ILFORD Customers in North America : Note From HARMAN technology Limited

So retailers like BHPhotovideo or Adorama should reduce the price?

shutterboy said:

So retailers like BHPhotovideo or Adorama should reduce the price?

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I have a feeling it will take some time for them to react, unless they view it as an opportunity to increase their margins.

When wanting to equalise the prices of two products, there's not many companies in the world who would drop the price of the more expensive one, most would just take the easy way out and raise the cheaper one.

Is there some kind of popular-voted customer-service award that we can give these guys?
(anything for more publicity for film in general)

Is there a way to directly buy factory loads from Ilford in US? I somehow feel that it is very wrong for retailers to sell films at different prices. For example, BHPhotovideo and Adorama are most of the times selling at same prices while Freestyle is always costlier.

Right now at B&H I see:

HP5 36 exp. - $4.75
FP4 36 exp. - $5.99

shutterboy said:

Is there a way to directly buy factory loads from Ilford in US? I somehow feel that it is very wrong for retailers to sell films at different prices. For example, BHPhotovideo and Adorama are most of the times selling at same prices while Freestyle is always costlier.

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Think of the concept of what it means to be in a free country.

Sooo... I JUST switched from FP4+ to Delta100.... (In sheet film) Want to reduce the price of that too? Hehe

This is unprecedented in the film world! Especially when everyone else is increasing prices (some by double!!).

Go ilford!!

Dr Croubie said:

When wanting to equalise the prices of two products, there's not many companies in the world who would drop the price of the more expensive one, most would just take the easy way out and raise the cheaper one.

Is there some kind of popular-voted customer-service award that we can give these guys?
(anything for more publicity for film in general)

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Yes, there is. Buy their film. Shower them with your patronage. Show them that the marketplace rewards this type of behavior. May not provide much publicity, but I can pretty much guarantee that (collectively) it's the most meaningful award they can receive.

bluemooze said:

Right now at B&H I see:
HP5 36 exp. - $4.75
FP4 36 exp. - $5.99

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Are these prices with VAT included or excluded?

In Europe from macodirect.de (19% VAT included):

Ilford FP4 135-36 = € 4.95 (= $ 6.19) (same price for Hp5+)
Ilford FP4 120 = € 4.40 (= $ 5.50) (same price for Hp5+)

Ilford FP4 sheet film 10,2x12,7cm (4x5")/25 sheets = € 38.99 (= $ 48.74)
llford HP5 sheet film 10,2x12,7cm (4x5")/25 sheets = € 36.00 (= $ 45.00)

fotch said:

Think of the concept of what it means to be in a free country.

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Exactly. If everybody sells the product for the same price at retail, it would constitute price fixing, collusion, violate anti-trust laws, (or maybe worse things), et cetera. But Ilford can charge what they like for the product wholesale, and those of us buying the retail product should support the seller with the best price and service. Free market and all that.

Anyway this is great news, but I think I'll probably keep right on bulk-loading my own. FP4+ is great stuff either way.

StoneNYC said:

Sooo... I JUST switched from FP4+ to Delta100.... (In sheet film) Want to reduce the price of that too? Hehe

This is unprecedented in the film world! Especially when everyone else is increasing prices (some by double!!).

Go ilford!!

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While not wishing to rain on your parade and exuberance I would point out that what Ilford has done is simply to align prices of FP4+ and HP5+ . to reflect the alignment that by and large exists in Europe including the U.K.

Having seen the film making process at Mobberley I'd be amazed if any kind of price difference is justified between FP4+ and HP5+. It looks to me that if the costs of production between the two vary hardly at all then Ilford has astutely realised that an alignment makes sense and to its credit has taken action.It would appear that a similar argument has governed its decision on MGIV and CT paper - at least for N America.

pentaxuser

pentaxuser said:

While not wishing to rain on your parade and exuberance I would point out that what Ilford has done is simply to align prices of FP4+ and HP5+ . to reflect the alignment that by and large exists in Europe including the U.K.

Having seen the film making process at Mobberley I'd be amazed if any kind of price difference is justified between FP4+ and HP5+. It looks to me that if the costs of production between the two vary hardly at all then Ilford has astutely realised that an alignment makes sense and to its credit has taken action.It would appear that a similar argument has governed its decision on MGIV and CT paper - at least for N America.

pentaxuser

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Yes but most companies would have brought UP the price to the higher item... Not lowered...

TheToadMen said:

Are these prices with VAT included or excluded?

