Fuji freezer film rumour

[MattKing]

Because of the absolutely massive amounts of 35mm and 120 film they've been putting out and the gigantic increase in these volumes since the start of this century?

More likely due to the fact that Fuji has a limited schedule for devoting resources to using that equipment, and the demand patterns for Acros differ significantly from when Fuji wants to have their machines in operation.
I.e. something like Fuji only wants to run the finishing line twice a year, and that doesn't work well with the Acros customer base.

 

[skahde]

It could indeed be anything spanning the entire gamut that you mention.
I have my suspicions, though...

My own suspicion scratching together all the crumbs of information on the floor of the forums and Fujis own publications and advertising around Acros my own suspicion circles around the sensitization of the material which maybe the only thing really special on the material produced by Ilford for Fuji. But knowing I also do nothing at all.

 

[Sal Santamaura]

More likely due to the fact that Fuji has a limited schedule for devoting resources to using that equipment, and the demand patterns for Acros differ significantly from when Fuji wants to have their machines in operation.
I.e. something like Fuji only wants to run the finishing line twice a year, and that doesn't work well with the Acros customer base.

Thanks, Matt. It's good you provided a dispassionate reply while I was away from PHOTRIO. Sarcasm usually motivates me to write things that get deleted.

 

[brbo]

More likely due to the fact that Fuji has a limited schedule for devoting resources to using that equipment, and the demand patterns for Acros differ significantly from when Fuji wants to have their machines in operation.

I think you missed sarcasm in @koraks' response. If you didn't though, can you point us to the information that makes clear that it is more likely that Fuji doesn't have the free slot for converting the tiny amount of Acros (Acros is tiny even compared to their always out of stock E-6) than the (in my opinion much more likely) possibility that they don't want to waste time coating relatively low profit BW film when they are already struggling to put out any meaningful quantities of colour film?

I.e. something like Fuji only wants to run the finishing line twice a year, and that doesn't work well with the Acros customer base.

But this is something that E-6 crowd clearly would want?

 

[MattKing]

I think you missed sarcasm in @koraks' response.

Nope.
Harman appears to make a decent amount of their income from "confectioning" for others.
And it does sound like Fuji isn't producing film continuously or even all that regularly.
So it would make sense for Fuji to contract with Harman.

 

[brbo]

You probably didn't read what I wrote. To make it clear, I'm not saying Fuji doesn't have a relationship with Harman.

 

[MattKing]

You probably didn't read what I wrote. To make it clear, I'm not saying Fuji doesn't have a relationship with Harman.

I did.
I simply am saying that the market demands for E6 and B&W are so fundamentally different, that in a world where Fuji only makes film at certain times during the year, it makes sense that Fuji consider different solutions for "confectioning" the relatively tiny amount of B&W film made under their name.
It occurs to me as well that Harman may be better set up for confectioning B&W than colour positive film.

 

[brbo]

I did.
I simply am saying that the market demands for E6 and B&W are so fundamentally different, that in a world where Fuji only makes film at certain times during the year, it makes sense that Fuji consider different solutions for "confectioning" the relatively tiny amount of B&W film made under their name.
It occurs to me as well that Harman may be better set up for confectioning B&W than colour positive film.

At this point I will ask, again, what is your source of information for this huge discrepancy between Fuji's BW and E-6 users. How come that BW users are so much more demanding than E-6? I remember there were nice sales of short dated Acros II and people went for it like crazy, but now only absolutely freshly converted (which tells you absolutely nothing of how old the master roll was) will do?

 

[GabrielC]

Big news from Fuji

https://www.reddit.com/r/AnalogCommunity/s/aTcxt9bNjL

Reddit post with sources in comments
Seems like C200 and C400 (Superia?) will be produced again, but outsourced to china
If the quality turns out to be right, it will be best of both worlds between instax and fuji color negative film

 

[koraks]

but outsourced to china

Given the location of production (Nanning), it seems like they're using a Daicel plant/location for this. Daicel is the chemical company that FujiFilm originated from.

 

[dokko]

very good news!
I've never heard of C400 before, and couldn't find any reliable data for it. there apparently was a Fujifilm Fujicolor Industrial 400, and since the Industrial 100 is claimed to be the same film as C100, maybe the same applies for the 400 version too.
I did some quick search and there is some speculation that industrial was likely the same as Superia X-TRA 400. I guess unless we get somebody with first hand knownledge or does a really controlled comparison test it is all speculation.

 

[brbo]

That's great news.

It's like we are living in a fairy tale. New film cameras, Fuji (re)starting colour negative production... What's next?


Kodachrome, of course!!!

 

[Agulliver]

Potentially very good news. Hopefully this will help keep C41 amateur film at a reasonable price point and help keep stocks in shops.

Google translate suggests the image in the link is from a press conference "Fuji Color Film Press Conference". The banner reads "Inheriting classics and rekindling passion" "(indistinct) creating great glory again"

Maybe C400 is different to Superia due to the lack of a 4th layer?

There was *nothing* wrong with C200 so a similar 400ISO film would be welcome. We know that Fuji will insist on good quality control, and Chinese manufacturing is fine when good QC is implemented.

I always wondered if Fuji turning to Kodak for contract coating was a stop gap until Fuji could resume production. Wishing the Chinese factory every success.

 

[Prest_400]

Big news from Fuji

https://www.reddit.com/r/AnalogCommunity/s/aTcxt9bNjL

Reddit post with sources in comments
Seems like C200 and C400 (Superia?) will be produced again, but outsourced to china
If the quality turns out to be right, it will be best of both worlds between instax and fuji color negative film

That's great news.

