Fuji statement: Commitment to film

[Henning Serger]

Hello dear film friends,

just as an information (and without comment):

http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/nb20120720a5.html#.UAmKn6CT9ju

Best regards,
Henning

 

[removed-user-1]

Their statement leaves Ilford out completely (not to mention smaller manufacturers), so I assume they are speaking here about color films exclusively.

 

[BrianShaw]

That kind of press release is always welcomed. Good for them for being forthright and public about their current corporate position

The cynical side of me, though, wonders what factors (and how close we already may be to the decision limits) they have set that may change such a corporate position.

 

[Jeff Kubach]

A bit of good news!

Jeff

 

[thegman]

I think at this point I'd like to see Fujifilm sell the film business, or spin it off. They've said it's less than 1% of their business, but their business is 10's of billions of Euros a year. So the film business is probably still a couple hundred million a year, a huge business by most people's standards.

Let it run as an independent business, same for Kodak.

 

[CGW]

Nakajima said that the company will be required to take measures in the future to improve the profitability of the photo film business, including trimming its product lineup and passing higher costs onto customers.

Translation: Be prepared for even less choice and even higher prices--and possibly the end of production--since it's <1% of our business and likely falling.

I'm filing this with the bubbly interviews with ex-Kodak US marketing manager for professional film, Scott Disabato, who was talking about a "very real resurgence in film" in 2010 and as late as 2011 on the eve of the 1/2012 bad news.

Let's see where we stand Q3-Q4.

Guess Ilford is too small for Nakajima-san's radar.

 

[seadrive]

So... Fuji remains in the film business as a service to people who use film, in case EK decides to stop making film?

Well, whatever their reasons, I hope the gentleman quoted speaks truthfully.

Nakajima said that the company will be required to take measures in the future to improve the profitability of the photo film business, including trimming its product lineup and passing higher costs onto customers.

Higher costs are inevitable, but the "trimming its product lineup" part worries me.

 

[Steve Smith]

I think at this point I'd like to see Fujifilm sell the film business......

Let it run as an independent business, same for Kodak.

I don't see why any company would sell a part of the company which is profitable - especially Kodak if it's their only profitable part.


Steve.

 

[BrianShaw]

... ya, but it is always hard to know if htat is real profit or profit "on paper". Accounting hijinks are legion.

 

[Rudeofus]

I'm filing this with the bubbly interviews with ex-Kodak US marketing manager for professional film, Scott Disabato, who was talking about a "very real resurgence in film" in 2010 and as late as 2011 on the eve of the 1/2012 bad news.

Let's see where we stand Q3-Q4.

It's Q3 now, almost 6 months after Kodak filed for ch11, and they still coat film! Yes, they did discontinue their comparatively tiny E6 lines (which weren't their main focus anyway), but even under intense financial pressure they hold on to their coating lines. Think about this ....

 

[CGW]

It's Q3 now, almost 6 months after Kodak filed for ch11, and they still coat film! Yes, they did discontinue their comparatively tiny E6 lines (which weren't their main focus anyway), but even under intense financial pressure they hold on to their coating lines. Think about this ....

My bad. I guess I'm better at thinking than emoting about this.

 

[Brian C. Miller]

At Fujifilm, photo films accounted for less than 1 percent of the company's total sales in fiscal 2011, down from 19 percent in fiscal 2000.

I wonder at what point was film less than 50% of their gross sales. In 2000, it was 19%. That's not much. I'm guessing that in 2000, film was a much higher percentage of gross sales for EK. Fujifilm was highly diversified before the great decline of film usage.

 

[Mark_S]

Hello dear film friends,

just as an information (and without comment):

http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/nb20120720a5.html#.UAmKn6CT9ju

Best regards,
Henning

The strength of the commitment to film is clarified in this release:

http://www.bjp-online.com/british-jo...essional-films

 

[SkipA]

Error 404 on that link, Mark_S.


Page Not Found
We're sorry, we can't find the page that you are looking for.

If you would like to report this error, please email what has happened and the link to: customerservices@incisivemedia.com

Otherwise, please click back to the previous page you were visiting and use the search box in the top right of the page to find what you are looking for.

