Fujifilm further expansion of instax production

[gbroadbridge]

35mm color film. It ain't great but its something. Kodak is a non-starter.

That Fuji branded film is Kodak film.

 

[Alan Edward Klein]

Fuji is pushing its ability to replicate different film stock looks in its digital cameras, both still and video. Maybe their theory is why bother with their film at all except for Instax, throwaway film cameras, etc. ? Hence, production of Velvia, Provia, etc are not up to apparent demand nor will they be, even being eliminated at some point.

 

[Alan Edward Klein]

Meaning that Consumer Imaging yearly revenue is about $600 million and confirming Fujifilm is the biggest player in the film business according to revenue, it is bigger than the remaining players all together (Kodak Advance Materials & Chemicals $270 million and Harman Tech. $40 million, for example).

Where are you getting the $600 million? Page 61 says imaging total for 2024 is ¥542.0 billion or US$3.4 billion dollars which includes film, Instax, cameras, lenses, etc. How much is photo film isn't clear.

 

[Pioneer]

That Fuji branded film is Kodak film.

Sorry. Call it what you like but if Kodak wants me to call it Kodak they better sell it with their own brand on it. Not Fuji's. If the car says "Ford" on it nobody is calling it a Dodge.

 

[armadsen]

I remember reading a few years ago that measured by number of cameras sold per year, Instax is bigger than the entire digital camera market across all manufacturers. Of course revenue is a different story (Instax cameras are pretty cheap), but it’s still remarkable.

 

[Agulliver]

Sorry. Call it what you like but if Kodak wants me to call it Kodak they better sell it with their own brand on it. Not Fuji's. If the car says "Ford" on it nobody is calling it a Dodge.

Because that car wasn't made by GM workers in a GM factory.

THe Fuji branded colour negative film currently in circulation in the West was manufactured by Kodak.

Additionally, the notion that Instax is some flash in the pan or fad has long been proven incorrect. It's been popular, especially among youngsters, for at least 15 years. Which means two generations of teenagers have taken it up, and in increasing numbers. Of course there are older people using Instax too, but it's mostly the young folk. And of course there are used Instax cameras available....people are actually buying the newer ones and then selling or donating older models.

Indeed it may even be Instax that keeps Fuji in the analogue photo business at all.

 

[koraks]

Sorry. Call it what you like but if Kodak wants me to call it Kodak they better sell it with their own brand on it. Not Fuji's. If the car says "Ford" on it nobody is calling it a Dodge.

It's a Kodak film made by Kodak to Kodak's specifications using Kodak's technology and workforce, relying on Kodak QA; it's confectioned/finished by Kodak in Kodak's Rochester NY plant. The only thing "Fuji" about it is the distribution and the artwork on the box/cassette. It's just not a Fuji product.

 

[halfaman]

Where are you getting the $600 million? Page 61 says imaging total for 2024 is ¥542.0 billion or US$3.4 billion dollars which includes film, Instax, cameras, lenses, etc. How much is photo film isn't clear.

I don't know how I did my calcularon but it is clearly wrong. Sorry.

Consumer Imaging division is 61% of the revenue and it includes Instax (cameras and film), other films and film disposable cameras, any photographic paper (RA-4, inkjet or thernal), photochemicals (RA-4/FA, C-41/CN16, E-6), printer devices (thermal, inkjet) and printing services (photobooks). So taking out the sales of printing services and inkjet or thermal papers and printers (which I did't know they exist), the remaining is "film-centric" for me. Perhaps because I optically enlarge in Fuji papers and use a lot of their color photochemicals (C-41 and RA-4).

 

[koraks]

printing services and inkjet or thermal papers and printers

And print heads and it's quite conceivable that pigment dispersions are also in there, and God knows what else. It's easy to overlook how diversified even this single BU is. Keep in mind that the "detailed" report is also carefully crafted in such a way as to keep this somewhat vague. Add to this Fuji's somewhat odd internal business structure and it's very difficult to make sense of it from the outside - and sometimes even from the inside.

