film to be discontinued, do we get a heads up ?

anorphirith · Aug 6, 2017

Hi.
I was wondering if we usually get a heads up before a certain film gets discontinued, just so I have the possibility to stock up.
I was thinking in particular of provia in 8x10 and 4x5 and rollei infrared. but my question applies to film in general.
thanks

Sirius Glass · Aug 6, 2017

There usually is an announcement about a film discontinuation, but there is never a guaranty. If you are worried you should stock up on the desired film and freeze it before the hoarders buy it up. As Chris would say, "It is never too early to panic."

Theo Sulphate · Aug 7, 2017

When Fuji announced that FP-100C production had been stopped months earlier, prices rose dramatically within hours. Same for FP-3000B.

anorphirith · Aug 7, 2017

Theo Sulphate said:
When Fuji announced that FP-100C production had been stopped months earlier, prices rose dramatically within hours. Same for FP-3000B.

is the fp-100c discontinued ? it's still in stock at b&h

RalphLambrecht · Aug 7, 2017

if film would be bought on a regular basis there would be no need to hoard or panic.

Cholentpot · Aug 7, 2017

anorphirith said:
is the fp-100c discontinued ? it's still in stock at b&h

I started shooting it when it about $8 a pack. When the announcement came it priced me out.

AgX · Aug 7, 2017

Even the term discontinuation is vague:
It seems that some manufacturers apply it when a production is stopped and there still is a warehouse stock (that in our cases can be quite an amount), but also just when this stock runs out.

Theo Sulphate · Aug 7, 2017

anorphirith said:
is the fp-100c discontinued ? it's still in stock at b&h

Fuji not only discontinued both FP-100C and FP-3000B, the equipment used to make it is gone and the factory, building, or wherever it was made is now being used for something else. About three months after they did this, they made the public announcement of the film's discontinuation. So, even though there was a strong swell of public requests to Fuji to save the film, it was already too late.

What you see at B&H is their backlog of stock. It'll probably be found in places for a few more years. FP-3000B was discontinued in 2013, I think, but could be bought for high prices even into this year. Just now we're seeing the very end of its availability anywhere (except eBay hoarders).

RattyMouse · Aug 7, 2017

Was there a full announcement for the discontinuation of Reala 100? I dont recall ever seeing that, although I could have missed it. I just remember being very shocked when I showed up at my film store intending to buy 20 rolls or so and finding out that the price was more than double and no more stock was coming in. That film seemed to disappear very fast compared to others. When I left Shanghai, one could still buy Ektachrome in the stores easily and that was discontinued years earlier.

Cholentpot · Aug 7, 2017

RattyMouse said:
Was there a full announcement for the discontinuation of Reala 100? I dont recall ever seeing that, although I could have missed it. I just remember being very shocked when I showed up at my film store intending to buy 20 rolls or so and finding out that the price was more than double and no more stock was coming in. That film seemed to disappear very fast compared to others. When I left Shanghai, one could still buy Ektachrome in the stores easily and that was discontinued years earlier.

Speaking of,

Shanghai GP3 120 disappeared overnight. I used to buy bricks of the stuff and then one day...poof...gone.

anorphirith · Aug 7, 2017

Do the manufacturers jack up the price or the retailers?
I feel like the manufacturers can't afford to have a retailer system anymore, they should sell the film online to keep as much of the profit as possible. and by eliminating the middle man possibly make it more affordable for the customer as well.
or use a (non existing) non profit retailer ... we should probably get on that

OptiKen · Aug 7, 2017

anorphirith said:
Do the manufacturers jack up the price or the retailers?
I feel like the manufacturers can't afford to have a retailer system anymore, they should sell the film online to keep as much of the profit as possible. and by eliminating the middle man possibly make it more affordable for the customer as well.
or use a (non existing) non profit retailer ... we should probably get on that

A manufacturer often needs a 'retailer system' because handling individual orders is too costly for them. Shipping 25 photographers 4 rolls of film each costs a fortune compared to shipping one location 100 rolls of film. It is not just packaging, etc., but suddenly you have to collect taxes from thousands of customers in small amounts, report it, and then pay it to the respective governments at all different rates. Paperwork and reporting alone can make it unprofitable. There is a lot more to processing an order than just putting it in a box and sticking a stamp onto it.

Sirius Glass · Aug 7, 2017

anorphirith said:
Do the manufacturers jack up the price or the retailers?

Retailers and wholesalers jack up the price. Often the manufacture has already discontinued production, repurposed the production line and shipped off the film before the announcement. It would be hard for the manufacturer to raise the price of a product that it no longer has.

Theo Sulphate · Aug 7, 2017

anorphirith said:
Do the manufacturers jack up the price or the retailers? ...

Retailers. Supply & Demand and all that.

However, among retailers (actual camera shops, not online) I know of one that has an insanely high price (over $30) and relies on the occasional customer who comes in thinking he's seeing the Very Last few boxes and pays the high price out of panic, and another retailer who sold me ten boxes off one of their pallets at the old price (under $9). It pays to shop around.

anorphirith · Aug 7, 2017

Theo Sulphate said:
Retailers. Supply & Demand and all that.

However, among retailers (actual camera shops, not online) I know of one that has an insanely high price (over $30) and relies on the occasional customer who comes in thinking he's seeing the Very Last few boxes and pays the high price out of panic, and another retailer who sold me ten boxes off one of their pallets at the old price (under $9). It pays to shop around.

do you mind sharing names ? you can PM me

Theo Sulphate · Aug 7, 2017

anorphirith said:
do you mind sharing names ? you can PM me

The film that sold for under $9 is gone now; that was a few months ago. After I bought 10 boxes, there were about 40 left.

anorphirith · Aug 7, 2017

RalphLambrecht said:
if film would be bought on a regular basis there would be no need to hoard or panic.

I just called the biggest film processing lab in san francisco that also sells some used equipment.
I asked if they had a copal 3 lens board. I had to repeat it 3 time because she had no idea what I was talking about. she finally asked someone else who told her what it was...
if the staff in a processing lab doesn't know what a lens board is, I don't think buying on a regular basis will save the medium... :/

film to be discontinued, do we get a heads up ?

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