Fuji Crystal Archive - Sheet availability??

Matt5791 · May 5, 2009

One retailer I know is saying that Fuji have discontinued sheet FCA?

I always use Kodak Endura, but does anyone have any information about this?

Many thanks!

Ektagraphic · May 5, 2009

You can buy it from Freestyle. http://www.freestylephoto.biz/sc_search.php?rfnc=1201

pentaxuser · May 5, 2009

Matt I saw this as well. I forget the retailer in my case but it may have been the same one. Seems strange that Fuji is giving a clear run to Kodak on sheet paper. I have never known monopolies to be a good thing for the customer.

pentaxuser

Ektagraphic · May 6, 2009

Kodak Endura (great stuff ) is also available in sheets at Freestyle.

perkeleellinen · May 6, 2009

Does this imply that the home colour darkroom printer has just one choice of paper?

2F/2F · May 6, 2009

If this is true, hopefully this will give Kodak incentive to reintroduce Ultra, Portra, and Ultra Metallic papers. I originally chose Kodak because I loved their line of three papers (plus Ultra Metallic) vs. Fuji's line of two...and also find the papers easier to adjust. Then they went and got rid of everything but their middle-of-the-road paper! (They also cut 8x10 boxes down to only 50 sheets, and stopped offering all surfaces in all sizes.)

More likely, it means that there is an incredible lack of demand, and Kodak will soon do the same thing. Yet one more nail in the coffin of analog color photography instruction in schools (not to mention the business viability of what few rental darkrooms still exist).

perkeleellinen · May 6, 2009

This is the notice at Nova Darkroom:

PLEASE BE AWARE THAT THESE ARE NOW THE LAST STOCKS REMAINING AS FUJI NO LONGER PROVIDE CUT SHEET FORMATS.

frotog · May 6, 2009

yikes

Jeff Bannow · May 6, 2009

Matt5791 · May 6, 2009

There is a very easy answer to this situation - someone buys rolls, cuts them down, re-packs and re-sells.

This has been happening with Super8 film for years - companies like Pro8mm in california and Wittner in Germany - and that is a much much harder thing to do (think about the fact is has to be re-perforated and spooled into super8 cartridges).

Or, alternatively, has this task performed under contract by Ilford or someone.

Depening on how hard the re-seller wanted to go at it, they could do it themselves whenever an order came in; or they could hedge their bets and contract Ilford or X company to cut down the rolls, on the assumption they could sell the quantity.

A 20", 88 metre roll could deliver, by my calculations, 866 sheets of 8x10" paper - or a whole mix of sizes.

Matt

srs5694 · May 6, 2009

There's also something to be said for cutting roll paper down yourself, in that you can get more flexible sizing without wasting paper. This is particularly true if you make a lot of square prints -- an 8-inch by whatever roll can produce whatever proportion of 8x8-inch, 8x10-inch, 8x12-inch, or any other 8xwhatever sheets you like. Some time ago I bought a roll of 8-inch Konica paper on eBay. It lasted a long while, and I found it handy for this reason. I've recently acquired a roll of Kodak 5-inch paper that I'm using to make 5x5 and 5x7 prints.

That said, measuring and cutting roll film in the dark is a bit tedious. I certainly wouldn't want to be doing this if I were doing photography professionally; it just wouldn't be very cost-effective.

pentaxuser · May 6, 2009

Matt, you occasionally( very occasionally) seen small cutting machines on e-bay that hold a roll and can be adjusted. I don't know if such machines are big enough to accomodate the minimum size roll you'd need to buy. From what I have seen the roll seems to sit inside a light tight box and the desired cut can be adjusted for size. Presumably once adjusted the cutting can be done in a straightforward mechanical fashion and in complete darkness and black bags and boxes loaded or done in safelight conditions with a DUKA.

I now recall that it was Nova where I saw the annoucement but I checked a few other suppliers and none that I have looked at seem to be carrying the annoucement of no more sheets. Interestingly but not necessary of any relevance, MORCO used to stock both Fuji and Kodak paper but have since dropped Fuji paper. Of course this could simply be a decision to put all its RA4 paper eggs in one basket to improve its buying leverage.

pentaxuser

B&Wpositive · May 6, 2009

This is crazy. I have a bunch of Crystal archive paper that is just sitting. We tried to sell it on ebay a few times, but no one bought it!

Photo Engineer · May 6, 2009

B&Wpositive said:
This is crazy. I have a bunch of Crystal archive paper that is just sitting. We tried to sell it on ebay a few times, but no one bought it!

Maybe Fuji had that same problem. I know that Kodak did for several surfaces and contrast grades and that is why so many types of color paper are gone.

PE

DanielStone · May 6, 2009

interesting. and very disappointing at the same time. I started with FCA in the beginning of color printing, and have enjoyed the product. If this is certainly true, its a sad day for those who print with it. I have started using the Kodak Supra Endura papers lately, and I'm very happy with it. To play devils advocate, this could be good for the consumer in the long run. Being that Kodak is HUGE, albeit not what they were even 10 years ago, having one source of color paper(cut sheets) for neg printing can cause quality control to be bolstered. Also, if Kodak plays their cards the way I hope they will, people buying THEIR cut sheets, they will lower the price. And we all like that

pure speculation on my part.

Robert Brummitt · May 6, 2009

I went over to both the Fuji and Fuji/Hunt websites and did not see anything. CFA was advertised and they have a "New" digital paper for the Lambda and light jet printers.
Here is a email contact address for those interested, scoomber@fujihuntusa.com
It would be a shame if Fuji gave up. I love the pallet of the paper compared to Kodak.

epraus · May 7, 2009

Matt5791 said:
One retailer I know is saying that Fuji have discontinued sheet FCA?

I always use Kodak Endura, but does anyone have any information about this?

Many thanks!

I contacted my Fuji Sales rep today and she sure does not know anything about sheet paper going away. Must be yet another UNINFORMED sales person?

Robert Brummitt · May 7, 2009

I spoke today with my local lab person and he went white in fear. If Fuji rids itself of FCA his lab would be dead in the water. I guess he doesn't care for Kodak?

pentaxuser · May 7, 2009

Matt. We've only had replies from non U.K. members as far as I can tell. If you're a confirmed Kodak user then perhaps it doesn't matter but as Nova Darkroom seem to be the only U.K. supplier quoting a cessation of Fuji sheet paper maybe it needs to be asked for its source of the announcement.

pentaxuser

Matt5791 · May 8, 2009

To be honest - there is a massive selection of RA4 paper available in rolls from both Kodak and Fuji. If utimately it has to be bought this way, I'm not that bothered.

I already cut plenty of paper in the dark to accurate measurements and I think it would be pretty easy to rig up a roll on a holder and feed it into a guillotine for larger volumes.

Matt

Fuji Crystal Archive - Sheet availability??

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