It's like we are living in a fairy tale. New film cameras, Fuji (re)starting colour negative production... What's next?

That is very very interesting! The partner brand shown in the banner, Yes!Star seems to be in the Xray film and material market. Whether it is a full coating or finishing plant is still to be known.

There was *nothing* wrong with C200 so a similar 400ISO film would be welcome. We know that Fuji will insist on good quality control, and Chinese manufacturing is fine when good QC is implemented.

I always wondered if Fuji turning to Kodak for contract coating was a stop gap until Fuji could resume production. Wishing the Chinese factory every success.

They have had these "Fujigold" 200-400 at least to keep a foothold in the market with the name on the canisters, though sad that they practically left all color negative. But together with the sentiment I have been writing about, and that a few share, that Fuji's film manufacturing and distributing in the last years is quite puzzling. They must have seen and felt that the film market is more optimistic.
John Sypal's Tokyocamerastyle shared a story about empty shelves as a sign of struggling to supply the Japanese Instax market.

Good old consumer Fujicolor is good!

 

[brbo]

Maybe C400 is different to Superia due to the lack of a 4th layer?

4th layer was removed from Fuji Superia X-tra 400 a decade or so ago...

 

[Agulliver]

4th layer was removed from Fuji Superia X-tra 400 a decade or so ago...

Then I guess we shall have to wait and see what C400 turns out to be.

I was always happy with C200 so if C400 is a similar quality higher speed film, I'm satisfied.

Whatever this turns out to be, it's pretty clear that it's not related to the Kodak-derived film and will be a Fuji product. The factory concerned seems to have been making photographic material for the medical sector for some 20 years so should know what they're doing.

 

[ChrisGalway]

Great News! Next up: Fujichrome 400 (I wish).

 

[brbo]

Just imagine Fuji making serious volumes of C200 and C400 and those are in the former C200 and X-tra 400 league...

Harman, Adox and Inoviscoat might suddenly be looking at a seriously smaller market for their "proper" C-41 films that they are aiming for and investing in. Now, with Fuji's proverbial 100% commitment to film it's pretty certain that they will pull out again in the next 3 days/months/years, but still...

 

[loccdor]

Fantastic. I hope they start making Sensia again too. I'll freeze my Phoenix for a while in case Harman decides to throw in the towel because of this.

 

[brbo]

Unless, of course, this China plant is just converting film from Kodak. That would make sense since Kodak has excess coating capacities and bottleneck in finishing.

 

[dokko]

Unless, of course, this China plant is just converting film from Kodak. That would make sense since Kodak has excess coating capacities and bottleneck in finishing.

don't scare me like that

I was thinking about those lines as well, since the logo images look like the Kodak packaging, but in the reddit thread they mention that the press text specifically mentions C200 and C400 (and it also translates to "resumption of production of.."

now with the combination of cooperate speak and translation we'll have to wait and see, but below the two relevant posts:


Link: 以后广西南宁多了一个土特产：富士胶卷 - 小红书 (xiaohongshu.com)

Translated text via DeepL:

In the future, Nanning, Guangxi has one more local specialty: Fuji Film

Fujifilm established a production line in Nanning and officially launched the Fujifilm series of new films C200 and C400; Nowadays, more and more people are paying attention to and trying to use film, and although Fujifilm has discontinued many products, this time it has started production of new film in Nanning, Guangxi, bringing benefits to film photography enthusiasts.

Guangxi superstar company has been producing medical negatives, photo paper and other products for Fuji before, OEM Fuji series of civilian photosensitive materials, this time it is a restart of the production line, hoping that the price of film can be pulled down a little after localization.

Original text:
以后广西南宁多了一个土特产：富士胶卷

富士公司在南宁建立生产线，正式上架富士系列新胶片C200和C400；现在关注和尝试使用胶片的人越来越多了，富士虽然停产了多款产品，这次在广西南宁投产新胶片，为底片摄影爱好者带来福利。

广西巨星公司以前一直为富士生产医用类底片、相纸等产品，代工过富士系列民用感光材料，这次算是重启生产线吧，希望国产化后能把胶卷的价格拉下来一点。

....and the second:
https://www.xiaohongshu.com/explore/6674ea13000000001f0052e6

On June 21, Fujifilm held a color film press conference in Nanning, Guangxi Province with the theme of "Inheriting the Classics and Rekindling Passion", at which it was pleased to announce the resumption of production of Fujifilm C200 and C400 color negative film to meet the growing demand for film photography market.

 

[foc]

It's like we are living in a fairy tale. New film cameras, Fuji (re)starting colour negative production... What's next?

Has the film renaissance begun?

 

[blee1996]

I also hope it is the original Fujicolor emulsion. I know some people like Kodak 200 but I much prefer the Fujicolor C200 and X-Tra 400. Besides, the world needs more variety in color film emulsions.

 

[MattKing]

At this point I will ask, again, what is your source of information for this huge discrepancy between Fuji's BW and E-6 users. How come that BW users are so much more demanding than E-6? I remember there were nice sales of short dated Acros II and people went for it like crazy, but now only absolutely freshly converted (which tells you absolutely nothing of how old the master roll was) will do?

As I understand it, there is still far more Fuji slide film sold than Acros. That is where the discrepancy is - the market size.

 

[brbo]

That’s what I already said and apparently not what my question was.