Fujifilm announces worldwide price revision of Photographic Film & Photographic Paper

[nbagno]

Happy Monday

http://www.fujifilm.com/news/n190225.html

 

[tezzasmall]

'Photographic film :
Color Negative Film, Color Reversal Film, Quick Snap, Control Strips
The minimum increase is expected to 30%'

Wow!!! 30% is a really big price hike!

I hope other companies don't do similar for at least a long while.

Terry S

 

[lantau]

That will be Velvia 135 for €20. I don't use my slide film stock as much as I'd like because I try to find scenery that is worth it. With my rate of consumption I guess the price rise doesn't matter when buying a pro pack ver occasionally and in any case I have too much in the freezer.

With Pro400H 120 I'm a bit more reckless and especially the 135 version of it is already pretty expensive. Of course Portra 400 135 isn't exactly cheap.

I'm a bit worried about b/w. They have left the psychologically important €5 mark far behind over the last year. At least HP5 is still economical in bulk.

 

[cramej]

Geez, soon to be $90 for a 35mm pro pack and $60 for a 120 pro pack of Provia. I'm beginning to think they really don't want to make film any more and are just pricing everyone out of the market so they can say that no one was buying it.

 

[GRHazelton]

Is Fuji perhaps trying to kill sales so that they can "justify" discontinuing products?

 

[faberryman]

Is Fuji perhaps trying to kill sales so that they can "justify" discontinuing products?

Or perhaps they have worked through their existing stocks and this is what it is going to cost to make film on a going forward basis.

 

[runswithsizzers]

Recently I've been shooting mostly b&w, so the Fuji price hike won't affect me directly. Too bad, I would love to be outraged over the increased cost of Fuji Neopan Arcos. By the time I rediscovered b&w film, Arcos was already gone.

But I've always considered the possibility of shooting color film again one day soon. (I'm looking at a roll of Ektar on my desk as I write.)

Here in the USA, I see 35mm Provia at $12, and Ektachrome at $13 (B&H Photo). If Provia goes up 30% that will make it $16/roll.

Velvia is presently $13, going up to at least $17, but lacks a direct competitor from Kodak.

Fujicolor Pro 400H in 5 packs is already $10 more than Kodak Portra 400 ($47 vs. $37); add another 30% and the Pro 400H will cost $5 per roll more than the Portra.

Now the question is, will Kodak enjoy their price advantage - or raise their prices to match? If they do, hopefully any increases will not include Kodak's b&w film, which continue to face competition from other (non-Fuji) films.

 

[Anon Ymous]

Ah, that's a bit too steep, perhaps it's time to buy some last rolls of Velvia while I can.

 

[Ai Print]

Well....I could say a lot of things but I'll just say it does not surprise me much and is a considerable increase.
It's just the reality of film photography in the post film era....

 

[destroya]

I agree with Ai. If you want to continue to shoot, especially slide, film, you are going to have to get used to the price increase. just a cost of the way we prefer to shoot.

look at it this way. Maybe fuji is increasing its prices to keep film production at a place where they, as a company, can continue to offer it.

 

[removed account4]

Gotta pay if you wanna play

 

[trendland]

Is Fuji perhaps trying to kill sales so that they can "justify" discontinuing products?

They began with that procedure you think so with this film GRHazelton (years ago) :

Well I will not state that Sensia 200 and Sensia 400 were bestselling films (in 2007).
But Sensia 100 was it for sure : The bestselling amatheuric E6 of Fujifilm with relative good pricing! (economical pricing).

Fuji stated that all Sensia Films are discontinued next. Later (4month later if I remember correct)
Fuji anounced massive increasement of Velvia,Provia films.

30% is a volume of increasement as normal since Fuji's paradigm shiftt in film marketing! (Fuji does not want to be satisfied with anything less since then).

From my point I am not willing to hear Fuji's phrases concerning smallest demand, lowest scales,
highest production costs ans longer!

For sure we are regarding the complete film market as a niche market beginning in 2004-2006!

But in this special case here (with Fujifilm) we also noticed : it began to establish a monopolstructure!

From that same reason we notice a complete different marketing (and pricing) within the bw film
sector (beside the fact that the todays production of bw film in smaler scales isn't that great deal in comparison to E6 for example . Exception : Fuji bw film !

