Freestyle confirms discontinuation of several Fuji products

Gadfly_71 · Jul 21, 2013

AgX said:
Acros and all the other films in question here are still listed by Fuji. As stated above the communication by Fuji is midiocre, and everyone in this thread can chose a statement he likes. The funny thing about this thread that it is even about a statement by Freestyle not by Fuji...

I'm not sure you're reading the same announcement. Acros is listed as a suggested replacement for Neopan 400. Acros is not listed as being discontinued.

BTW, the bulletin was generated by Fujifilm North America but it's relaying info from Fujifilm Tokyo.

Paul Glover · Jul 21, 2013

RattyMouse said:
EVERY Japanese/Asian company has communication issues. I live in work in Asia and communication is by far, the weakest aspect of life here. Getting a straight story out of anyone is like pulling teeth.

That's got to be endlessly frustrating. I saw that back when I used to follow the comings and goings of new digital gear. Combine it with some parts of the analog photography community being kind of jumpy about product discontinuations and there's room for our old buddies fear, uncertainty and doubt to settle in.

RattyMouse said:
I dont see any confusion here regarding the canceled products. They list what is canceled and what is a "replacement". The confusion comes from people who refuse to believe it, even in the face of a published announcement!!

Indeed, Fuji have been quite clear here; thank you, by the way, for being part of making that clearer by finding and posting information about it. I agree confusion does arise from people being unwilling to accept official word on the discontinuation, passed on through a reputable source (Freestyle, in this case). On the other hand I've seen a lot of "announcements" around Fuji product in the past which turned out to be some badly informed local camera store salesperson passing on information which wasn't true. If only Fuji had some official source around here, that would go a long way toward helping dispel confusion and stop the folks who are in denial from being in denial. Look at the Kentmere paper discontinuation a few days ago; straight from the official source, no messing around, questions which arose were answered by same official source. That makes a big difference.

RattyMouse said:
What Fujifilm makes confusing is what films are still available! Go to www.fujifilm.com. Look at their film page. No ACROS to be found there at all!! All kinds of films are missing. It's just embarrassing how neglected Fujifilm's film page is. How much money does it take to have an up to date film page? Nothing.

This gets to the root of my own lack of confidence in them; probably others' too. You're right that it isn't hard to keep this information up to date and it looks bad, it looks like they really could care less in fact. If I was new to all this and had heard how awesome Acros is, then I couldn't even find it on their website? I'd think twice about bothering to try it. That's an easy thing for them to fix and is something they desperately need to do. Just taking care of that and actually demonstrating some degree of commitment would be sufficient to make me support them with my $, not that I'd make any noticeable difference to their bottom line.

clayne · Jul 21, 2013

This is because you have to go to the "professional products" portion of their webpage:

http://www.fujifilmusa.com/products/professional_photography/index.html

They've had this discrepancy for years.

RattyMouse · Jul 21, 2013

clayne said:
This is because you have to go to the "professional products" portion of their webpage:

http://www.fujifilmusa.com/products/professional_photography/index.html

They've had this discrepancy for years.

You posted from FujifilmUSA....Over at Fujifilm.com, nothing. Insane.

clayne · Jul 21, 2013

Yeah, the whole thing's a mess.

Poisson Du Jour · Jul 21, 2013

I don't see any product discontinuation announcements from Fujifilm Pacific or Fujifilm Australia. I surmise the discontinuation is local-market based (North America).
Besides which, I don't take any announcements from Freestyle and/or B&H as gospel without very thorough cross-checking.

clayne · Jul 21, 2013

Trust me I'm sure it applies to everywhere outside of JP. This is their style. What other gospel do you have besides Freestyle?

Trask · Jul 22, 2013

By chance I was watching TV5 Monde, an international French channel (in French), last night when they showed a program about women's cosmetics -- whether they work, what they're made of, how they're marketed, etc. (stick with me here...) It was interesting in part because of the psychology that goes into why (mainly) women will pay increasingly high prices for products that are primarily water. And now the manufacturers are focusing on the other market: men. As their closing segment, they showed an upscale product introduction of a new product made by -- Fujifilm! They even had a Fuji rep on screen saying that though digital was wiping out their analog film sales, they had taken all the expertise the company had developed in collagen (for film) and came up with a new line of high-priced cosmetics.

So if you're wondering what Fuji is doing reducing their film offerings, clearly they've discovered a new and much more lucrative market to concentrate on!

Richard S. (rich815) · Jul 22, 2013

Poisson Du Jour said:
I don't see any product discontinuation announcements from Fujifilm Pacific or Fujifilm Australia. I surmise the discontinuation is local-market based (North America).
Besides which, I don't take any announcements from Freestyle and/or B&H as gospel without very thorough cross-checking.

Why? Have Freestyle and B&H have some history of bad announcements??

AgX · Jul 22, 2013

clayne said:
Trust me I'm sure it applies to everywhere outside of JP.

I would not read such as discontinuation, seen Apug is a international group and many people here are used to importing film.
Fuji has a history of different offerings to different countries.

Poisson Du Jour · Jul 22, 2013

400X available here (Aus.) no problems.

RattyMouse · Jul 22, 2013

Trask said:
By chance I was watching TV5 Monde, an international French channel (in French), last night when they showed a program about women's cosmetics -- whether they work, what they're made of, how they're marketed, etc. (stick with me here...) It was interesting in part because of the psychology that goes into why (mainly) women will pay increasingly high prices for products that are primarily water. And now the manufacturers are focusing on the other market: men. As their closing segment, they showed an upscale product introduction of a new product made by -- Fujifilm! They even had a Fuji rep on screen saying that though digital was wiping out their analog film sales, they had taken all the expertise the company had developed in collagen (for film) and came up with a new line of high-priced cosmetics.

