Kodak out of stock in Tokyo

ericdan · Jun 10, 2014

Thanks PKM-25!
Obviously everyone is unhappy to see prices double and film not being available, but I agree, no need to get too nasty.

Ken Nadvornick · Jun 10, 2014

PKM-25 said:
So try to avoid speculation if you can, because that is when it gets nasty and, well, locked...

Agree wholeheartedly. All KA need do is what has been asked for many times. Speak up. That will stop rampant speculation here dead in its tracks.

Tell their loyal customers what's going on. The price may still need to double, but any newseven tough-to-hear newsbeats silence. If they know what and why, people are far more likely to be far less negative.

Silence promotes negative speculation based on fear of the unknown. So don't leave an unknown. Simple as that.

Ken

PKM-25 · Jun 10, 2014

Ken Nadvornick said:
Tell their loyal customers what's going on.

Yep, and like other photo companies such as Nikon, Canon, Leica, Fuji, Hasselblad, etc. all you have to do is find the contact person and ask, so here goes:

So I heard back fairly quickly from Thomas Mooney at Kodak alaris and Dirk at Japan Exposures and have some pretty solid info.

Thomas expects any supply shortages to be short term in nature, Dirk at Japan Exposures confirms this by saying that he suspects a buying spree since the May price increase announcement depleted the shelves.

Specific to price increases, Thomas cited that the dollar has been devalued by the yen by some 30% since October of 2012 so that made the situation in Japan a bit unique.

I did my own price comparisons based on the HP5 / Tri-X figures ericdan came up with a few posts back and would like to expand on it a bit, all converted to U.S. currency:

Tri-X 135 / 36 exp:
Freestyle $4.39, Japan $8.20, 7day shop UK $9.19.

HP5+ 135 / 36 exp:
Freestyle $5.59, Japan $5.83, 7day shop UK $10.53.

So that is it for now, I am not sure what the cameras stores in Japan will do as far as stocking Kodak films as regular items once the large order comes in that Bellamy at Japan Camera Hunter cited was pending. As far as I can tell, Japan will continue to be supplied all films that Kodak currently makes but it is on the retailers if they want to play games with stocking it or not due to the price increases.

Remember folks...film products are niche in a world of digits, so there is no even playing field here, if you want an example of that, look at the prices of Ilford products on their home turf in the UK....

Ricardo Miranda · Jun 10, 2014

Tri-X 135 / 36 exp:
Freestyle $4.39, Japan $8.20, 7day shop UK $9.19.

HP5+ 135 / 36 exp:
Freestyle $5.59, Japan $5.83, 7day shop UK $10.53.

Hi!
7dayshop is a poor representative as they are expensive these days. Silverprint or AG Photographic are a better example to compare with Freestyle:
Tri-X 135 / 36 exp:
Silverprint $8.03, AG Photographic $7.66

HP5+ 135 / 36 exp:
Silverprint $7.83, AG Photographic $7.88

Still more expensive films than in the USA.

pbromaghin · Jun 10, 2014

PKM-25 said:
Yep, and like other photo companies such as Nikon, Canon, Leica, Fuji, Hasselblad, etc. all you have to do is find the contact person and ask, so here goes:

I'm glad you're back from exile, Dan.

Xmas · Jun 10, 2014

Ricardo Miranda said:
Hi!
7dayshop is a poor representative as they are expensive these days. Silverprint or AG Photographic are a better example to compare with Freestyle:
Tri-X 135 / 36 exp:
Silverprint $8.03, AG Photographic $7.66

HP5+ 135 / 36 exp:
Silverprint $7.83, AG Photographic $7.88

Still more expensive films than in the USA.

I only use bulk...

In GBP with sales tax as of today's web pages
Trix 100 feet
silver print 136.24
process supplies 110.30

Hp5+100 feet
silver print 60.20
process supplies 60.20

I would suggest the differential is paradoxical maybe even childish?

At that differential it will be a long time before I buy Kodak... is never a long time? I dont use Kodak film apart from 5222 but that is from EK not KA.

lxdude · Jun 10, 2014

PKM-25 said:
Tri-X 135 / 36 exp:
Freestyle $4.39

HP5+ 135 / 36 exp:
Freestyle $5.59

From a B+H ad in Pop Photo, March 1996:

Tri-X, 135/36: $2.79

HP5+ 135/36: 2.80

Inflation-adjusted per US Consumer Price Index, info from US Bureau of Labor Statistics:

Tri-X, $4.22

HP5+, $4.23

RattyMouse · Jun 10, 2014

PKM-25 said:
I wrote my contacts at Kodak this morning, but of course did not engage in any of the juvenile antics suggested here such as saying I am never using the products again if I don't get my way or attaching a photo of an HP5 box.

Every time I have ever reached out to them, I have gotten back a reply and in many cases, a solution. Also, they have been made aware of this thread and it's concerns. My main point was that what is being reported here is a big deal so if it is truly the new normal, then an official statement might be a good idea.

One thing I might implore to folks here is how easy these types of threads are getting locked once they get to mud-sliging levels. So try to avoid speculation if you can, because that is when it gets nasty and, well, locked...

There was NO mudslinging in the last locked thread. You and I were having a very adult level discussion, exchanging views and ideas in a very reasonable matter. It is an absolute outrage that the thread was locked and I am furious at APUG to the extreme.

Sledgehammer moderation is inexcusable. If this is what APUG is about I want no part of it.

Tom1956 · Jun 10, 2014

Ratty Mouse, there's more good than bad on this site. I don't get mad at anything or anybody here. If I want to get angry I read the foolishness in the media. They'll run this site how they have to.

