Fujifilm Price Increased Announced: April 2014

[Vonder]

Everything new is just awful , isn't it?

Attacking your straw man, oh sure, I'd love to have my 1975 Mercury Montego back. Love that great gas mileage and reliability and all. New tech isn't bad but it can certainly be used in a way that diminishes the individual. When you can't walk from the parking lot to the office without needing to check your phone messages.... hope you don't get run over, 'cause you sure ain't watching where you're going.

 

[benjiboy]

Here we go again.

http://www.fujifilm.com/news/n131220.html

So what else is new ?

 

[markbarendt]

Attacking your straw man, oh sure, I'd love to have my 1975 Mercury Montego back. Love that great gas mileage and reliability and all. New tech isn't bad but it can certainly be used in a way that diminishes the individual. When you can't walk from the parking lot to the office without needing to check your phone messages.... hope you don't get run over, 'cause you sure ain't watching where you're going.

Oh, now that takes me back, how I long for the fuel economy, ride, cornering, build quality, and mechanical reliability of mid-70's autos and trucks.

I jumped into the Apple ecosystem a few years back, my employer even got our group iPhones to make payroll easier and save us lots of driving, they paid for themselves and the customization of an App in two weeks. That initiative partly came because I was using my personal iPad 2 to do it already. Last month they got us new ruggedized Windows laptops. They are taking our iPhones away and giving us Motorola Rugby's. I know the dates don't match but OMG it sure feels like I've gone back in time and they have told me I need to work in multi-user CPM and use a princess phone; I'm waiting for them to hand me a floppy disk next.

 

[PKM-25]

Ken, your post is excellent and spot-on. I work for a large tech company, and daily I see a stream of mindless kids wandering into the building, eyes glued to their phone, mostly oblivious of the real world around them. Today's youth don't *see* anything for themselves.

In Kurt Vonnegut's novel Galapagos, he points out that humans laugh when another person farts. When humanity devolves into another, less intelligent species, they still laugh at farts. I'm convinced we're devolving in lots of ways and this smartphone obsession is just another step along that path.

It's all about balance...

I find that more and more people are over it, the whole tech thing and even a fair share of young people are being intrepid enough in their thinking to want to get away from some of it....and use film.

 

[PKM-25]

Oh, now that takes me back, how I long for the fuel economy, ride, cornering, build quality, and mechanical reliability of mid-70's autos and trucks.

I jumped into the Apple ecosystem a few years back, my employer even got our group iPhones to make payroll easier and save us lots of driving, they paid for themselves and the customization of an App in two weeks. That initiative partly came because I was using my personal iPad 2 to do it already. Last month they got us new ruggedized Windows laptops. They are taking our iPhones away and giving us Motorola Rugby's. I know the dates don't match but OMG it sure feels like I've gone back in time and they have told me I need to work in multi-user CPM and use a princess phone; I'm waiting for them to hand me a floppy disk next.

I probably have more computer horsepower than most on this site used for my work as a photographer, but this last round of Apple updates, as splendid as they are, they are my last. I simply am getting away from the digital world and my favorite part of the new hardware is that it is so fast, I spend a fraction of my usual time on it....and get more of my life back...

 

[Regular Rod]

There is one good thing that comes out of these ever increasing prices...

The care we take in making a photograph increases too!

RR

 

[wy2l]

From the Fuji press release: "The price increases are substantial and it would be an increase of at least double digit..."

I wonder why film consumption is droping.

 

[AgX]

To be fair: sales were going down before prices went up. So it is not a chick-and-egg issue.

 

[Pioneer]

From the Fuji press release: "The price increases are substantial and it would be an increase of at least double digit..."

I wonder why film consumption is droping.

Film consumption will almost certainly continue to drop for quite awhile yet. In some areas that drop will be slower than with others. I suspect that the use of large format film is pretty low already so may not be dropping much at all.

But 35m is almost certainly still dropping at a far faster rate. The drop may be slowing, I don't know, but it is still dropping.

Likewise I suspect that slide film is dropping quicker than C-41 negative film, and C-41 negative film faster than black and white, where things may be starting to level out a little.

But of course, this is all speculation and probably only wishful thinking on my part.

 

[Poisson Du Jour]

Film consumption will almost certainly continue to drop for quite awhile yet. In some areas that drop will be slower than with others. I suspect that the use of large format film is pretty low already so may not be dropping much at all.

But 35m is almost certainly still dropping at a far faster rate. The drop may be slowing, I don't know, but it is still dropping.

Likewise I suspect that slide film is dropping quicker than C-41 negative film, and C-41 negative film faster than black and white, where things may be starting to level out a little.

But of course, this is all speculation and probably only wishful thinking on my part.

