Is Fujichrome Effectively Dead Outside of Japan???

3 Columns

A
3 Columns

  • 5
  • 6
  • 94
Couples

A
Couples

  • 4
  • 0
  • 83
Exhibition Card

A
Exhibition Card

  • 6
  • 4
  • 122
Flying Lady

A
Flying Lady

  • 6
  • 2
  • 135

Recent Classifieds

Forum statistics

Threads
199,050
Messages
2,785,402
Members
99,791
Latest member
nsoll
Recent bookmarks
0

Is Fujichrome done for?

  • Yes

    Votes: 6 19.4%
  • No

    Votes: 7 22.6%
  • Unclear

    Votes: 18 58.1%

  • Total voters
    31
OP
OP

mshchem

Subscriber
Joined
Nov 26, 2007
Messages
14,727
Location
Iowa City, Iowa USA
Format
Medium Format
I have 400' of Ektachrome. Most of it in the freezer. So that's what I will be shooting in 35 mm going forward. I have quite a bit of Provia and Velvia in 120. By the time I get through most of this stuff I'll probably be mostly done with E6.

I just don't see slide film being around much longer without a low cost entry to draw in new users.

Kodachrome Gold 😊 😁
 
Joined
Aug 29, 2017
Messages
9,503
Location
New Jersey formerly NYC
Format
Multi Format
I have 400' of Ektachrome. Most of it in the freezer. So that's what I will be shooting in 35 mm going forward. I have quite a bit of Provia and Velvia in 120. By the time I get through most of this stuff I'll probably be mostly done with E6.

I just don't see slide film being around much longer without a low cost entry to draw in new users.

Kodachrome Gold 😊 😁

Wouldn't a new film user starting with cheaper color negative film want to eventually try chromes?
 

DREW WILEY

Member
Joined
Jul 14, 2011
Messages
14,010
Format
8x10 Format
There's nothing cheaper about serious color neg film. The amateur stuff is hardly a temptation to shift to chrome film. But maybe an old fashioned slide show would be a revelation.
 
Joined
Nov 3, 2024
Messages
184
Location
Vic/QLD Australia rota
Format
Multi Format
Photography — and film especially, has never been a cheap hobby, never mind what happens when you turn it into a professional career! Kodachrome 25, 64 and Ektachrome was expensive for the amount of disposable money I had when I first started out in 1977. As study, work and money increased, I was able to keep my various cameras stoked with the film I enjoyed using, but sacrifices were made to make it happen comfortably. Today, a single roll of 120 film here in Australia can cost (all incurred costs taken into account) $60 — yes, sixty. Processing is now $17 to $20 each roll, rising considerably if lab scans or frame proofs are required. I have noticed this year particularly there has been a sharp drop off of users of E6 materials, partly due to perceived difficulty in sourcing the films they want (Fujichrome) but especially the cost of procurement (postage costs are atrocious), additional to incidental transport and processing costs (country users have to travel to the city either by car or train or a mix of these; no labs exist in regional areas). It really is very, very, very expensive now, and I believe without the entry of a low cost/budget player offering a quality E6 emulsion and discounted processing, E6 will be off the cliff within 12 to 18 months. There is not the number of users to sustain that many labs now.
 
OP
OP

mshchem

Subscriber
Joined
Nov 26, 2007
Messages
14,727
Location
Iowa City, Iowa USA
Format
Medium Format
PURCHASE DEVELOP AND MOUNT PLUS POSTAGE 1 ROLL FUJICHROME OR:


20250804_151831.jpg
 

DREW WILEY

Member
Joined
Jul 14, 2011
Messages
14,010
Format
8x10 Format
Come to a West Coast University town. You'll find a huge selection of 35mm and 120 film, plus a basic selection of 4x5 and 8x10 sheet film.
 

armadsen

Subscriber
Joined
Nov 16, 2022
Messages
303
Location
Salt Lake City
Format
Analog
Yeah, I’m not sure Wal Mart is a good barometer. As I’ve mentioned elsewhere, in my mid size city, there are 6 film labs now. Four of those have opened in the last 2 or 3 years. My favorite camera store here, which opened in 2021 (and includes one of those labs), has a walk in fridge full of film and has told me that they sell everything they can get from their distributor.
 

DREW WILEY

Member
Joined
Jul 14, 2011
Messages
14,010
Format
8x10 Format
WalMart is a good barometer only for poverty in an urban context, and reckless suburban sprawl elsewhere.
 
OP
OP

mshchem

Subscriber
Joined
Nov 26, 2007
Messages
14,727
Location
Iowa City, Iowa USA
Format
Medium Format
Yeah, I’m not sure Wal Mart is a good barometer. As I’ve mentioned elsewhere, in my mid size city, there are 6 film labs now. Four of those have opened in the last 2 or 3 years. My favorite camera store here, which opened in 2021 (and includes one of those labs), has a walk in fridge full of film and has told me that they sell everything they can get from their distributor.

