Is Legacy Pro 400 coming back?

[BetterSense]

I was disappointed when I made my monthly Freestyle Photo purchase this time, because I had intended to buy some LegacyPro 400, however, I couldn't find any of it on their website, and it wasn't listed as out of stock either, it just wasn't there. Is LegacyPro 400 gone forever?

 

[tomalophicon]

yes

 

[perkeleellinen]

This was posted on flickr about a week ago:

I saw that Legacy Pro 400 was in low stock on the FS website. I made a query about how much they had and received this back:

"Hi Max

We have approximately 50 rolls left and we will not be getting any more
after they are sold.

Marv Keller
Manager,
Customer Service & Consumer Direct Sales

 

[pentaxuser]

It is said to be Neopan 400 under another name and yet Fuji haven't bothered to sell Neopan 400 in bulk rolls. So how did Neopan 400 get to be Legacy 400 and sold as bulk rolls and individual cassettes?

Digitaltruth is showing the 400 bulk roll as out of stock on its U.K. site but no such showing for Legacy 100 bulk roll nor any indication that the 100 and 400 cassettes are limited stock.

Neopan 400 seems to be part of the Fuji continuing range so if Legacy 400 is continuing in cassette form as rebadged Neopan 400, what has stopped sales of the bulk roll?

pentaxuser

 

[ath]

See this thread on RFF for more information including answers from Freestyle.

 

[pentaxuser]

See this thread on RFF for more information including answers from Freestyle.

Thanks. However this is still essentially a lot of user comments and speculation as you will get on any site. It seems but according to a "site user" only and not the manufacturer that LP only ever existed because it was a way of Fuji selling its "close to end date" stock.

Logically on that basis we can expect to see the end of LP totally. Fuji will continue to sell Acros and Neopan 400 but as own brand only and presumably in cassette only.

Doesn't explain why Fuji doesn't sell both films as own brand bulk rolls. However it does explain why it would seem crazy to sell its own film in competition with a cheaper version of its very same own film.

The economics of business says that competing against yourself is madness.

So bad news. Pay full Fuji price for Acros and Neopan and forget about bulk rolls or switch to a manufacturer who still sells bulk rolls.

I do recall Simon Galley at an Ilford tour saying with conviction that Ilford were determined to be last man standing in B&W and having a confident demeanour while saying it.

Maybe he knew more about the future than the rest of us.

pentaxuser

 

[perkeleellinen]

Fuji used to sell the neopans in bulk and stopped doing so only a few years ago. Admittedly, this is only speculation, but perhaps if LP was short-dated film that Fuji wanted rid of, perhaps they also had some left over stock of bulk cores and such.

 

[RobertV]

Just an update of Fuji films from the Photokina Cologne/Köln.
This is what is available:

In B&W discontinued:
Neopan 1600
Neopan 400 in 120 roll film.

All Sensia line (E6) discontined, Velvia 50/100 (F), Provia 100F and 400X left.

160S and 160C out, replaced by 160NS
800Z out, Reala only in 120.

Well you can see it on the billboard.

L.P. 400 films were short dated Neopan 400 films, dumped for a small price on the USA market.

Fuji Film has re-organized their film line now. This information is valid for Europe, also in the mean time confirmed by Fuji BeNeLux.

Interesting detail:
Foma is working on a small coating test for their T200 film. Hopefully they can resume production soon.
They are able to introduce the R100 B&W slide film on 120 roll film too (Scala type). It will only depends on the worldwide demand.
A possible re-introduction of their T800 maybe now as T1600 film too. This film was discontinued in 2001 due to a very small demand.
A new AZO contact fiber paper: Fomalux 111.

Let's see how things are developing worldwide.

 

[erikg]

Madness it may be, but they do it all the time. Basically they are selling the same stuff at two price points, knowing that some people will never buy the bargain brand and that others will never buy anything but. Hard to say why Fuji doesn't sell Neopan 400 in bulk under the Fuji name. Is that true worldwide? I guess they don't feel there is a market for it at the higher price.

 

[Tom Kershaw]

Robert,

Maco Direct is still showing Fuji Astia 100F. Any word on this film?

Tom

 

[RobertV]

Sorry to tell you: discontinued.

 

[Tom Kershaw]

Sorry to tell you: discontinued.

I had thought it had only been withdrawn from the UK market.

