Mini lab seeing increased volume

[Berkeley Mike]

These scaling down processes were done some time ago. Now with increasing demand the manufacturers sometimes even have the problem to keep up with this demand (see above). Kodak Alaris Germany also has big backorders of several hundred thousands of film (demand surpassing supply). The Ilford guys told me they also see increasing demand for their film. Same said Adox, Bergger, ars-imago, Maco and all the distributors I've talked to at Photokina. There has been the best 'mood' at this Photokina among the film companies for more than a decade. There is really something going on in the market. And this "something" is positive .

Best regards,Henning

Did not want copy the whole contribution.

Great info. It isn't common to get so much well-informed input from inside sources. The majority of my info comes form interviews, magazine articles and such. Info about schools in our area is directly from other schools.Here is a bit of my info from the SF Bay area (9 million people). This is a rough list from my Rolidexes and contact lists, of labs that have gone out of business.

I don't say this gladly at all. I know most of these folks. I am simply challenging the blythe claim that "film is coming back" based upon reports that lab business is increasing. Here is a list of Labs that I used to do business with in SF that are now out of business:

The New Lab
Robyn Color
Faulkner
Color Pro
South Park Photo
Co-Lab
Red Shoes
Light Waves
Advanced Imaging Services
L’Image
Custom Process
Photo Lab
Monaco (Reza’s color lab in Berkeley and SF)
Monaco (switched to Digital)

Many of these were huge mainstays of the business with long histories and pedigree.

Gamma (my old savior Peter) has closed its old Russ St. location, then it's Clementina location in SOMA, and is now sharing a space in the Bayview district. It is only open from 12:30-6PM 3 days a week.
Rayko's location on 3rd in SOMA is closed, it reduced its services and classes. It is reported to have closed in August of 2017.

6 of these were BW labs. Oscar's seems to be doing well enough to maintain an expensive location in SOMA. Has a nice following. E-6? My friends at Photolab in Berkeley say that their E-6 is increased...last man standing. An SF couple bought a lab but can not get it going. Shooters are running out of places to go. So the “last man standing” rule is in effect.

The enthusiasm, from vendors to customers, of trade shows is well known. Hundreds of thousands of rolls of demand unmet seems like a lot. The US Bought 1 billion rolls of film as late as 2002, which plunged down to about 20 million as recently as 2016. A few hundred thousand rolls of world demand is very different in that context.

Our Film classes now, mid-semester, have 8 and 10 students. 3 of those are taking remedial classes just to have access to the darkroom. One section closed for low enrollment. Film classes will go from 3 down to 1 next semester. 2 other local colleges, within 20 miles, are struggling to keep labs open.

 

[Henning Serger]

Tell us more about this. Is it an RA-4 paper? Available in cut sheets or just rolls? Where's the PR / info about it?

Yes, it is a "traditional" silver-halide color paper for the RA-4 process.
A high-end premium paper dedicated to photographers who wants the best quality for their silver-halide prints in exhibitions in galleries and museums.
See the official information below in the attachments. The paper was already exhibited at the Fujifilm Photokina booth (huge pictures on it), and also on the Whitewall booth (one of the very big volume labs in Germany / Europe with focus on high-quality printing) if I remember right. The official information was also available in printed form for all visitors on the Fujifilm booth (below are just simple scns fromit).

Best regards,
Henning

 

[Henning Serger]

From the picture posted by Henning - only 6 emulsions left, down from 15 since 2010, quite miserable:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/fotohuisrovo/5042362476/
There is simply not enough demand to justify more.

Only or exclusively looking at the past is not helpful at all. Just the opposite: It can lead to wrong decisions.
Of course it is right that from 2010 to about 2015 to 2017 the demand has dramatically shrunk. I consciously say 2015 to 2017 (a period) because the market development was not homogenous. For example Ilford saw as one of the first a demand stabilisation and later increasing with their film products about 2015.
But Fujifilm was the last to see the turnaround. For mainly two reasons:
1. Until last year they had the biggest film programme of all with even such lowest-demand niche products like Superia 1600. They hold on to products Kodak has discontinued even a decade before. Of course such a big programme cannot be completely kept alive in such a dramatic market situation.
2. Fujifilm was hitten very hard by the "Fujinonfilm" campaign on the internet. This campaign promoting a stop of using Fujifilm products has had (and partly still currently has) a very negative impact on their sales and lead to the discontinuation of products. This campaign was and is absolutely counterproductive and dangerous for the whole market. A success of this campaign would mean a Kodak monopoly for high quality color films, much less choice and variety, the loss of some of the best current films, and significantly increasing prices. The loosers of such a development would be the whole film photographer community. We all.