We had 3 phenomenal shops here until 2020. Had in-house labs, talent, used and new professional equipment, now gone.

My point is that a roll of 35mm Slide film is $30, processing is mostly mail order or mass transit (if you live in San Francisco money isn't an issue 😊) so processing is expensive.
People with zero experience with slide film should expect difficulties, to say the least.

Thus why Fujifilm doesn't give a rat's hind end about Fujichrome, other than as a film simulation/filter.

The latest Instax is an amazing little digicam that's also a LED printer. It scans beautiful medium/large format prints that develop themselves. Voila!

I noticed that even the Instax Wide film is $19.95 for 2 10 shot packs. At retail!
 

armadsen

Subscriber
Joined
Nov 16, 2022
Messages
303
Location
Salt Lake City
Format
Analog
I don’t disagree with your ultimate conclusion. My perspective is skewed by the fact that of the six labs I mentioned, I believe three do E-6 in house. I know two do, the third I haven’t used, and the other three send it out. There’s a lab walking distance from my house that does E-6 for $8 / roll, or $5 / sheet. I get it back same day if I drop it off early enough, next day otherwise. To me, E-6 is no more difficult than C-41, other than the film itself being so expensive now.
 
OP
OP

mshchem

Subscriber
Joined
Nov 26, 2007
Messages
14,727
Location
Iowa City, Iowa USA
Format
Medium Format
WalMart is a good barometer only for poverty in an urban context, and reckless suburban sprawl elsewhere.

I don't like salt in anything. Walmart offers salt free everything same price as ordinary. I wouldn't buy meat or veggies at Walmart but I buy other things.

TODAY'S HAUL, NA BEER AND MOBIL 1, BEERS ARE FOR ME, OIL FOR THE SUBARU 😊

20250804_153333.jpg
 
OP
OP

mshchem

Subscriber
Joined
Nov 26, 2007
Messages
14,727
Location
Iowa City, Iowa USA
Format
Medium Format
I don’t disagree with your ultimate conclusion. My perspective is skewed by the fact that of the six labs I mentioned, I believe three do E-6 in house. I know two do, the third I haven’t used, and the other three send it out. There’s a lab walking distance from my house that does E-6 for $8 / roll, or $5 / sheet. I get it back same day if I drop it off early enough, next day otherwise. To me, E-6 is no more difficult than C-41, other than the film itself being so expensive now.

Sure, I love Salt Lake City, (if this is where you speak) been about 15 years since my last visit, big time civilization!!! Light rail, beautiful!!!
I remember visiting a small little photo shop that had been around forever.

8 bucks is awesome. Maybe this would be a great time to let us all know about these people???

Sheet film processing, is this dip and dunk, Jobo reels?

Salt Lake City, now one more reason to re-visit, wife has a cousin in Provo, I'm sure they'd be overjoyed to see us backing up the Winnebago into their driveway 😁😊🥰

I keep threatening to pull up in Vancouver at @MattKing 's place. Salt Lake is practically next door to Vancouver!
 

MattKing

Moderator
Moderator
Joined
Apr 24, 2005
Messages
53,152
Location
Delta, BC Canada
Format
Medium Format
I keep threatening to pull up in Vancouver at @MattKing 's place. Salt Lake is practically next door to Vancouver!

If you think they are practically next door, I won't be expecting you any time soon. :smile:
Of course, my wife is really not expecting you any time soon!
 
Joined
Apr 25, 2017
Messages
35
Location
Earth
Format
Multi Format
NO 35MM FILM , A UNIVERSITY TOWN. THUS THE NEAR FUTURE OF ANALOG???

Take another look, there's 35mm film there... It's just in the disposable QuickSnaps, which while loaded with Kodak film at the moment, shows Fuji isn't entirely out there killing traditional film.
I've noted that Fuji's been running marketing for the QS cameras recently, aimed at young adults who probably grew up in the early digicam era.

On that note, I found it curious that the first film you see on Fuji's Instax NL website is Acros II and the Kodafujicolors, before any Instax film (QuickSnaps are in the camera section at the end):

Screenshot_20250805_091419.png
 

armadsen

Subscriber
Joined
Nov 16, 2022
Messages
303
Location
Salt Lake City
Format
Analog
Sure, I love Salt Lake City, (if this is where you speak) been about 15 years since my last visit, big time civilization!!! Light rail, beautiful!!!
I remember visiting a small little photo shop that had been around forever.

8 bucks is awesome. Maybe this would be a great time to let us all know about these people???

Sheet film processing, is this dip and dunk, Jobo reels?

Salt Lake City, now one more reason to re-visit, wife has a cousin in Provo, I'm sure they'd be overjoyed to see us backing up the Winnebago into their driveway 😁😊🥰

I keep threatening to pull up in Vancouver at @MattKing 's place. Salt Lake is practically next door to Vancouver!