Valid points. LF is no doubt favoured for B&W; scant few are using colour because there is nothing much you can do with it other than print. Except for those who project slides and never print from them, 35mm and 120 transparency is now in the realm of specialists who are solely printing from it using the analogue-digital-RIP hybridisation process — and there are quite a few photographers involved in this. My fear is that many amateurs and hobbyists will simply leave film photography altogether instead of migrating to digital because of cost pressures, and there are enough of these in daily life as it is (food, petrol, mortgages, loans, job insecurity...). I am probably 2 years away from a full review of my involvement in analogue because I use both analogue and digital methods, and have for years, so no great loss one way or the other, but the writing is definitely on the wall for the future. Fuji's rattling of the sabres makes it clear we should all be enjoying the offerings of film for the moment and not be looking through rose-coloured glasses into the future.

 

[Regular Rod]

Film consumption will almost certainly continue to drop for quite awhile yet. In some areas that drop will be slower than with others. I suspect that the use of large format film is pretty low already so may not be dropping much at all.

But 35m is almost certainly still dropping at a far faster rate. The drop may be slowing, I don't know, but it is still dropping.

Likewise I suspect that slide film is dropping quicker than C-41 negative film, and C-41 negative film faster than black and white, where things may be starting to level out a little.

But of course, this is all speculation and probably only wishful thinking on my part.

On the recent visit to the ILFORD factory, we were informed that 35mm sales were slowly decreasing but 120 sales were increasing.

That makes sense. Changing from digital to 35mm is hardly worth the improvement and leads to a return to digital but changing from digital to 120 and sheet film sizes is certainly very worthwhile and encourages the photographer to stay with film...

RR

 

[Pioneer]

On the recent visit to the ILFORD factory, we were informed that 35mm sales were slowly decreasing but 120 sales were increasing.

That makes sense. Changing from digital to 35mm is hardly worth the improvement and leads to a return to digital but changing from digital to 120 and sheet film sizes is certainly very worthwhile and encourages the photographer to stay with film...

RR

Remember, Ilford is selling black and white and I suspect that is one of the film types that is dropping in sales the least.

 

[Shootar401]

I have enough 4x5 Provia to last 5 years, but I planned to stock up on 8x10 Chrome soon. This puts a damper on my plans. Damn you Fujifilm!

 

[Shootar401]

Remember, Ilford is selling black and white and I suspect that is one of the film types that is dropping in sales the least.

I have 5 35mm cameras, an Argus C3, and a Nikon F4 plus 3 point n' shoots. They are all gathering dust while my Rolleiflex, and folders get worn out form overuse.

35mm is nice, but I love the 120 format.

 

[RattyMouse]

Remember, Ilford is selling black and white and I suspect that is one of the film types that is dropping in sales the least.

Overall Ilford recently reported that their film sales were UP, not down, so things are doing well in one area, perhaps THE most important area for the future of film.

I see no reason to doubt at all that Ilford is at this moment, the key rock to the survival of our hobby. I wish there were a color film supplier as well run and dedicated to film's survival as Ilford is.

 

[xtolsniffer]

Not unexpected news, it was hardly likely to go down in price. I used to be a quite heavy E6 35mm user, then I got some MF gear, and the quality jump is so high that I hardly use the 35mm for transparency any more. The one use where 35mm is far easier than MF is in macro (and I'm talking over 1:1) but then digital, and I hate to say this, is a lot easier for this. I do feel the writing is on the wall for transparency film, and it's not just a case of the film supply but the economics of labs running E6 lines. Should Velvia go I may consider a shift to black and white only, though I'm exploring Ektar at the moment and am impressed. I shall certainly take more care over each image if the price goes up, but then I'll use less film, and so the circle continues...

 

[Rudeofus]

Kodak reported that pro film sales were 15% up whereas overall film sales were 30% down. If you look at Ilford's portfolio, they are right there where the market grows. Contrary to that, Kodak&Fuji still serve both markets and suffer accordingly.

One thing that I do find funny is Fuji announcing substantial price hikes many months in advance. I have yet to figure out the point of this ....

 

[Old Silver]

Me thinks it is a bit early to do the Chicken Little routine. Film/plate photography was going to be the death of hand portraiture; color photography was going to be the death of black and white; Polaroid/Land photography was going to be the death of film and video was going to be the death of it all. Analog photography will join the ranks of painting as a 'fine art', which is fine by me. Yes, prices will increase, certain films will be discontinued and others take their place, but the fact still remains that there are a lot of film cameras out there that are still in use and still in demand. The sky hasn't fallen yet.

