thoughts on the announced Kodak film price increase?

[removed account4]

this thread reminds me of someone I know who was complaining when gas was like 3$ a gallon for medium grade unleaded gas.

Oh Yeah. Do you presoak?

whew you didn't say anything about jet dry or using water for stop bath ..

 

[Pieter12]

this thread reminds me of someone I know who was complaining when gas was like 3$ a gallon for medium grade unleaded gas.

You mean $0.39, right? But here was still lead in it and no such thing as medium-grade (a marketing gimmick, by the way).

 

[removed account4]

You mean $0.39, right? But here was still lead in it and no such thing as medium-grade (a marketing gimmick, by the way).

im talking about IDK 3 bucks and it cost them like 25$ to fill their tank. I had just gotten back from visiting my inlaws in France and it cost 200 euros to fill the tank. LOL
39 cents I remember that.. good times!

 

[markjwyatt]

You mean $0.39, right? But here was still lead in it and no such thing as medium-grade (a marketing gimmick, by the way).

Gasoline in 1964 was about $0.25/gallon. The 1964 silver quarter today is worth about $5-6 in strictly silver value. The cost of things are generally not rising, but the value of the dollar is decreasing. There are cost factors layered on top of this due to supply chain disruptions, demand, suupply, etc. (I hope this is not considered "political").

 

[faberryman]

Gasoline in 1964 was about $0.25/gallon. The 1964 silver quarter today is worth about $5-6 in strictly silver value. The cost of things are generally not rising, but the value of the dollar is decreasing. There are cost factors layered on top of this due to supply chain disruptions, demand, suupply, etc. (I hope this is not considered "political").

Maybe if you tied the discussion to the silver content in black and white film instead of old quarters you could say the discussion is related to photography.

 

[Down Under]

A basic rule of economics applies here. Let's put it to film...

Kodak film price goes up, buyers buy less, so price goes up again. This happens a few times. Photographers have by then switched over to other brands, so Kodak downsizes its production or entirely discontinues the product, "...because obviously nobody is buying it."

This is also known as politicians' logic and transport logic. Cut and cut and cut, would-be buyers/users give up, the product/service gets canned. Means to an end.

It happened to E6. Now C41 seems to be in the firing line. Eventually, what - B&W??

Film is now a niche market anyway, this is something we must all live with.

 

[George Mann]

A basic rule of economics applies here. Let's put it to film...

Kodak film price goes up, buyers buy less, so price goes up again. This happens a few times. Photographers have by then switched over to other brands, so Kodak downsizes its production or entirely discontinues the product, "...because obviously nobody is buying it."

This is also known as politicians' logic and transport logic. Cut and cut and cut, would-be buyers/users give up, the product/service gets canned. Means to an end.

It happened to E6. Now C41 seems to be in the firing line. Eventually, what - B&W??

Film is now a niche market anyway, this is something we must all live with.

Then how do you explain the fact that they cannot produce enough film to meet the current demand?

 

[markjwyatt]

Maybe if you tied the discussion to the silver content in black and white film instead of old quarters you could say the discussion is related to photography.

I have done that with Tr-X, and it is cheaper today than 1957...

 

[MattKing]

Discussions about silver content controlling film prices don't make much sense in a world where the cost of the backing paper for 120 film is more than the cost of producing the film itself.
The manufacturers' costs are an important factor, but the distribution and marketing costs are much more important.
Otherwise, Ilford film wouldn't be cheaper in the US than it is in the UK.

 

[removed account4]

Then how do you explain the fact that they cannot produce enough film to meet the current demand?

You should look through some of Ron Mowrey's posts about how Eastman Kodak and how they coated film, I think you might do a search for "Building 38"
https://www.photrio.com/forum/search/107868537/
To sort-of answer your question. ... they don't coat film all the time, they have to make a giant quantity all at once because they couldn't completely scale down their operations ... if they can't keep up with demand (as you suggest) then the people that use that particular film will just will have to wait until they do another coating run.