Again, apologies for the absence of this page.

 

[E76]

Here's the correct link: http://www.bjp-online.com/british-j.../fujifilm-discontinues-two-professional-films

Fuji discontinued Velvia 50 in 4x5 and 8x10 and Velvia 100F in all formats just a few days ago.

 

[RattyMouse]

Here's the correct link: http://www.bjp-online.com/british-j.../fujifilm-discontinues-two-professional-films

Fuji discontinued Velvia 50 in 4x5 and 8x10 and Velvia 100F in all formats just a few days ago.

Doesnt Fujifilm have a glaring hole in it's film product line?

There is no Ektar type print film in their line. All they have are low contrast portrait color print films.

 

[Prof_Pixel]

I wonder at what point was film less than 50% of their gross sales.

I guess the real question is "I wonder at what point was film less than 50% of their NET sales?"

 

[jayvo86]

Trimmed line-up and higher costs for customer?

F-That

If a company doesn't market their product, of course sales will slump.

I think if their sales volume continues to suffer, it will be nothing to do with lack of demand. It will because the companies will push away their current customers.

You can't just keep trimming your product and charging more to compensate for marketing errors.

 

[Sirius Glass]

Doesnt Fujifilm have a glaring hole in it's film product line?

There is no Ektar type print film in their line. All they have are low contrast portrait color print films.

No, rather than Kodak and Fujifilm competing, Kodak concentrated on color print film and ceeded to Fujifilm on slides. Each concentrated on what they did the best.

 

[RattyMouse]

No, rather than Kodak and Fujifilm competing, Kodak concentrated on color print film and ceeded to Fujifilm on slides. Each concentrated on what they did the best.

That's all fine and great....until we lose Kodak. Then what?

 

[SkipA]

Then we shoot B&W. And when B&W film is gone, we coat and shoot glass plate.

Or maybe an Impossible-like project will come along, we could be part of it, and we'll make and sell some crappy approximation of today's decent film that we'll nevertheless be happy to shoot, hipster like, but better than nothing. Until we die. And who cares beyond that?

 

[E76]

Then we shoot B&W. And when B&W film is gone, we coat and shoot glass plate.

Or maybe an Impossible-like project will come along, we could be part of it, and we'll make and sell some crappy approximation of today's decent film that we'll nevertheless be happy to shoot, hipster like, but better than nothing. Until we die. And who cares beyond that?

I don't know. I doubt it will work out. I love instant film but the Impossible Projects imitations are practically worthless to me. I don't know of any serious photographer who would even consider using it. You'd need a product of at least comparable quality.

 

[RattyMouse]

I don't know. I doubt it will work out. I love instant film but the Impossible Projects imitations are practically worthless to me. I don't know of any serious photographer who would even consider using it. You'd need a product of at least comparable quality.

How about better than the original? Fujifilm Instax instant film. Pretty amazing color there.

 

[SkipA]

I don't know, E76. I suspect you are mistaken. People create art with the materials that they have available to them. But then, most of us aren't artists. I am probably not even a serious photographer, despite the fact that I shoot all formats and every kind of film from 8x11mm to 8x20 inches. But I have an SX-70. I'm happy to be able to use any instant film I can get for it. I got some great photos of my dog tonight, an old girl, and I fear she won't be with me for much longer. I'm going to treasure these photos. I like photography, even when it's not serious.

I wouldn't say that Impossible film is an "imitation" of anything. I think they are doing their own thing, marketing to the hipster / Lomo crowd. It seems to be working for them. I'd like better color, sharpness, and saturation, but I'll take what I can get. It can be challenging to get what I consider a "good" photo with Impossible film, but I like a challenge. Go browse their galleries. You will find at least some photos you consider good, imitation film or not.

For every serious photograher who won't consider using a crappy approximation of today's decent films, I bet there will be 50 casual photographers who will, if that is all that is available to them. The serious photograhers can go explore digital, if that floats their boat. Ugh. I can't think of anything more lifeless and boring.

 

[bladerunner6]

That's all fine and great....until we lose Kodak. Then what?

Fuji could probably buy Kodak's film business.