived at my home in Tuesday morning's mail at no extra charge -- so it can be done easily with proper stock control.

benjiboy · Aug 7, 2008

I hope the same thing doesn't happen the next time I do my food shopping a Saintsburys " Sorry we haven't got any bread or milk but we can order it for you"

Ian Grant · Aug 7, 2008

Don't worry the Jessops staff are always trying to learn, they opened one of my boxes of 5x4 Tmax to see what the film was like !!!!! Luckily I think the idiot realized it was a light proof box quite quickly and no damage was done

Ian

Matt5791 · Aug 7, 2008

They always have a good range of Kodak and Fuji film in Calumet in Birmingham (in the fridge) plus numerous other outlets in the city - but this is a large city of course.

We are also lucky to have a proper photo lab too (Palm laboratory) offering all services from colour / B&W hand printing to exhibition Chromira prints.

I think that many of us will have to accept that forward thinking and mail order are the way forward.

Matt

amuderick · Aug 7, 2008

Mail order. Mail order. Mail order. Self-Develop. Maybe its because I am young and never knew of photo stores carrying film and film-based equipment.

accozzaglia · Aug 8, 2008

Ian Grant said:
After all how many serious photographers buy film one or 2 rolls at a time.

Ian

Point of order: a poor university student (hi there!) would be such a possibility, especially when just trying out different film stocks for the first time to see how they behave. One can be serious, even when means can restrict options.

nostalgix · Aug 8, 2008

Matt5791 said:
They always have a good range of Kodak and Fuji film in Calumet in Birmingham (in the fridge) plus numerous other outlets in the city - but this is a large city of course.

I second Calumet.
In my home town here I had trouble to get something else than the regular consumer films. At Calumet they have almost everything in the fridge.
I am pretty sure it's the same in the UK...

nworth · Aug 8, 2008

Kodak states on its website that the forms available for TMax films vary from country to country. TMax 100 seems to still be available in 120 in the US. The Kodak website for the US still lists a full line of Kodak Elite color films for 35mm. I checked the Fuji website, and they still list Velvia 50 in all sizes, including 220. My guess is that your supplier has stopped stocking low volume items and is listing them as either discontinued or special order.

milkplus-mesto · Aug 8, 2008

The trouble is the whole paradox of films and availability. I can go into jessops and only see two rolls of 120 film, but Boots still sell kodachrome.

benjiboy · Aug 8, 2008

Matt5791 said:
They always have a good range of Kodak and Fuji film in Calumet in Birmingham (in the fridge) plus numerous other outlets in the city - but this is a large city of course.

We are also lucky to have a proper photo lab too (Palm laboratory) offering all services from colour / B&W hand printing to exhibition Chromira prints.

I think that many of us will have to accept that forward thinking and mail order are the way forward.

Matt

I've heard some good reports about Palm Laboratory, and I used to use Colab in your area who were very good. I too live in a big city but I only know two shops I can walk in and buy the Fuji professional range of films over the counter , without being told "no, but we can order it for you", up until recently there were at least six.

Matt5791 · Aug 8, 2008

That's interesting you have heard of Palm, Ben. I am always suprised not more people have heard of them.

They keep investing in new kit too, most recently a new 50" RA4 print processor. They are what I call a really complete modern lab, offering everything traditional and digital.

Jonathan Brooke · Aug 8, 2008

I was in a pro supplier in Manchester last month and couldn't remember what film silverprint had told me was being discontinued. They checked a recent Fuji suppliers circular and told me that ALL 220 was being discontinued by Fuji. I can't remember what else was going though.

Alarming!

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