RattyMouse · Jun 10, 2014

Tom1956 said:
Ratty Mouse, there's more good than bad on this site. I don't get mad at anything or anybody here. If I want to get angry I read the foolishness in the media. They'll run this site how they have to.

And I'll participate in forums the way "I have to".

I am absolutely furious at how I was treated here.

Dinesh · Jun 10, 2014

RattyMouse said:
.... exchanging views and ideas in a very reasonable matter. ..

In your opinion.

RattyMouse · Jun 10, 2014

Dinesh said:
In your opinion.

Laughable. Simply laughable.

Ken Nadvornick · Jun 10, 2014

Nobody has been more critical over the years regarding Kodak's business decisions than I. I warned of bankruptcy years ago. However, in this case I'm hoping this thread can stay focused on the issue of the price increase for Kodak-branded film.

Dan has offered some industry-level explanations for the increase, including foreign-exchange rate fluctuations. This resonates with me. The new Sekonic light meter I've been jonesin' over has recently dropped in price from ~US$320 to ~US$220. About a 30% decrease.

That's probably enough to push me over the tipping point of purchasing one, in the same way that others in Japan may be pushed over the tipping point in the opposite direction of not purchasing Kodak film. And retail stores in Japan may be pushed over the tipping point of not even stocking it at a potential loss. At least for the time being.

In all fairness, if it boils down to exchange rates, this is not EK/KA's fault. Other stuff may be, but not this.

Ken

PKM-25 · Jun 10, 2014

RattyMouse said:
And I'll participate in forums the way "I have to".

I am absolutely furious at how I was treated here.

In a measure of politeness to prevent you from getting banned, PM sent...

Jaf-Photo · Jun 11, 2014

Hmm... this is a hot potato.

Of course moderators must take some unpopular decisions to keep order in a forum.

Closing an infectious thread may not be fair to an individual but it may be necessary for the common good.

That said, I think it should be possible to discuss all film manufacturers in an analog photography forum.

On the whole, the Kodak threads haven't been worse than many other threads.

On a personal level, I actually get more frustrated by pages and pages of OT discussions, some personal attacks and the prevalent Ilford cultism :0

It seems that regardless of which photographic problem you have, you can solve it quickly by buying some HP5

Xmas · Jun 11, 2014

Jaf-Photo said:
Hmm... this is a hot potato.

Of course moderators must take some unpopular decisions to keep order in a forum.

Closing an infectious thread may not be fair to an individual but it may be necessary for the common good.

That said, I think it should be possible to discuss all film manufacturers in an analog photography forum.

On the whole, the Kodak threads haven't been worse than many other threads.

On a personal level, I actually get more frustrated by pages and pages of OT discussions, some personal attacks and the prevalent Ilford cultism :0

It seems that regardless of which photographic problem you have, you can solve it quickly by buying some HP5

Hi Im now sorry I said HP5+ I did also say Double-X.

Trix and the other two are comparable films technology QA etc

Mostly I also use

APX400S
Formapan400
Delta400
Kentmere400

also lots of

APX100
Delta100
Adox CHS100
Formapan 100

I don't detect much difference between films apart from tabular grain and ISO.

I have a fridge full of film for when my brick stores run out of stock eg the Formapan dissappears regular.

Hope the Trix comes back soon but switch to Tmax400, get a larger fridge, be happy

Noel

PKM-25 · Jun 11, 2014

Xmas said:
get a larger fridge, be happy

Well, yes....there is indeed that option...

ericdan · Jun 11, 2014

Wow!! That's an impressive stash!

Jaf-Photo · Jun 11, 2014

PKM-25 said:
Well, yes....there is indeed that option...

Wow! I am Officially Envious!

PKM-25 · Jun 11, 2014

ericdan, keep us posted as to what comes of the big photo stores in Japan with Kodak films, hopefully they will go back to being stocked items regardless of price.

BradleyK · Jun 11, 2014

PKM-25 said:
Well, yes....there is indeed that option...

Thanks for posting the pic, Dan. Now I don't feel quite so guilty about my stash: PanF+, FP4+, HP5+, Tri-X, E100G and E100VS take up less than two-thirds of my deep-freeze. lol

PKM-25 · Jun 11, 2014

BradleyK said:
Thanks for posting the pic, Dan. Now I don't feel quite so guilty about my stash: PanF+, FP4+, HP5+, Tri-X, E100G and E100VS take up less than two-thirds of my deep-freeze. lol

LOL, I know, crazy huh? And to think that photo only really shows 1/2 of what is in there. It's nice to never have to worry about ordering film for an outing, I just grab what I need and go, replenish a few times a year.

The other school of thought is when I start to *really* teach traditional workshops in a year or two, I will have stock for students if they need it.

I have done the same thing with chemistry that has a long shelf life, enlarger bulbs, backups of all kinds of darkroom equipment so no matter what the future holds, I am covered.

The only thing I don't stockpile is paper, I have no more on hand than I can use in a calendar year.

ericdan · Jun 11, 2014

Sure, I'll keep you posted about the situation here.
I only have 3 rolls of portra left right now. I'll probably have to use fuji temporarily.

Nuff · Jun 11, 2014

Have you tried Popeye camera? I would give them a call. They had some when Yodobashi and Bic were out. That was back in Jan/Feb...

ericdan · Jun 11, 2014

No, not yet. Stopping by there on Saturday to check. Also saw amazon.co.jp has two 5-packs still.

Kodak out of stock in Tokyo

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