Positive Fujifilm News: Acros II available soon in Europe

[foc]

I think using the statement " made in England" is misleading as the box says "made in UK" which is the United Kingdom of Great Britain (England, Scotland & Wales) and Northern Ireland.

As has been pointed out above, since Brexit, to use "made in EU" would be incorrect.

 

[Henning Serger]

Hello friends,

positive news from Fujifilm:
After the initial release in Japan last November (in Japanese only boxes), Fujifilm Neopan Acros 100 II will be officially introduced in Europe (and most probably also worldwide) this spring (planned is March / April).
I've got this info directly from Fujifilm.

When Acros II was introduced in Japan last November, I immediately ordered lots of it in 135 and 120 in Japan.
After the shipment arrived I started intensive testing, including Acros I vs. Acros II comparisons.
I did my scientific standard film tests in my photography test lab. And I did several shootings of different subjects, too.

The test results are very positive:
a) Acros II has absolutely nothing to do with any Kentmere / Ilford film! All these stupid conspiracy theories about Acros II being just another repackaged Harman technology / Ilford Photo film (because of the "Made in UK" on the boxes) are complete BS and have absolutely nothing to do with reality.

b) Acros II has exactly the same outstanding reciprocity characteristic as Acros I. I have tested it. It is also documented in the data sheet of Acros II, and the data sheet is absolutely right.
That is extremely important because no other BW film has this unique and outstanding characteristic.
And in colour only Fujichrome Provia 100F has that wonderful feature.

c) The excellent detail rendition of Acros I is also given by Acros II: Resolution, sharpness and fineness of grain are identical. Both films have identical MTF curves and identical RMS value. I checked it with my sophisticated resolution, sharpness and grain tests in my test lab, and both films are again identical. Data sheet is correct. Great news again.

d) There are some very small and negligible differences in spectral sensivity, and a small difference concerning the characteristic curve in the highlights (with some developers). I will not go into detail here. In the next days I will post a complete test report in the BW film subforum. Stay tuned.

So, from now on it is up to all who have loudly complained about the discontinuation of Acros: You have your film back!!
Buy it. Make this reintroduction a success! When this becomes a success, then it is much, much more likey that further film reintroductions could follow by Fujifilm in the future.
A film manufacturer has to look on his sales. That is the decisive factor!

Best regards,
Henning

Update:
I've got the information from Fujifilm that demand is surpassing supply of the first shipment to Europe by far (orders from the distributors surpassing supply/first shipments significantly).

Best regards,
Henning

 

[brbo]

Further update:

The "European" version (not imported from the Japanese reselers - so Acros 100 II box with non-Japanese text) is now available in Europe (e.g. Maco).

For a lowly price of lucky 13 EUR/roll (same price for 135 and 120). Get them while you can, they will be flying off the shelves at that price!!!

 

[Ballinderry-Michael]

I managed to get some last week, from a UK supplier. Now waiting for an empty camera.

 

[NB23]

Who’s paying that kind of money and why? Pinhole photographers?

 

[Ste_S]

I'm sure Henning will be along in a bit to tell us we should be grateful to pay €/£13 for Acros II

 

[Tom Kershaw]

I'm sure Henning will be along in a bit to tell us we should be grateful to pay €/£13 for Acros II

Makes T-Max look like a bargain. Not sure why the new Acros is such an outlier in price terms - more expensive than Provia.

 

[NB23]

All sounds like bs to me.

 

[lantau]

That is a bit strong, indeed. Distributors and/or dealers may be probing what people are going to pay, given the price for old stock of around €15 or more a roll. In January I added a test roll in each format to a hardware order from Japan and paid €9 per roll.

I've accepted that we need to pay a lot more to keep film alive, even though €5 was a strong psychological barrier and still is. When I started film in late 2015 Tri-X was below €5. Portra 400 was a little more. I used a roll of Portra as my first test roll for my first 35mm camera. And it did have light leaks...

I can't remember what film did cost when I was using it as a consumer rather than hobbyist. I got my first (APS) P&S film camera in the last months of my undergrad studies (Xmas 1999). In 2003 I gladly switched to a digital P&S.

If it gets closer to €9 again I'll get a 10 pack and make a conscious effort to use it regulary, when in the past it was special film for special occasions due to the already high price (€7) back then. I was just looking at my old orders and realise that I never bought it in Germany until it was discontinued, when I ordered a large batch from Foto Impex.