But: Things can be changed!
As explained above, the market is now in a changing process. A change to the positive. And Fujifilm is a demand focussed company: The stronger the demand for their their conventional films now and in the future, the more positive their reaction will be. That they do react positivley to positive market changes they have clearly demonstrated in the past with their efforts with their X cameras, with their several improved new RA-4 papers, and of course especially with instax: New formats, new BW film, new cameras, new accessoires.
A lot is in our hands: We can increase demand, we can get new people interested in film photography (by the way, I am doing that for years by educating young photographers and giving workshops).

Best regards,
Henning

 

[Henning Serger]

Dear Mike,

Did not want copy the whole contribution.
Great info. It isn't common to get so much well-informed input from inside sources.

you're welcome. I am one of the very, very few people worldwide who have seen four film factories from the inside (Ilford, Polaroid, Film Ferrania, Adox), and also several photo chemical manufacturers, labs, camera manufacturers and lab equipment manufacturers from the inside.
A positive side effect from the fact that I am running an independent optical test lab, and also independent research of technological and economic systems and paradigma changes (that has it roots in my former work as a scientist at University).

I don't say this gladly at all. I know most of these folks. I am simply challenging the blythe claim that "film is coming back" based upon reports that lab business is increasing.

As said above, it is much more than that: Film manufacturers see an increase (in different strenghts concerning the regional markets and the film types), lots of labs see an increase, used camera dealers see an increase, the prices of lots of used cameras have significantly increased, the number of film photography youtube channels has been "skyrocketing" in the last 18 months. And there are some other indicators, too.
There is currently a significant change in the market. And there is a very good chance for a long-term and sustainable revival of conventional (non-instax) film photography.
If we get a revival with only 1/20 of the strength / power of the instant film revival, or the vinyl revival, even that would be sufficient to keep all current film manufacturers alive and in a healthy condition.
Let's all work together in a "grass-roots" movement for this revival. It can be done!

The enthusiasm, from vendors to customers, of trade shows is well known. Hundreds of thousands of rolls of demand unmet seems like a lot. The US Bought 1 billion rolls of film as late as 2002, which plunged down to about 20 million as recently as 2016. A few hundred thousand rolls of world demand is very different in that context.

Then you have misunderstand my text: 1. It has nothing to do with the fair Photokina. We are talking about the developments in the market before that fair. 2. I've written that Fujifilm Germany and Kodak Alaris Germany have backorders each for several hundred thousands rolls (combined both have more than a milion rolls of backorders). That is quite a lot for a regional market.

Best regards,
Henning

 

[miha]

2. Fujifilm was hitten very hard by the "Fujinonfilm" campaign on the internet. This campaign promoting a stop of using Fujifilm products has had (and partly still currently has) a very negative impact on their sales and lead to the discontinuation of products. This campaign was and is absolutely counterproductive and dangerous for the whole market. A success of this campaign would mean a Kodak monopoly for high quality color films, much less choice and variety, the loss of some of the best current films, and significantly increasing prices. The loosers of such a development would be the whole film photographer community. We all.


Henning

Never heard of such campaign. Or that such capaign could lead to discontinuation of products for that matter.

 

[EdSawyer]

Henning thanks for the info and such - please keep it up. We all benefit from your access and experience.

Thanks for the info on the Maxima paper - it sounds like it might be a good alternative to Kodak Endura. I wish/hope it will be available in cut sheets, but even cutting down from rolls will still be viable, just not ideal. At least it's being made, that's a big plus in my book. It will be interesting to see how it stacks up against Endura, which I considered to be the top RA-4 paper currently.

-Ed