Kodak Color Plus in short supply?

Agulliver · Oct 1, 2019

My local camera shop ran out of Kodak Color Plus 200 a couple of months ago and has 160 rolls on order with their supplier. I don't know who this supplier is but they do supply shops throughout the UK, and they are reporting they can't get hold of Color Plus.

I DO NOT want this to turn into a rumour about production of Color Plus. The supplier's word is that demand has risen sharply and it's difficult to keep up. I know at least two other camera shops reporting difficulty obtaining Color Plus and one also has Fuji 400H on back order in 120 format. The same shops have good stocks of Kodak Gold and where sold, Ektar.

Any other parts of the country or indeed world where this is happening? I see online retailers have put prices of Color Plus up slightly but it still seems widely available.

AgX · Oct 1, 2019

I do not even see any films being sold. Let alone run out of stock. (Instax aside.)
What I repeatedly see is film being reduced for having reached expiry date on their shelves.

Bikerider · Oct 1, 2019

Try MORCO near Nottingham. Even with postage they are about the cheapest there is in UK.

I have just checked and it is £25 for 10 rolls. The Fuji equivalent is the same price and they seem to have both.

Henning Serger · Oct 1, 2019

Agulliver said:
I DO NOT want this to turn into a rumour about production of Color Plus. The supplier's word is that demand has risen sharply and it's difficult to keep up.

And the supplier is correct. Film demand has increased in a very strong way. Both Kodak and Fujifilm have currently problems to keep up with demand. We have global backorders for film in the two-digit million range. Some film manufacturers have to run their film confectioning / converting lines in three shifts per day again to keep up with demand.

Best regards,
Henning

Kino · Oct 1, 2019

Henning Serger said:
And the supplier is correct. Film demand has increased in a very strong way. Both Kodak and Fujifilm have currently problems to keep up with demand. We have global backorders for film in the two-digit million range. Some film manufacturers have to run their film confectioning / converting lines in three shifts per day again to keep up with demand.

Best regards,
Henning

Irony of Ironies; I just hope the film manufacturers keep their heads and don't over expand when responding to this shortage.

A stable boutique industry working full shifts beats the old "boom and bust" mentality any day...

foc · Oct 1, 2019

It's great to see film sales on the increase.
Since Fuji discontinued their C200 135-24, the Kodak Colorplus is (AFAIK) the only 24 exposure alternative in the same price range.

Agulliver · Oct 2, 2019

Henning Serger said:
And the supplier is correct. Film demand has increased in a very strong way. Both Kodak and Fujifilm have currently problems to keep up with demand. We have global backorders for film in the two-digit million range. Some film manufacturers have to run their film confectioning / converting lines in three shifts per day again to keep up with demand.

Best regards,
Henning

Wow, is that true? If so that is quite amazing.

Cholentpot · Oct 2, 2019

Prices are up all over the internet so I'd assume it's in short supply. I think the summer season wiped out the stock, lots of people looking for cheap film to roll through a camera instead of using a cell phone.

Henning Serger · Oct 2, 2019

Agulliver said:
Wow, is that true? If so that is quite amazing.

Of course it is! I am only writing here when I am absolutely sure about the facts.
Part of my job is market analysis of the photo markets. Doing that very successfully for years in my own research company. I am in close contact with the manufacturers and distributors.
The data I have given above is directly from them.
The film revival is getting stronger.

Best regards,
Henning

BradS · Oct 2, 2019

Agulliver said:
My local camera shop ran out of Kodak Color Plus 200 a couple of months ago .....The supplier's word is that demand has risen sharply and it's difficult to keep up...

I see evidence of this a the several labs I use to process C-41. They, all three of them, have experienced a dramatic increase in demand for film processing. Two of them were so backlogged this summer that they had ~2 week queue!

One can also see the prices rising sharply for all manner of used 35mm gear.

Yes, demand for 35mm film and related gear and services is definitely UP!

Agulliver · Oct 3, 2019

I see the same on a local level, my favourite shop which has a C41 processing lab reports huge increases in sales of film and film cameras from all sorts of people. The lady who does the film processing was able to offer a 24 hour turnaround a year ago, now she's swamped doing upwards of 140 films per day and it's a week turnaround. The shop has been out of Color Plus and also Fuji 400H in 120 since the summer and cannot get hold of more. I see people out and about shooting film much more too. But I am truly thrilled to learn it's worldwide and so pronounced.

dutchsteammachine · Oct 3, 2019

Henning Serger said:
And the supplier is correct. Film demand has increased in a very strong way. Both Kodak and Fujifilm have currently problems to keep up with demand. We have global backorders for film in the two-digit million range. Some film manufacturers have to run their film confectioning / converting lines in three shifts per day again to keep up with demand.

Best regards,
Henning

That is good news.

Any news about more film stocks that are going to be back in production, or entirely new stocks?

Dream would be HIE and Fuji 400X

George Mann · Oct 3, 2019

Agulliver said:
I see people out and about shooting film much more too. But I am truly thrilled to learn it's worldwide and so pronounced.

And yet they continue to increase the price of film regardless!

wyofilm · Oct 4, 2019

Prices will go up as demand goes up.

Agulliver · Oct 4, 2019

If there is significant demand for a product that is in short supply, the price often goes up.

The only way photo film prices could ever reduce would be if there was a sustained, long term upswing in purchase and usage....allowing production on a large scale - sufficient for economy of scale to have an impact.

A year when Kodak sold far more Color Plus and Fuji far more 400H than expected, and where E100 is a huge hit....won't actually result in any price reductions.

MattKing · Oct 4, 2019

Agulliver said:
A year when Kodak sold far more Color Plus and Fuji far more 400H than expected, and where E100 is a huge hit....won't actually result in any price reductions.

At Kodak Alaris' end, maybe.
But if the result is increased volumes, larger orders by the distributors, more competition between the distributors, larger orders by the retailers from the distributors and more competition between the retailers, not necessarily so.

George Mann · Oct 4, 2019

Agulliver said:
If there is significant demand for a product that is in short supply, the price often goes up.

The problem is, price increases tend to be permanent.

Kodak Color Plus in short supply?

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