I used to buy Acros on holiday in Hong Kong. That is when I got to know it. And my favourite use for it is still urban photography there. Also great for weddings. Nothing renders a dark suit like Acros. That might well be a mind trick, I have to admit, because 35mm TMX did do well at the last wedding I attended (as a guest). Still the 6x6 Acros shots I also took of our wedding party (we are colleagues of the couple) are just gorgeous.

For those HK trips I have an old spreadsheet from 2016 with prices at home and a dealer in HK. Acros was €5.09 in HK (at the exchange rate back then) and around €7 in Germany. Nordfoto was a little cheaper when buying 10. Acros and Fujichromes where generally cheaper then in HK, other films were more expensive.

 

[Ballinderry-Michael]

I fully agree with lantau. My two rolls did cost me more than I'd wish, admittedly; but, since I have all the consumables to deal with the film, it's all downhill from there. I'm looking forward to exposing and processing it and will be happy if I like it.

One thing about "old" Acros: the Ilford developer data sheets all rated it at 80.

 

[pentaxuser]

I'm sure Henning will be along in a bit to tell us we should be grateful to pay €/£13 for Acros II

pentaxuser

 

[miha]

Any plans of reintroducing it in 4x5''?

 

[DREW WILEY]

Well, here is the US, Acros II is currently being sold for FOUR TIMES the price of what the last of the previous Acros typically cost, higher than the latest 120 color films. I don't know why. Perhaps it's still being bought from Japanese dealers and then marked up even more. I haven't tested it since I already have a decent supply of the older product.

 

[logan2z]

Well, here is the US, Acros II is currently being sold for FOUR TIMES the price of what the last of the previous Acros typically cost, higher than the latest 120 color films. I don't know why. Perhaps it's still being bought from Japanese dealers and then marked up even more. I haven't tested it since I already have a decent supply of the older product.

I was going to give some a shot, but I'm not sure it's worth it at $12/roll for 35mm. That does seem excessive.

 

[Andrew O'Neill]

That's crazy expensive!

 

[pentaxuser]

That's crazy expensive!

True, Andrew, but I feel the signs of such a price being asked were all there. As in "Capricorn One" people gave the impression of agreeing to Telly's hourly rate for his cropduster too quickly.

pentaxuser

 

[Eldorado Quibbo]

"Acros II available soon in Europe" and who cares at that inflated price!

 

[pentaxuser]

"Acros II available soon in Europe" and who cares at that inflated price!

Well Fuji or should I say for Matt's sake, the chain of sellers in the pipeline from factory to consumer has/have chosen an unfortunate time to launch in Europe at these prices . I cannot see how film sales can remain unaffected by "lock-down" and what may be the biggest drop in disposable income we may see in our lifetimes.

So all film purchases will be more closely examined in terms of value for money and this will be exacerbated by the restrictions on travel

Mind you the cheer-leaders for Fuji tend to be in the U.S. where the President seems intent on opening it for normal business in only a week or so. So may be our U.S. members will be Acros II's lifesaver

pentaxuser

 

[Kodachromeguy]

As of today, April 17, for USA buyers, B&H shows 135 size Acros II at $11.99/roll. During the latter part of 2019, the original Acros in 3-packs cost about $30-35 from Japanese and even some American sellers via eBay. So this new version is approximately the same price per roll. In my opinion, the price is not unreasonable. The Acros is really an amazing emulsion. It rewards careful use (tripod) with the best quality glass. We are lucky that Fuji brought it back to the market.

 

[pentaxuser]

As of today, April 17, for USA buyers, B&H shows 135 size Acros II at $11.99/roll. During the latter part of 2019, the original Acros in 3-packs cost about $30-35 from Japanese and even some American sellers via eBay. So this new version is approximately the same price per roll. In my opinion, the price is not unreasonable. The Acros is really an amazing emulsion. It rewards careful use (tripod) with the best quality glass. We are lucky that Fuji brought it back to the market.

Given your information I wonder what the fuss is about in terms of the new Acros II price then? Mind you most of the complainants on price do seem to be from outside the U.S. so maybe the U.S. buyers will come to the rescue. On the other hand when you count up, in price terms, the supporters v the complainants it doesn't "amount to a hill of beans" in statistical terms to form a conclusion about how the Acros buying public will react in terms of opening its wallet

Either the qualities of Acros far exceed that of other films and make its price one that you must pay or indeed would pay more for if required or it doesn't. The reaction of the former group to the price will be to buy but possibly less products unless they all remain in the category of "money no object".

