Surprise at the local camera shop yesterday.............

[Richard S. (rich815)]

Thanks Simon and I guess that wipes out the price increase to them theory. I guess I'll just have to ask them and hope they don't raise the price of HP5+. Might end up being the old "Curiosity killed the cat" thing and I'll screw myself again. I also want to say, like most folks here, that I really appreciate you and Ilford/Harman's dedication to our dying, but not dead, passion. I find my inner piece when I close the door to my darkroom. John W

Dying? I don't think our passion or that the film market is dying. You make it sound like film is some terminal cancer patient who's inevitable complete death is imminent.

 

[JW PHOTO]

Dying? I don't think our passion or that the film market is dying. You make it sound like film is some terminal cancer patient who's inevitable complete death is imminent.

Richard,
I didn't want to make it sound like we were that terminally ill cancer patient, but I guess it came out that way. I got my first camera 55 years ago and have seen the peaks of the "silver imaging" and what the industry was like back then. To me it is like a terminally ill cancer patient that's still fighting on. Like I've said before, if I could not get film and paper I'd be using hand-coated glass plates and hand coated paper in my 8x10 or 4x5 camera. Digital is great, but just not the same. John W

 

[M Carter]

Some hyperbole can be forgiven... think of film photography and printing as a big family that grew and prospered over the years. And then we suddenly lost some key members, well before their time, in their prime of life. Now we ask "Is Bob still around?" "No, he died in the great Kodak plague of '98, along with Mary and Jim and Susan and George." "Oh my god, George is gone too?!?!?" or whatever. That's how I felt when my favorite films died off, and how it feels now when I read an older book on technique that recommends a specific paper (with years of testing and specific processes for certain looks or colors) and find that paper is no more.

I do expect we'll see new blood continually come into the market, and perhaps digital will open the doors to more folks who will want more control, more surprise, more differentiation. People can sneer at the "lomo" movement, but it's getting kids to think creatively and giving them something that differentiates them from the crowd, which is one of the real sort of fuels of creativity, esp. for the young - seeking a new language that might finally say what you really want to say. Eventually a few of them will tire of light-leaked film and plastic lenses and look for something more (look at the thriving analog communities on Flickr). And perhaps those people will grow into consumers of fine art prints as well.

Analog photography is like a country that's lost a war and retreated to its last few castles or strongholds. Perhaps the loss has stabilized, or perhaps there will be new ground gained in the years ahead. Or it may retreat even further - we'll have to wait and see, and keep shooting what we can. There's still quite a world of possibilities out there.

 

[Colonel Blimp]

Film will probably suffer from an 'excellent bad health' for the years to come. Like theatre or books.

 

[MattKing]

We have had no film price increase in the USA since February 2013 and no paper increase since February 2012 and when we introduced the new CLASSIC FB products they were introduced and sold at the same price as the MULTIGRADE IV FB they replaced.

Simon ILFORD Photo / HARMAN technology Limited

Does this take into account currency fluctuations?

I'm assuming that the reference to "film price ... in the USA" is Harman's price to the USA distributor, and is expressed in either euros or UK pounds.

 

[Athiril]

When I'm in the big city (Grand Rapids, MI) I try to stop at Norman's Camera to look around. Well, I found out not long ago that their used film camera display no longer is there and they only handle digital now. They did have a fair selection of Ilford papers, but almost no chemicals. They stopped handling all Kodak chemical too. Or so I was told. So I ask about some B&W film. They had both Ilford and Kodak at least. So, I bought some HP5+ and some FP4+ just to make the trip worth something. My surprise was the pricing of the two. I know FP4+ goes for a little more than HP5+, but this store seemed way out of whack. HP5+ was $4.29 and FP4+ was $5.75 at Norman's. B&H has HP5+ at $4.09 and FP4+ at $4.39. The HP5+ price is close enough to warrant buying more at Norman's, but I'll lay off the FP4+ from them. Next time I go there I'll ask why the big difference. I always try to buy some stuff local since it's the last place I can buy 120 roll film in the second largest city in Michigan. That's a shame! John W

..thats really cheap

 

[Simon R Galley]

Dear Matt,

No change whatsoever in supply price :

Simon ILFORD photo / HARMAN technology Limited :

 

[M Carter]

..thats really cheap

Simon, if you're ever in Dallas, the drinks are on me. Glad you guys are carrying the torch. And not just products and distribution, the web site is a great resource as well.