In Europe from macodirect.de (19% VAT included):

Ilford FP4 135-36 = € 4.95 (= $ 6.19) (same price for Hp5+)
Ilford FP4 120 = € 4.40 (= $ 5.50) (same price for Hp5+)

Ilford FP4 sheet film 10,2x12,7cm (4x5")/25 sheets = € 38.99 (= $ 48.74)
llford HP5 sheet film 10,2x12,7cm (4x5")/25 sheets = € 36.00 (= $ 45.00)

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We don't have VAT here

StoneNYC said:

We don't have VAT here

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No other kind of taxes on buying film?

TheToadMen said:

No other kind of taxes on buying film?

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There is sale tax, in some states with *some* retailers. On the other hand, if your film is available on Amazon Prime, you don't even need to pay shipping. Unfortunately, FP4+ is not available with Prime

TheToadMen said:

No other kind of taxes on buying film?

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Nope, not specific to film, there is a STATE sales tax, but this has a tricky work around (which they are trying to fix or have fixed by now, not sure). Essentially, if you buy a product, and are in that state when buying, you pay the state sales tax (4%-10% depending on the state) however if you buy a product out of state, some retailers used to not charge a sales tax since it's been shipped to another state, so sometimes you used to be able to call a store in a different state, have it shipped, and pay no sales tax... (Technically speaking, I believe you were supposed to then calculate the amount of money it would have cost you for the state that you reside in, and report that purchase, and pay the sales tax to the state that you were purchasing from, however no one actually does that, and it's too complicated to track people that way so the IRS (internal revenue service.... "The government") just doesn't bother, and some states have NO sales tax (like New Hampshire) so if you are buying something very expensive, like a computer, or a car, often times it is wise to have the item shipped to New Hampshire and pay no sales tax and then have that shipped to you, OR go on vacation in that state and purchase the item there, it's a beautiful state so it's a nice vacation and an excuse to save on buying a car, or in my case a $3,000 Apple computer, and pay no sales tax!

But there's absolutely no charge for shipping, there's no kind of shipping tax for anything like that.

And some states have individual sales tax depending on what area of the state you are living in, for example I believe New York City where B&H Photo is located has a different sales tax percentage then upstate New York in Rochester where Kodak film is made, I could be wrong about this but I believe that I am correct. I couldn't tell you what the Rochester SalesTax is, but I'm pretty sure that New York City sales tax is about 9%, or perhaps 9.5%

I live in Connecticut, and our sales tax is 6%

These sales taxes go to all sorts of various things, including supporting the infrastructure like building new highways and roads, and maintaining bridges and repaving state roads etc., it also pays government salaries, and other things like that municipal arrangements like garbage pick up and also to the other things, it obviously gets more complicated than that, there is also an ownership tax for owning a car that you pay that also would go to things like local roads etc., and you pay a property tax if you own a home and that also goes toward the money for garbage pickup and other municipal things, this varies greatly depending on where you live, some people have to pay for their own garbage pick up privately while others it is covered under the tax so it varies greatly.

But the thing is there is no shipping tax!

Great news! I haven't bought FP4 in 135 in a while! I used to buy the 3 packs a few at a time when Adorama had them for $12... Sadly those are no longer a thing.

I don't think film pries have EVER been lowered in recent times! Time to load up the MX with some FP4 again =)

I am predicting some cooltone in my future. Alwasy perfered the look but I was hard to justify the higher price.

I note B&H is closing for holidays, I would expect that they will adjust their prices when they reopen in a couple of weeks. (Yes Simon, Canadian users often buy product from the USA, due to a lack of competitive mail order suppliers.

StoneNYC said:

.........it's a beautiful state so it's a nice vacation and an excuse to save on buying a car, ................. and pay no sales tax!...

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I don't think so. I know in my area, and probably every state, when you register your newly purchased auto, if that state has a sales tax, you then pay the tax or no license plates or registration. I would be surprised if it different in any other states.

Fotch, you are correct on this. The only way to avoid sales tax on a new car is if it were a gift, even then you pay something for it.

fotch said:

I don't think so. I know in my area, and probably every state, when you register your newly purchased auto, if that state has a sales tax, you then pay the tax or no license plates or registration. I would be surprised if it different in any other states.

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OH, Fair point, I forgot that... well you don't have to register your laptop so at least some items you can save on...

Dear Pentax User,

As promised I have spoken to the UK sales director, re COOLTONE, He has promised me an answer in the next week or so as he has to run some numbers.

Simon ILFORD Photo / HARMAN technology Limited.

OK Thanks Simon.

pentaxuser

ROL said:

I could be happy shooting only FP4+ for the rest of my life.

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Amen to that!

Any chance of following suit in bringing FP4+ down to match pricing of HP5+ for 120, too?

I love FP4+, and would never shoot another film again if the 120 prices were dropped, too! When I have to duck into a camera shop instead of buying online, I frequently end up with HP5+ or Acros to get more film for the $$$.