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Ilford's ULF sale

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Deleted member 88956

I'm gonna start this thread so perhaps it will help line things up. At the same time I am just an interested party.

My understanding is that Ilford makes ULF announcement on their site only. But frankly, I have never participated, and in fact only recently found out about it.

Do they have a cut off date for potential participants or how does this work? Are purchases limited for each type of material offered?

One of films I'd be after is 46mm for 127 format, but who knows, maybe other stuff too.
 
If you search the internet you will usually find information that has been posted regarding the ULF program from previous years. You may or may not have seen any of them but they could help answer your quesions. Here is an example from the Ultrafine Extreme web site.

https://www.ultrafineonline.com/il20ullafouf.html
 
Apparently they delayed the deadline this year because of COVID. Usually, orders are taken until a date in April or May, then delivered in the autumn. I've always bought through one of the listed dealers--I don't know if you can order directly from Ilford for the ULF sale. I did find that Ultrafine (the dealer I usually use) sometimes orders extra quantities and has it for sale after the deadline. I have bought a couple of rolls of 46mm HP5 this way in past years, so if you missed this year's deadline it might be worth your while to contact some of the dealers to see if they have extra stock.
 
Tel said:
Here's the info. Scroll down and click on "item list and participating resellers"
https://www.ilfordphoto.com/ulf2020/
Click to expand...

How did you find it? I strolled long time through their website, but did not find it. Finally I used their search engine and there found a link to an ULF 2020 page. Though that page is different from that you linked to.
 
AgX said:
How did you find it? I strolled long time through their website, but did not find it. Finally I used their search engine and there found a link to an ULF 2020 page. Though that page is different from that you linked to.
Click to expand...
Looks like I'm not the only one who finds Ilford's ULF sale a bit of a close kept secret. I'm not sure if that is because they do not want much of a drum rolls along with it, is it a pain to fulfill so the fewer the better, they sell at a loss just as a "philanthropic" exercise to analog community or what?
 
AgX said:
How did you find it? I strolled long time through their website, but did not find it. Finally I used their search engine and there found a link to an ULF 2020 page. Though that page is different from that you linked to.
Click to expand...
As I recall, I just searched "Ilford ULF". Duckduckgo, not google--maybe that made the difference. I don't think I've ever found a link from their website!
 
Last edited:
Witold said:
Looks like I'm not the only one who finds Ilford's ULF sale a bit of a close kept secret. I'm not sure if that is because they do not want much of a drum rolls along with it, is it a pain to fulfill so the fewer the better, they sell at a loss just as a "philanthropic" exercise to analog community or what?
Click to expand...
You're right--they seem to want to make it a secret. It doesn't seem logical: advertising it better would only make the thing more profitable; the demand is there!
 
Tel said:
You're right--they seem to want to make it a secret. It doesn't seem logical: advertising it better would only make the thing more profitable; the demand is there!
Click to expand...
I was hoping to find a banner at their web page with countdown timer to next ULF Sale, so can't miss it. Something is up with it and they don't seem interested in volume, just few happy faces is enough. I guess scaling production to fit pre-ordered quantity is not on their agenda.
 
If someone is complaining that film is expensive, just take a look at this. This hurts me inside.

Näyttökuva 2020-10-7 kello 18.43.45.png
 
We're not discussing price increases, just ULF Sale event that remains somewhat of a secret.
 
vedostuu said:
If someone is complaining that film is expensive, just take a look at this. This hurts me inside.

View attachment 256479
Click to expand...

yes but then again it’s probably a bargain to who really wants to shoot 20x24 film. The negative (and print) must be absolutely spectacular.

No poor man plays with a 20x24 camera... you need the truck, the camera, the holders, the darkroom, the 20x24 papers, the luxury of affording the time... at that level it’s clearly a rich man’s game.
 
Check my math, but I think the ratio of 20x24 to 8x10 is 6:1. I can buy 25 sheets of HP5 in 8x10 for $150US, or about 100 quid UK. Ish. So an equivalent surface area in 8x10 would only set me back 600 pounds. Maybe they need extra-thick backing plastic or maybe the 20x24 sheets are individually hand-cut?

Edit: To get us back on the original topic, I'm happy with whatever they do as long as they continue to make HP5 in 46mm rolls!
 
vedostuu said:
If someone is complaining that film is expensive, just take a look at this. This hurts me inside.

View attachment 256479
Click to expand...
It's cheaper than 4x5, converting to price per square inch.

UPDATE It's actually the other way around, but not by much. And that is only comparing prices from one source. In other words they are quit close. Going to back to the days when 220 rolls were more expensive than 2 x 120 rolls, it's no surprise anyways.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
vedostuu said:
If someone is complaining that film is expensive, just take a look at this. This hurts me inside.

View attachment 256479
Click to expand...

There’s no banner because the order period for the 2020 ULF campaign has ended. Normally Ilford announces the the campaign in the spring with an order period of about a month. This year the announcement was delayed because the factory was shut down due to Covid. Keep an eye out on Ilford’s site, here on Photrio, and on the Large Format Photography Forum. Should be pretty hard to miss.

Roger
 
So the page is still there, but the link has been taken off... Still strange because then one must constantly look out for it to show up, and anyone ignorant of that offer will not learn about at all it unless accidentally visiting their site at the right time.
 
Roger Thoms said:
There’s no banner because the order period for the 2020 ULF campaign has ended. Normally Ilford announces the the campaign in the spring with an order period of about a month. This year the announcement was delayed because the factory was shut down due to Covid. Keep an eye out on Ilford’s site, here on Photrio, and on the Large Format Photography Forum. Should be pretty hard to miss.

Roger
Click to expand...
Thanks for the tips.

My points was though that it appears Ilford knowingly does not fully advertise it. As for the banner, once one sale is off, next is being planned, so it seems. If they really saw this as a profit making opportunity, why wouldn't they run a banner on front page as soon as they come up with cut off date for ordering? Especially since the ordering is not all that simple, this is middle man and likely another middle man to get the interest in and confirmed BEFORE production can be set up for it. In fact, the next date could be set up as soon as last one is closed for orders.

I'm not sure what kind of volume Ilford is pushing out to cover these annual ULF sales, perhaps it is indeed about being nice, show commitment, yet a pain to follow through on it. Otherwise I see no reason ordering process couldn't and shouldn't be improved.

Also, while I have not contacted the listed participant here in Poland, they are actual sole distributor of Ilford products for the whole country. I doubt they take orders direct from individuals, but I don't know that yet. Nothing on their site to see even a bleep of information, and it is a recurring event.
 
I understand why there isn't a continuing link, because the products offered vary from year to year, the list of participating retailers varies from year to year, and, at least this year, the ordering window moves around on the calendar.
The Ilford website is now much more oriented to the newish consumer than the long term consumer who buys highly specialized, infrequently offered products. Most of those consumers maintain a relationship with the retailers who tend to participate every year.
 
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