Fellows make thoughts from what reasons it may come that Kodak (with the background of massive financial problems) is able to produce Ektachrome 100 (in 35mm) to smaler costs (and
with cheaper pricing) in comparison to Fuji Velvia ?

Yeah the demand to Ektachrome100 35mm film is great - that is true!
But how many Velvias did Fuji sold during Kodak has stopped E6 production in total?
How many losses from Film sellings made Fuji during that period?

I am quite sure that Fuji today is still selling more Velvias/Provias in 35mm in comparison
to Kodak's monthly orders to Ektachrome!

Hope that will change next!

Damned theese Japaneese still don't like you US citizens (market pricing [and avaiability to special films] is more confortable within Japaneese market)!

with regards

PS : Don't let you bulshit from Fujifilm - they get the market prices ennforced !
But you never should forget fellows : THE MARKET IS YOU!

 

[DDTJRAC]

Geez, soon to be $90 for a 35mm pro pack and $60 for a 120 pro pack of Provia. I'm beginning to think they really don't want to make film any more and are just pricing everyone out of the market so they can say that no one was buying it.

Concur...but who really knows what Fuji has in mind.

What are the % of profits that film provides for Fuji? Is film even a big deal to Fuji any more?

https://www.japancamerahunter.com/2017/10/film-news-fujifilm-end-nigh/

 

[mshchem]

Low volume specialty product. Hard for a young person to get excited about film at these prices. Fuji is gonna make money or do something else.

 

[1kgcoffee]

After cutting out 4x5 the writing is on the wall. Sad news, but what can you do? I only hope Kodak do not follow suit.

 

[trendland]

Concur...but who really knows what Fuji has in mind.

What are the % of profits that film provides for Fuji? Is it even a big deal to them any more?

No it isn't a big deal for Fuji anymore - but this is standing in relation to the size of Fuji (a real big company nowadays) AND in relation to Fuji earnings in other business section.

Of cause the film section of Fuji is from earnings of "real peanuts" to them!

But in the same moment when Fuji realized that they will not hold on filmproduction in the longer term they decided not to care about film costomers any longer! That is the situation behind the doors of Fujis business decisions concerning film avaibility , film pricing !

And that is incorrect towards costomers and Fujis own history and tradition and in addition INDECENT IN HIGHEST DEGREE !

Think about pls!

But at last I feel confortabe with Fujis behaviour - because I am realy sure that Fuji one fine day
will pay a hart price on this.!!!!

with regards

PS : Business is business for sure I know that ! But between business AND business is offen a real
difference.
I just want to see that Fujifilm makes the same affort like all other film manufacturer today do!
Do not forget that Fuji have imense resources ! The very best financial background of all others together.

I do not want that Fuji is selling a single film with a lost of just one single Yen!
(0,0090 USD) but Fuji have not given themself the slightiest effort for a long time to come
to serious calculation concerning film pricing (and I know what I am talking about -be sure
of that)

 

[trendland]

Low volume specialty product. Hard for a young person to get excited about film at these prices. Fuji is gonna make money or do something else.

mshchem - they do indeed something else (beside high tech section) to the disadvantage (and in opposition) to their film division.

And it has A L S O to do with "colors" .....hmm?

What is it ????

Answer :

C O S M E T I C S !!

with regards

PS : .......despised be who thinks - that film costomers since a couple of years - are paying for
build up this New Fuji business section from cheeky calculation like we are informed this day!

PPS : .....losses from selling Velvia 35mm at about 20 bucks next?????
Or is it more a case of creative accounting when Fujifilm spokesmen are wimpering into press
mics. that their film prices have to be increased caused from low demand!

 

[cmacd123]

Fuji DID say that the cosmetics technology came out of the research on preservation to keep colour film dyes stable! Hard to say if cosmetics are subsidising film, or visa versa. BUT cosmetics tend to have much higher margins than any other product.

 

[Rudeofus]

Low volume specialty product. Hard for a young person to get excited about film at these prices. Fuji is gonna make money or do something else.

Sure! Absolutely! They could produce printers, like Kodak did! (Before they went belly up, with the film product line among the few remaining profitable ones) Or ... they could make printer cartridges? What could possibly go wrong, Tetenal did the same thing! (Before they went belly up, too, with photo chemistry product line among the few remaining profitable ones).