Tom

 

[IloveTLRs]

Fujifilm Japan's website shows that 135 Neopan 1600 in 24 exposure rolls is discontinued. I have no idea about the rest of the world.

> The notice in Japanese is here <

 

[RobertV]

On the BeNeLux website it's already gone. The fact Germany and Holland have the same stock you can count down for Europe.

 

[Christiaan Phleger]

After shooting LP for a few months and enjoying the savings (especially since the B&H price shot up to 4 something a roll/36 exp) I too was bummed to see that the party has ended.
But I was reminded of something very similar about 8-10 years ago. I was doing bulk loading of Neopan 400, and the then B&H price was 34.99/100ft, and Freestyle had short dated special on Fuji labeled bulk rolls for 18.99, basically half price and with the added length of the FUji rolls you could get a full 20 rolls out of one, so that worked out at Less than 1.00 a roll. Sweet! I got a case (20 rolls of 100 ft) right off the bat, then another case, and maybe another 10 before the special ended. Used that film for quite a while, great stuff. Nothing like cheap good film.

Considering that B&H has lowered the price on Neo 400 (2.69) I think that Fuji has totally cleared out the old film and has a new master roll in the film pipeline. I get 75 B&H rolls here any day so I'll be able to check the emulsion numbers, that LP stuff had quite low emulsion numbers, on par with the Fuji numbers from about 2006-7 according to my own references.

My theory is that Fuji unloaded the bulk film the previous time as a Fuji product, but by either FS or Fuji's plan this time around either had Fuji package the old last rolls as a FS product or merely sold the unlabeled bulk rolls to FS and they respooled it (most likely in my mind). Its a great plan, Fuji unloads old product at a decent price to a willing and eager consumer, then when the deal ends, goes on to pay the regular price. I'm am very glad that Fuji's current pricing is closer to what it was before, its not 1.89 like it used to be but its not TMZ prices.

 

[cmacd123]

The 36 exposure rolls were positivly packed by Fuji. The edge markings were consistan with Fuji product and were slightly different on the Bulk Product vs the cassettes. But the "old stock" seems to jive. I bought it a couple of times and got EM 271 and some Em 272 I have twqo bulk rolls in the freezer and the one I used so far came on a "fuji Film" 35mm Eyemo spool. (and seemed to have extra film as though they were using the equipment that would spool Movie film with a leader and a trailer.)

 

[clayne]

Sucks, but I'll still be buying 400PR in normally packaged format from Freestyle. Both 400 and 1600 Neopans are stellar films and I surely don't mind paying the ~4/roll for them. Very high quality emulsions with beautiful contrast and blacks. If you haven't used Neopan you're missing out.

However, Tri-X is still there as Arista Premium 400 and one of the best deals of the decade.

 

[BetterSense]

Just developed my last 2 rolls of LP400. I guess I'll be switching back to Arista Premium (poor me) but I will miss the Neopan look. At regular Neopan prices I will probably start bulk loading TMY before buying Neopan 400 at full retail.

 

[tjaded]

I've got 10 rolls at my shop--feel free to pm me if you want to buy some more. I don't have a real website up yet, but you can check this out for more contact info:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/San-Francisco-CA/Glass-Key-Photo/119199231470385

 

[Photo-gear]

I was very fond of Legacy Pro films (re-branded B&W Neopan). Best film ever in every sense.

I only have one 100' of 400 left. So I managed to get a photo retail clerk to inquire about expired Neopan bulk films. We never know.

If this request doesn't work, I will go for Fomapan which is a nicer film than Tri-X or Arista Premium.

 

[cmacd123]

heads up, LP has made a re-appearance at the Freestyle web site. I ordered some and am crossing my fingers that it is not an Illusion.

 

[Dennis S]

Bulk rolls as well as 20 roll bundles of 36 exposures. Who said they never listen to us ??

 

[lns]

Does anyone know the expiration date?

-Laura

 

[mouren]

I just ordered a few bulk rolls. I hope it's not a computer glitch either.

As long as they sit in your fridge, these things will keep.

 

[E76]

Robert,

Maco Direct is still showing Fuji Astia 100F. Any word on this film?

Tom

I think it has only been discontinued in 35mm. Freestyle was completely out of Astia in 120 and 4x5, but recently received more from Fujifilm. There is, of course, always a possibility that what Freestyle received is from Fuji's remaining stock, and not new production.