Here they are:

- Nichols Photo Lab - C-41 & E6 are dip and dunk, B&W is by hand. They also have a small selection of film, but only Kodak. I do my own B&W, but take all my color film here.

- Essential Photo Supply - Wonderful people that own this camera store and lab. They sell both new and used gear, and have the best selection of film in the city. Used gear selection tends toward the high end (Leica, Hasselblad, Rollei, etc.) but they also have some more affordable stuff. Their lab does C-41 and E6 with roller processor machines. Not sure how they do B&W. They also sell chemicals, paper, etc.

- Acme Camera Co. - Focused on used film cameras. They’ve also recently started selling some vintage HiFi gear. I bought my Rollei SL66 and Nikon S2 from them. They have a lab doing C-41 and B&W. They send E6 to Nichols.

- Pictureline - No used gear, but the best selection of new gear and a decent stock of film and darkroom supplies.

- Allen’s Camera - Locations in Salt Lake and Provo. New and used gear, film, darkroom chems, and a lab. C-41 for $6 / roll. They send E6 out, presumably to Nichols. Super nice people. I bought my very nice Leica IIIg from them.

- Film Cult Lab - Never used them, but the guy that runs it is a nice guy and comes to our photo walks.

- The FiND Lab - Lab and community space/store in Provo with a newly opened lab location in Salt Lake. They do a lot of mail order processing business. C-41 and B&W in house, and I think E6 as well. I’ve never used them, but they have a great reputation. I did buy a very nice Nikon S3 2000 set from them.

There are also two public darkrooms here: Photo Collective Studios (B&W only) and The Red Room (B&W and RA-4).
 

loccdor

Subscriber
Joined
Jan 12, 2024
Messages
1,556
Location
USA
Format
Multi Format
Beer on a no salt diet? You need a way of getting your electrolytes back.

My father's Appalachian town doesn't have any source of 35mm film closer than an hour and a half drive.
 

benjiboy

Subscriber
Joined
Apr 18, 2005
Messages
11,972
Location
U.K.
Format
35mm
All E6 films have disappeared as far as I'm concerned, and are not coming back because being retired they are so expensive I can no longer afford them.
 
OP
OP

mshchem

Subscriber
Joined
Nov 26, 2007
Messages
14,727
Location
Iowa City, Iowa USA
Format
Medium Format
I like the juxtaposition of the Mobil oil and the ebike.

Ebike is the electric vehicle of the future in Iowa. Summers are so humid automobiles spend much of their energy on dehumidification and cooling of the cabin, Winter is difficult for battery powered vehicles, I can (in theory) bring my battery Inside. 😁
 
OP
OP

mshchem

Subscriber
Joined
Nov 26, 2007
Messages
14,727
Location
Iowa City, Iowa USA
Format
Medium Format
Here they are:

- Nichols Photo Lab - C-41 & E6 are dip and dunk, B&W is by hand. They also have a small selection of film, but only Kodak. I do my own B&W, but take all my color film here.

- Essential Photo Supply - Wonderful people that own this camera store and lab. They sell both new and used gear, and have the best selection of film in the city. Used gear selection tends toward the high end (Leica, Hasselblad, Rollei, etc.) but they also have some more affordable stuff. Their lab does C-41 and E6 with roller processor machines. Not sure how they do B&W. They also sell chemicals, paper, etc.

- Acme Camera Co. - Focused on used film cameras. They’ve also recently started selling some vintage HiFi gear. I bought my Rollei SL66 and Nikon S2 from them. They have a lab doing C-41 and B&W. They send E6 to Nichols.

- Pictureline - No used gear, but the best selection of new gear and a decent stock of film and darkroom supplies.

- Allen’s Camera - Locations in Salt Lake and Provo. New and used gear, film, darkroom chems, and a lab. C-41 for $6 / roll. They send E6 out, presumably to Nichols. Super nice people. I bought my very nice Leica IIIg from them.

- Film Cult Lab - Never used them, but the guy that runs it is a nice guy and comes to our photo walks.

- The FiND Lab - Lab and community space/store in Provo with a newly opened lab location in Salt Lake. They do a lot of mail order processing business. C-41 and B&W in house, and I think E6 as well. I’ve never used them, but they have a great reputation. I did buy a very nice Nikon S3 2000 set from them.

There are also two public darkrooms here: Photo Collective Studios (B&W only) and The Red Room (B&W and RA-4).

This is amazing. Says something about prosperity as well. The lack of a camera shop in Iowa City is strange, there's a market.
 
Joined
Aug 29, 2017
Messages
9,503
Location
New Jersey formerly NYC
Format
Multi Format
Photrio.com contains affiliate links to products. We may receive a commission for purchases made through these links.
To read our full affiliate disclosure statement please click Here.

PHOTRIO PARTNERS EQUALLY FUNDING OUR COMMUNITY:



Ilford ADOX Freestyle Photographic Stearman Press Weldon Color Lab Blue Moon Camera & Machine
Top Bottom