 

[Curt]

I recently flew to Rochester New York for a workshop in carbon transfer at the George Eastman House. Before the workshop I had never seen a carbon printed on glass. I had never printed, contact or enlarged, negatives from glass. It was a kink in my regular thought pattern toward photography in general. Half way through I needed a counselor more than a photography teacher. I mean to tell everyone how deeply ingrained our own ideas of photography are. For me it was an eye opener, I'll skip the details but on the last day part of the last day I selected a glass plate negative from the collection of vintage plates from the 1800's, exposed it on tissue I made, and processed it and transferred it to a sheet of glass. Then Mark Osterman demonstrated how to prepare it as an Orotone. It was at that time I realized I had gone full circle. My Kodak Panatomic X and Kodachrome 25 days are in the past with all of the fine memories. What life is telling me now is accept change or live in a fantasy world that I can't control. No one likes materials they have mastered suddenly taken away. It's well acknowledged by photographers of the past. I even have a quote from Paul Strand at the bottom of the screen. I think we are in great company and not alone in this, even though I believe it is happening at an accelerated rate in our recent time.

 

[Roger Cole]

I wonder if this will affect remaining stock of discontinued films, namely Provia 400X? I would think not but such questions bring out the pessimist in me. I'm still buying a few rolls whenever I order other supplies but the stuff is almost prohibitively expensive already.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[markbarendt]

I recently flew to Rochester New York for a workshop in carbon transfer at the George Eastman House. Before the workshop I had never seen a carbon printed on glass. I had never printed, contact or enlarged, negatives from glass. It was a kink in my regular thought pattern toward photography in general. Half way through I needed a counselor more than a photography teacher. I mean to tell everyone how deeply ingrained our own ideas of photography are. For me it was an eye opener, I'll skip the details but on the last day part of the last day I selected a glass plate negative from the collection of vintage plates from the 1800's, exposed it on tissue I made, and processed it and transferred it to a sheet of glass. Then Mark Osterman demonstrated how to prepare it as an Orotone. It was at that time I realized I had gone full circle. My Kodak Panatomic X and Kodachrome 25 days are in the past with all of the fine memories. What life is telling me now is accept change or live in a fantasy world that I can't control. No one likes materials they have mastered suddenly taken away. It's well acknowledged by photographers of the past. I even have a quote from Paul Strand at the bottom of the screen. I think we are in great company and not alone in this, even though I believe it is happening at an accelerated rate in our recent time.

Good thoughts

 

[Peter Schrager]

yes and everyone said AZO was dead; then Michael Smith brought it back to life...you just gotta believe!
happy holidays everyone!!
peter

 

[Peter Schrager]

it is amazing that there are more Photo Weeks in large cities around the world than ever before. there is a real interest in photography. maybe some of you should go to the month long toronto photo fair or photo new orleans; photo l.a. etc etc.
please do not get stuck behind the groundglass in near-sightedness and think the sky is falling once again
those of us who produce work will continue to do so regardless of the price of inflation or large corps like fuji. they are ONLY interested in making the corporate coffers larger..but we get film and I have enough to do without trying to make that too!!
have an amazing day!
peter

 

[kb3lms]

Ken, I think you were right on the money with your post. The cell phone and tablet ability to capture a thoughtlessly created image for essentially no cost cheapened photography (as in the whole of photography) to the point where it carries no value any longer. When there is a cost to getting something, be it money, effort, time, etc. it carries much more value. If something costs nothing and anyone can do it at any time, who cares? The time and effort and money involved in REAL photography (REAL as in the way is had been for 150 years before this cell phone stuff so, yes, even "high-level" digital - even using photoshop requires some "sweat equity") is what brings the value, appreciation and love of the craft.

To be honest I feel much sorrier for those who have invested their lives in digital. Their world is also starting to change but I am afraid that it will be much harder to keep digital technology alive as a cottage industry than film.

This is so true! You can make a workable film in your basement if you want, but it's a real pain to try and stuff all those little pixels into a sensor!

"film does not exist anymore"

Actually, I think for the general public, it is PICTURES that don't exist anymore. It's a shame - we had nearly 150 years of photographs you could hand to someone to show them or hang on a wall. In 10 years it's just about all gone to the average person without having to jump through hoops.

I find that more and more people are over it, the whole tech thing and even a fair share of young people are being intrepid enough in their thinking to want to get away from some of it....and use film.

I agree. People are getting tired of the constant tech. It's the CB radio of the 2000's. Could ANALOG be the next trend?

 

[kb3lms]

Last month they got us new ruggedized Windows laptops. They are taking our iPhones away and giving us Motorola Rugby's

Every time I have to use a Windows product (Windows 8 included) I feel like I am stepping back years in time. My mac, iphone, ipad and even ubuntu linux machine run rings around anything out of Redmond. Android products aren't much better either.

Our household Windows PC hasn't been booted up in 6 months!