So if you're wondering what Fuji is doing reducing their film offerings, clearly they've discovered a new and much more lucrative market to concentrate on!

Fujifilm has been in the cosmetic market for several years now if not more. They have a line of products under the Astalift brand. I always call it Astialift by habit.

Of course, Fujifilm is now a massive company, totally divested from their film business. Film sales account for measly 1% of their business with chemicals 2% more. 97% of Fujifilm's revenue has nothing to do with film. This makes Fujifilm a complete success compared to Kodak as everything Kodak tried to do, failed miserably.

Fujifilm even has a pharmaceutical division, launching several life saving medicines. It is really amazing how broad a company they are now. Even their digital camera division is just a spec in their revenue books.

While Fujifilm may be a success outside of the film world, I hope that they stay true to their word and remain committed to keeping film alive as long as people are willing to shoot it. Their CEO on many occasions has voiced this commitment and I hope that he and his successor lives up to this.

StoneNYC · Jul 22, 2013

I'm just confused why this is a surprise, I thought this announcement happened a few months ago, I remember reading it in an ezine article and went out and bought a brick of 400X 120 and 5 boxes of Neopan400 to say goodbye since I knew they were cancelled...

I'm still lamenting about both, but this is old news I thought...

Helinophoto · Jul 22, 2013

My comment on this is: " For #"¤"#¤ sake, this "#¤&// isn't "#¤"#¤ helping anyone, first they kill off Neopan 400 in 120, then in 35mm, then they revive the 35mm for 9 #¤%#¤ months, just to kill it again?? #¤%¤# Fuji needs to get their !"#!"% together, really #¤¤?? "

Still have 40-50 rolls of Neopan 400 in 35mm and some 40 rolls in 120, which I scraped of eBay.
Need to check my stock on Acros (keeps longest frozen anyway), I think I have about 50 rolls of that in both formats as well, but may need to stock up on some more 120, it's simply unsurpassed in quality, even the 35mm looks like 120 sometimes, what an emulsion!

Tri-x for 400 then, how ever long that will last before Kodak draws it's final breath and dies for good, after that, who the #¤% knows.....?
Even for a guy that shoots 50/50 digital/film, this is some frustrating stuff....!

clayne · Jul 22, 2013

Tri-X is the last thing you have to worry about.

StoneNYC · Jul 22, 2013

clayne said:
Tri-X is the last thing you have to worry about.

I wouldn't be sure, if Kodak collapses or decides to shut down it's film line after the sale or reorganization or whatever's happening right now, there aren't many other companies to bother purchasing the rights and machines to make it... wish it were cheaper in 4x5, then I'd actually buy some... lol

Klainmeister · Jul 22, 2013

As much of an extraordinary film Neopan 100 is, I can no longer keep purchasing Fujifilm. It has me afraid that I'll get my system 'dialed' just in time for it to be discontinued. Ilford it is from now on.

Tis a shame too, as there is practically no reciprocity failure with Acros 100, which makes nighttime and pinhole work so much easier.

Roger Cole · Jul 22, 2013

Poisson Du Jour said:
400X available here (Aus.) no problems.

It's available here too - from existing stock. I'm planning to stock up done but it's awfully expensive stuff.

TheToadMen · Jul 22, 2013

clayne said:
Tri-X is the last thing you have to worry about.

If you said "Ilford FP4+ and HP5+" I would agree (more)

IloveTLRs · Jul 23, 2013

When I lived in Japan, many shops, dealers and photographers said "Fujifilm doesn't care about film anymore", that they "want to get out of the film business" and are still doing film "as a courtesy to their customers". Sure it's just people talking and not the official company line, but if actions speak louder than words, well ...

AgX · Jul 23, 2013

If that saying was true

"Fujifilm doesn't care about film anymore"

Why do they publish a magazine purely about film photography?

Helinophoto · Jul 23, 2013

AgX said:
If that saying was true

Why do they publish a magazine purely about film photography?

Yes, "why" indeed.

Fuji's relevance in the film-world is soon non-existent.
Publishing a mag about film photography, while doing their best to kill off their own relation to that marked, is actually quite insulting.

AgX · Jul 23, 2013

Well, one can see it that way. But one could also argue that even in spite of such magazine the sales are decreasing.

StoneNYC · Jul 23, 2013

The magazine probably has a subscription base that covers costs, and advertisers to post in the books.

They are a business, it's up to US to spread the word about film now to keep them producing what we love. There's not enough profit to make huge ad campaigns for film use for them (unless the companies combined and made a group ad, which I suggested recently in another forum.

~Stone | Sent w/ iPhone using Tapatalk

pentaxuser · Jul 23, 2013

We had some posters, me included and perhaps some others in Europe who weren't convinced that the N American announcement applied elsewhere.

Well for any U.K based APUGers I can now say that I have spoken to Fuji U.K. today and can confirm that that announcement applies to the U.K. and the spokesperson confirmed that the discontinuation does stem from Tokyo and is of course world-wide. I suggested that the spokesperson put something on the U.K. website and he agreed.

So it really has abandoned a film, Neopan 400, within less than a year of announcing its return at Photokina.

It might explain why there was never any explanation why this return of Neopan 400 didn't apply to 120.

pentaxuser

Freestyle confirms discontinuation of several Fuji products

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