Fujifilm discontinuations announced: 120 Velvia 100F, B&W Art Emulsion

[Oren Grad]

http://ffis.fujifilm.co.jp/information/articlein_0036.html

4x5 and 8x10 Velvia 100F continue for now.

 

[benjiboy]

What specific products are called "B&W Art Emulsions", are they films or liquid emusion ?

 

[pdeeh]

I googled and it's literally an emulsion product - like liquid light

 

[Ken Nadvornick]

Go Ferrania!

 

[Dr Croubie]

Wasn't Velvia 100F the one that people didn't like? (well, at least, Ken didn't like it, I wasn't the biggest fan). As long as they don't touch 50 and 100, that's fine with me... (ps, Forza Ferrania!)

 

[Poisson Du Jour]

The discontinuation was first rumoured back in June and was circulating here in Australia from the distributor. 100F will not be missed. It is has a repulsive palette, is difficult to scan and looked garish on Ilfochrome Classic. Better results have been experienced through hybrid print processing but for traditional RA4 printing it is the pits. And now... about 100...

 

[benjiboy]

I found Fuji Velvia 100F much more contrasty than Fuji Velvia 100.

 

[Prest_400]

I find it curious that it outlasted Provia 400X, but that one seemed sadly too niche and more expensive (though technically great). It seemed to be positioned rather indifferently and people seemed to feel like that for it.
So now, it is: Provia 100F (RDPIII), Velvia 50 (RVP50) and Velvia 100 (RVP100).

It feels strange to me, I still think about Ektachrome being around and it's been 2 years already since its demise. Thankfully, and hopefully Fuji's range will be stabilized in the above options, at least it seems to be their strategy for the mid term (new packaging).
And go Ferrania! But we should never lose Fuji's offerings if possible.

Well, I loaded a roll of Provia 100F into the GW690, and will try to shoot it when I've got some time. Amusingly Fuji for a while.

 

[AgX]

I googled and it's literally an emulsion product - like liquid light

How can they cancel it if they even have not listed it before? I mean I cannot even find this product at their site, did not even know its existence.

 

[Poisson Du Jour]

How can they cancel it if they even have not listed it before? I mean I cannot even find this product at their site, did not even know its existence.

It is an indent/special order (industry) product.

 

[RattyMouse]

It is an indent/special order (industry) product.

You can find this and many many other Fuji products that we dont know about in the stores in Japan.

 

[RattyMouse]

How can they cancel it if they even have not listed it before? I mean I cannot even find this product at their site, did not even know its existence.

Fujifilm's web site is abysmal. It is virtually useless with the vast majority of their product line never appearing. Neopan Acros isnt even on their web site for god's sake!! Fujifilm makes a HUGE amount of black and white paper. Is it on their web site? Nope. Their developing chemicals? Nope again.

Utterly useless.

 

[AgX]

I only refer to their japanese site.

 

[Sirius Glass]

I followed the link but I just cannot make sense of it.

 

[dreamingartemis]

How can they cancel it if they even have not listed it before? I mean I cannot even find this product at their site, did not even know its existence.

Same here, I only knew of it's existence when I was in Japan looking through yodobashi's film aisle and helped a friend buy it who needed it for a project.

 

[dreamingartemis]

Oh swell, more discontinued film. Velvia 100F survived longer than Provia 400x, I'm rather surprised - noticed that a lot of people never really shot with it except to experiment and then sticked to Velvia 100 instead.

 

[Xmas]

I find it curious that it outlasted Provia 400X, but that one seemed sadly too niche and more expensive (though technically great). It seemed to be positioned rather indifferently and people seemed to feel like that for it.
So now, it is: Provia 100F (RDPIII), Velvia 50 (RVP50) and Velvia 100 (RVP100).

It feels strange to me, I still think about Ektachrome being around and it's been 2 years already since its demise. Thankfully, and hopefully Fuji's range will be stabilized in the above options, at least it seems to be their strategy for the mid term (new packaging).
And go Ferrania! But we should never lose Fuji's offerings if possible.

Well, I loaded a roll of Provia 100F into the GW690, and will try to shoot it when I've got some time. Amusingly Fuji for a while.

So where is neopan 400 now?

 

[Poisson Du Jour]

Oh swell, more discontinued film. Velvia 100F survived longer than Provia 400x, I'm rather surprised - noticed that a lot of people never really shot with it except to experiment and then sticked to Velvia 100 instead.

There is still a back inventory of 100F and will remain so for possibly 2-3 years, enough to satiate the enthusiasts who will want it and use it. And it will remain (for now...) in 4x5 and 8x10 formats -- and that is the curiously odd bit. Supposing that the LF sizes sell more than 120? Seriously!? I don't think so. Could be related to inventory though, having so much of it tied up with distributors and dealers and not moving it. No real prevailing logic in film manufacturers' decisions be it Kodak or Fuji, other than to repeat the tired line of "...decreased useage...", "...declining sales...", etc.

 

[StoneNYC]

I tend to agree with Poisson, Velvia100F has been discontinued for at least a year it didn't outlast Provia400X it's just that there's a TON of extra stock because it was such a horrible film that no one is buying it.

Whatever you're reading might be translating wrong or something.

Then again fuji is bad about info, years ago a guy bought "the last" entire pallet of Velvia50 in 8x10 for the sum of something like $250,000 because it was the film he needed for his signature work.

Yesterday I ordered two boxes of Velvia50 in 8x10 IN DATE that were just made.

So the info doesn't always match reality.

I DO have to import it from Japan, but it's available none-the-less.

The liquid emulsion stuff I can't comment on, but Velvia100f hasn't been MADE in a while, it's just old stock.

 

[Dr Croubie]

I'd say that's also why it's "still available" in sheet sizes. They've probably made so much of it and keeping it in cold storage that it won't get shipped for a few years yet. I really hope that's not what they're doing with RVP50 though.
Meanwhile, I've just had a look at some of my shots I took with a roll of RVP100F, they're not actually too bad:

Both Bessa L, 21mm Skopar, only UV filter, height of midday summer.

 

[mooseontheloose]

I believe it's the five-pack being "discontinued", not the film itself. Although in my experience, losing the pro-pack is a precursor to losing the film eventually.

There used to be quite a lot of the Art Emulsion (liquid emulsion) in the stores here in Japan, I always meant to try it out but I guess now I don't need to. The only thing left in my local shop is the Art Emulsion Binder, which I imagine is useless without the Art Emulsion.

 

[Oren Grad]

I believe it's the five-pack being "discontinued", not the film itself.

At least in the home market, it's the film itself. The five-pack was the last available packaging for this product in 120.

In the product catalog pages on its Japanese website, Fuji does not list any 120 film in single rolls any more - all of its product listings for 120 are 5-packs.

 

[benjiboy]

Life's a bitch then you die.

 

[AgX]

How can they cancel it if they even have not listed [b&w Art Emulsion] before? I mean I cannot even find this product at their site, did not even know its existence.

I am to blame!

It IS listed. Only so far down the list that it slipped my attention (or memory...)

 

[StoneNYC]

I'd say that's also why it's "still available" in sheet sizes. They've probably made so much of it and keeping it in cold storage that it won't get shipped for a few years yet. I really hope that's not what they're doing with RVP50 though.
Meanwhile, I've just had a look at some of my shots I took with a roll of RVP100F, they're not actually too bad:

Both Bessa L, 21mm Skopar, only UV filter, height of midday summer.

It wasn't a bad film, it just wasn't necessary, and the others are better, so when they introduced it it was kind of like... "Why"..?