 

[mshchem]

Sure! Absolutely! They could produce printers, like Kodak did! (Before they went belly up, with the film product line among the few remaining profitable ones) Or ... they could make printer cartridges? What could possibly go wrong, Tetenal did the same thing! (Before they went belly up, too, with photo chemistry product line among the few remaining profitable ones).

Yes, Fujifilm is a very well managed company. It really goes back more than 50 years. Fujifilm stays competitive in every market where they are involved. Kodak gave up on professional cameras in the 50's. Kodak had a virtual monopoly of film and paper in the US until Fujifilm came in strong in the 70's. Fujifilm is doing the right thing even if it hurts some of us film fans.
Also by not "dumping" products at very low margins it provides opportunities for Alaris, Ilford, Foma, Adox etc. There's not enough volume to support Fujichrome and Ektachrome. Need to see what happens.

 

[Rudeofus]

Yes, Fujifilm is a very well managed company.

Kodak and Tetenal were not poorly managed until they tried to break out of their core market to start something more flashy, both companies wasting huge efforts and big money on these new product lines until they came crashing down. Both companies now emerge from the rubble, closing down all kinds of product lines, but not the analog photography product lines which they wanted to abandon initially.

Fujifilm is doing the right thing even if it hurts some of us film fans.
Also by not "dumping" products at very low margins it provides opportunities for Alaris, Ilford, Foma, Adox etc. There's not enough volume to support Fujichrome and Ektachrome. Need to see what happens.

After E100VS was cancelled by Kodak several years ago, and when my frozen stash started showing signs of deterioration, I started looking at Fuji Velvia 100 as replacement, and I actually started liking it. Now E100 is back, and it's already 15-20% cheaper than V100, i.e. before the 30% price hike just announced on top of this, and people say that 120 format E100 is around the corner .... I think I can fill your "need to see what happens" ...

PS: Ilford, Foma and Adox don't compete directly with Fuji's current product line, there is no overlap.

 

[mshchem]

Kodak and Tetenal were not poorly managed until they tried to break out of their core market to start something more flashy, both companies wasting huge efforts and big money on these new product lines until they came crashing down. Both companies now emerge from the rubble, closing down all kinds of product lines, but not the analog photography product lines which they wanted to abandon initially.



After E100VS was cancelled by Kodak several years ago, and when my frozen stash started showing signs of deterioration, I started looking at Fuji Velvia 100 as replacement, and I actually started liking it. Now E100 is back, and it's already 15-20% cheaper than V100, i.e. before the 30% price hike just announced on top of this, and people say that 120 format E100 is around the corner .... I think I can fill your "need to see what happens" ...

PS: Ilford, Foma and Adox don't compete directly with Fuji's current product line, there is no overlap.

I think we will have to agree to disagree on the Kodak management model.

 

[GRHazelton]

Fuji DID say that the cosmetics technology came out of the research on preservation to keep colour film dyes stable! Hard to say if cosmetics are subsidising film, or visa versa. BUT cosmetics tend to have much higher margins than any other product.

When my Father hit the job market in the early 1930s with a new BS in ChemEng from Detroit City College, now Wayne State U, he got a job with J L Hudson, a giant department store in Detroit. His job was compound/mixing cold cream. He said the only difference between the "plain Jane" version and the expensive stuff was the packaging and perfume. Hardly a surprise!

 

[Richard Man]

The usual Fuji-hating comes out... Film is dying, ah well.... As long as there are Portra and Tri-X, film-life continues for me....

 

[mshchem]

When my Father hit the job market in the early 1930s with a new BS in ChemEng from Detroit City College, now Wayne State U, he got a job with J L Hudson, a giant department store in Detroit. His job was compound/mixing cold cream. He said the only difference between the "plain Jane" version and the expensive stuff was the packaging and perfume. Hardly a surprise!

My Dad was a Pharmacist, graduated from University of Iowa in 1941. He made cold cream and Xray developer for the state hospital, he was involved with the navy for a few years, came back and started as a analytical chemist.
My professor at the U graduated from Wayne State, he was very well known for early work in HPLC and other separation tech. Small world !