Will that group be big enough? Time will tell

pentaxuser

 

[logan2z]

Given your information I wonder what the fuss is about in terms of the new Acros II price then? Mind you most of the complainants on price do seem to be from outside the U.S. so maybe the U.S. buyers will come to the rescue. On the other hand when you count up, in price terms, the supporters v the complainants it doesn't "amount to a hill of beans" in statistical terms to form a conclusion about how the Acros buying public will react in terms of opening its wallet

Either the qualities of Acros far exceed that of other films and make its price one that you must pay or indeed would pay more for if required or it doesn't. The reaction of the former group to the price will be to buy but possibly less products unless they all remain in the category of "money no object".

Will that group be big enough? Time will tell

pentaxuser

This certainly isn't any sort of rigorous analysis, but one telling sign for me is that all of the big US Fuji film dealers (BH, Freestyle, etc.) seem to have the film in stock. I remember when Kodak brought back TMAX 3200 it was difficult to get because of high demand. Perhaps the US buyers aren't thrilled with paying $12/roll when there are several other excellent BW films available at half the cost. But I think I'm going to try a roll or two in 120 in order to see what all the fuss is about.

 

[pentaxuser]

This certainly isn't any sort of rigorous analysis, but one telling sign for me is that all of the big US Fuji film dealers (BH, Freestyle, etc.) seem to have the film in stock. I remember when Kodak brought back TMAX 3200 it was difficult to get because of high demand. Perhaps the US buyers aren't thrilled with paying $12/roll when there are several other excellent BW films available at half the cost. But I think I'm going to try a roll or two in 120 in order to see what all the fuss is about.

Yes and it's your last sentence that puts you into the category of those who may become the occasional buyer and that category are unlikely to be capable of sustaining demand or so I would have thought.

It would seem that Fuji were dissatisfied with the demand that the then existing Acros users were generating hence it discontinuation but somehow it was persuaded on some kind of presumably reliable evidence that a new and higher demand would be there for the Acros II. Clearly if Acros demand wasn't good enough then Acros II demand has to be considerably greater to make the investment worthwhile.

Quite apart from whether Acros II is worth the price being asked there remains this question of what was the evidence that new Acros II would generate an appreciably larger demand at a bigger price. The news of Acros II and heralded with the proverbial fanfare of trumpets was that it was just as good as the original Acro but not better i.e it was the same stuff . What usually justifies a price is a better product such as is the case with Ilford MG V as opposed to IV

I really cannot make any sense of this.

pentaxuser

 

[Tom Kershaw]

I picked up a November 2006 copy of 'Black & White Photography' the other day, amazing difference in materials prices but photographic gear about the same.

 

[MultiFormat Shooter]

It would seem that Fuji were dissatisfied with the demand that the then existing Acros users were generating hence it discontinuation but somehow it was persuaded on some kind of presumably reliable evidence that a new and higher demand would be there for the Acros II. Clearly if Acros demand wasn't good enough then Acros II demand has to be considerably greater to make the investment worthwhile.

In addition to the demand side of the equation, Fuji my have also been able to scale-back production, by having the finishing performed in the UK. But, I agree, that they wouldn't have brought it back if they didn't see enough demand. Also, Acros II came-out roughly a year or so (I think) after the first Acros was discontinued. TMax3200 had been discontinued several years, prior to its return, and this may explain why it seems to have initially sold better than Acros II...everybody's "stash" had been used-up. Kodak's initial run may have also been smaller than Fuji's.

In any event, I'm just glad that Acros is back!

 

[pentaxuser]

In addition to the demand side of the equation, Fuji my have also been able to scale-back production, by having the finishing performed in the UK. But, I agree, that they wouldn't have brought it back if they didn't see enough demand.

In any event, I'm just glad that Acros is back!

What puzzles me is how Fuji got the demand so wrong in the first place and what evidence did it find that persuaded it that the insufficient demand was not in fact insufficient

I can't help but feel there was a change of heart on the part of Fuji rather than any sudden revelation that it had got the numbers wrong. The problem that occurs to me if that if its demand figures that is fed back to Fuji can result in a wrong decision then is it to be trusted in the future to make the right decision.

I think we might be appalled at how much control one man or a small caucus on a board can wield even in the face of evidence that strongly indicates a wrong decision has been made. So how much confidence can we have that a similar wrong decision on film production might not be made in the future.

Fuji's track record in this respect does not fill me with confidence

pentaxuser