Here's the official announcement (in Japanese):
http://ffis.fujifilm.co.jp/information/articlein_0066.html
Acros 4x5
and Acros 8x10 have "expected shipment completion" dates (as translated by Bing) of
May 2018. (Acros 120 and 35mm seem not to be affected.) Natura 1600 (35mm) and some disposable film cameras are also being nixed around that same time.
Interestingly, they recommend Superia 800 as a replacement to Natura 1600, conflicting with reports elsewhere that that emulsion was discontinued.
There is a footnote about some of these dates being subject to change depending on sales (?), but it's not clear to me where or how that applies.
I guess sheet film support requires another master roll and they've seen things being a bit slow. Maybe they are doing it as a probe for the response. Seems utopian, but maybe they could pass sheets to a Ulford ULF type run.
As of superia, and as I said in a couple of threads, there was a sort of packaging/formats rationing of the line in the US recently. Basically some blisters were discontinued and replaced with single roll or another blister type. That's from top of my head and I can't for the life of me find the original source of that.
But the case is that it would be curious to do a packaging reorganization to discontinue 6 months later.
OTOH, Natura 1600 was not supposed to be discontinued for a couple years already? We may be seeing regional distribution choices too. Just as 160NS is 120 + Sheets only and EU, Asia distributed. Weird really. So last year Asia had this product (160NS) in 120,
220 and sheets -- US? None at all.
Here's my prediction. By 2020 the film market will have enough slight growth that Kodak will put out a compact decent quality camera and roll out a new C-41 emulsion that will be targeted as ISO free! Shoot from 50-1600 no problem just mark the ISO on the cassette and send back to Kodak Processing central for development, scans and prints! (Development, scans and prints included in cost of film)
Kodak will be king of the small film market and Illford will still rule the B&W.
Oh, that probably is Portra 400! Plenty of happy people shooting the film at low EI's, pushing while doing the former too, just pushing, and shooting at a higher EI than box without push.
I think the independent online labs are doing a good enough job with processing that they seem to be quite sucessful and in the last 4 years have grown quite a bit.