 

[Pioneer]

It's a Kodak film made by Kodak to Kodak's specifications using Kodak's technology and workforce, relying on Kodak QA; it's confectioned/finished by Kodak in Kodak's Rochester NY plant. The only thing "Fuji" about it is the distribution and the artwork on the box/cassette. It's just not a Fuji product.

Call it what you want, but take that 3-pack of film sold by Walmart, CVS or whoever, and walk down the street in YOUR town and ask everyone you run into who makes that film?

There is nothing on that package that identifies Kodak as the manufacturer except maybe a proprietary portion of the DX code on the film itself that no one of us can read anyway until it is developed. As far as I and anyone else are concerned, it is a Fuji product.

That is obviously what they want you to think. Since Kodak is perfectly happy with this arrangement then who am I to complain?

 

[koraks]

take that 3-pack of film sold by Walmart, CVS or whoever, and walk down the street in YOUR town and ask everyone you run into who makes that film?

Why would I want to do that? If I ask people who are ignorant on something a question, I get an ignorant answer. It's a waste of everyone's time.

Since Kodak is perfectly happy with this arrangement then who am I to complain?

You mentioned that "Kodak is a non-starter". It's what you're using. You evidently weren't aware, you are now. It's a "starter" for you, congratulations. Now let's leave the people who walk down the street alone.

 

[fdonadio]

That Fuji branded film is Kodak film.

Wait… even Velvia and Provia?

 

[brbo]

No, Fujifilm 200 and 400 (C-41) are produced by Kodak.

 

[brian steinberger]

There is nothing on that package that identifies Kodak as the manufacturer except maybe a proprietary portion of the DX code on the film itself that no one of us can read anyway until it is developed.

Im pretty sure on the back of the “Fuji” film boxes and one-time use cameras it says “Made in USA”. That should be all the clues you need.

 

[fdonadio]

No, Fujifilm 200 and 400 (C-41) are produced by Kodak.

Oh, I see… thanks for the info.

 

[Daybreak135]

Fujifilm has announced a 32m usd investment in instax production at ashigara plant to increase production by 10%, to be operational by autumn 26. Previous investment announced in 2023 expanded production by 20%.

https://www.fujifilm.com/jp/en/news/hq/13167

Maybe at some point I’ll actually shoot some instax but for some reason I’ve never actually tried it. I would want to shoot it adapted to some medium or large format camera instead of instax branded cameras…

 

[Alan Edward Klein]

And print heads and it's quite conceivable that pigment dispersions are also in there, and God knows what else. It's easy to overlook how diversified even this single BU is. Keep in mind that the "detailed" report is also carefully crafted in such a way as to keep this somewhat vague. Add to this Fuji's somewhat odd internal business structure and it's very difficult to make sense of it from the outside - and sometimes even from the inside.

They keep it vague to prevent competitors from knowing what's going on with their sales in specific categories, such as let's say photo film. Backtracking, competitors might be able to figure out markups and profit margins from prices so they can price their film better. Does Macys tell Nordstrom?

 

[Alan Edward Klein]

Call it what you want, but take that 3-pack of film sold by Walmart, CVS or whoever, and walk down the street in YOUR town and ask everyone you run into who makes that film?

There is nothing on that package that identifies Kodak as the manufacturer except maybe a proprietary portion of the DX code on the film itself that no one of us can read anyway until it is developed. As far as I and anyone else are concerned, it is a Fuji product.

That is obviously what they want you to think. Since Kodak is perfectly happy with this arrangement then who am I to complain?

Maybe we can convince Kodak to make Fuji Velvia 50 in 4x5 format?

 

[Arthurwg]

How is it different from Polaroids in the 1970s and 80s??

Nowhere near as good.

But I also enjoy the NONS back for the Hasselblad. Lots of fun.

 

[fdonadio]

I just bought the NONS Instax back for my 500 c/m, and it's so very cool.

But I also enjoy the NONS back for the Hasselblad. Lots of fun.

Thanks for the heads up, guys! Just did a google search and this back looks really nice, well made and the price is good enough. It’s in my “wish list” now!