Michael Kadillak said:
Come on guys - we as ULF and LF photographers are experiencing a fine dining experience and there is absolutely no reason to get on Ilford for any reason.
Michael,
I hope my posts in this thread do not come across as harsh and negative towards Ilford. If they do, that was not my intent. Quite the opposite. I was trying to let them know that I'd love the opportunity to buy their film in my desired sizes, and hopefully convince them to offer those sizes next time around. I'm thrilled that they offered this special ULF production run and wish them nothing but success. I hope this proves to be a sustainable business model for Ilford and that we see similar offers from them long into the future.
If nothing else, perhaps next time they could include 4x10 as one of the sizes people could pre-order, and then if there aren't enough orders placed (like with 7x11 this time), they could say, "sorry, not enough orders to make cutting this size feasible". That would put the onus on people like me to step forward and put our money where our mouths are. It would be hard to fault a manufacturer for not supporting a format when there is no support from the photographers themselves.
Michael Kadillak said:
Fact. If you found yourself short of financial resources to accumulate sufficient quantity to get a particular size cut on this go around, start the communication process among others wanting the same size to insure that you can accomplish your objective on the next iteration.
I tried to do that this time around, but evidently it was too little too late (my fault, I had incorrectly assumed 4x10 would be included and was suprised it wasn't when I went to place my order). I did post pleas in this, and other forums for 4x10 shooters to step forward and be counted. Six other 4x10 shooters did step forward (many willing to place sizable orders), but Ilford had already made a decision to not include 4x10 in their offerings. Hopefully, next time we can act soon enough to accomplish our goal.
Michael Kadillak said:
For some reason we continue to want to regress to the Photo Warehouse days or imply that because the new owners of Ilford will not sell cheap film to Photowarehouse you have a reason to vent.
Actually, Dan is the only one to express those sentiments in this thread. I've got my chest freezer all picked out and will be picking it up as soon as my film order arrives. I realize the reality Ilford is facing, and think their new business model will be successful. It makes a lot more sense for them to gauge interest up front to determine how much film to cut in each size, and then let photographers stock up and provide their own short term and low term storage solutions. It's much better to have the film in the hands of photographers, stored as they see fit, than have it sitting on dealers shelves going out of date and costing dealers and Ilford money.
I want this business model to work for Ilford and wish them nothing but success. As long as once or twice yearly ULF special order programs continue to prove profitable for Ilford, they will likely continue to offer them. And that's what I really want and am prepared to support.
Michael Kadillak said:
I am getting ready to raise my champagne glass as soon as my film arrives and plans are to shoot it with abandon to make another large purchase as soon as possible!
You make a good point. I know that with a freezer full of my favorite films in all my favorite sizes, and the prospect of ordering more when I run out, I'll be much more likely to also shoot with abandon. If something is in short supply, there is a tendency for people to hoard it and use it with reluctance. I think it would be hard to grow as a photographer if you have to ration your film supply for fear that once it's gone, it's gone. So, I probably ordered more film than I need, but I'd rather have too much (it will keep) than too little. I'm getting back into black and white photography after over 15 years of shooting nothing but color. I plan to make many mistakes, and hopefully a decent image or two along the way.
Kerry