 

[Sirius Glass]

The price of Kodak film goes up, I still buy Kodak film. The price of Ilford film goes up, I still buy Ilford film. The price of Fuji film goes up, I still buy Fuji film.

 

[Sirius Glass]

Remarkable.

No, I appreciate good products and are consistently made well. I leave bitchin' for the dogs.

 

[George Mann]

Remarkable.

Until he runs out of money atleast.

 

[Duceman]

Remarkable.

As opposed to the alternative? Go digital?

 

[Pieter12]

As opposed to the alternative? Go digital?

Would that kill you?

 

[Duceman]

Would that kill you?

Been there, done that. I’m still alive. But then again, I have yet to go broke shooting film.

 

[George Mann]

Would that kill you?

I personally would rather die.

 

[Ivo Stunga]

LOL whatever you say.

The problem is that my "whatever" is a reflection of reality and I have no problems to demonstrate to you what I'm talking about. Write me up, if you ever come to Latvia.

Or get an access to a decent slide projector, shoot a roll of E-6, develop it and mount it, and witness it.

 

[RalphLambrecht]

This article claims that, if adjusted for inflation, the current film prices are not high in the historical context. I honestly cannot recall the exact numbers, but I do remember the effort it took to decide how many rolls to buy for a spring break in college: 2 or 3. Every roll mattered. So even if we go up to $20, it wouldn't be too different. Ask yourself if there's a better way to spend $20.

beer!

 

[Ivo Stunga]

Yes, there is. 20 dollars buys me a single E-6 film and covers development services at my local lab.
For that money I can have:
- 2x Ilford Delta 100 + a pint of craft beer
- 3x Iford FP4+ and a bottle of mineral water
- A combo of Superpan 200 + Infrared 400 + Fomapan 200
- A combo of Adox Scala 50 and 160 + have a kebab.
- How about a rare roll of Ferrania + Silberra?
- A liter of Ilford PQ Universal that I use for BW Reversal (good for ~20-30 films) + Fomapan 200

As you can see, even slide shooter in his limited world of films can spend those 20 better, satisfying both hungers - for a proper snack AND film AND development.

 

[ludwighagelstein]

So, is there any solid source on this? Or only KosmoFoto... who cite no solid sources?

"According to credible sources"
https://silvergrainclassics.com/en/2020/11/2021-kodak-film-price-increase-announced/

Reddit cites the previous URL
https://www.reddit.com/r/AnalogComm...update_on_2021_kodak_price_increase_only_915/

Other forums just cite the KosmoFoto url. No other sources, apparently.

The SGC article you quoted is from last year, although it would fit for now as well.

 

[ludwighagelstein]

Pretty flawed analysis as it disregards disposable income/affordability, but yes film is more or less fairly priced overall from a price index perspective.

I give you that the analysis disregards the shift in disposable income, as for example the cost of living has disproportionately risen in the last decades, while salaries haven't kept up. That was not the point of the exercise though, and I think making a complete analysis factoring in every aspect would be nothing less than an economics thesis or paper, albeit an interesting one. Imagine not having the Big Mac, but the Tri-X or Portra Index, haha.

 

[removed account4]

As opposed to the alternative? Go digital?

not really sure what the problem is with "the alternative" .. plenty of inspiring photographs are made using that medium.

I personally would rather die.

LOL

 

[BrianShaw]

not really sure what the problem is with "the alternative" .. plenty of inspiring photographs are made using that medium.



LOL

Successful fotografers… not just ‘aspiring’. oh… you wrote “inspiring”… well, that too!

 

[removed account4]

Successful fotografers… not just ‘aspiring’ oh… you wrote “inspiring”… well, that too!

LOL

You’re quite right. The only reason I point out the flaws is that this simplistic inflation-adjusted film price argument is always quickly thrown at people who find it difficult to afford photography. It’s an arrogant shot, at best. And then of course there are all the other garbage comments in threads like this along the lines of “if you can’t handle the price heat, photography isn’t for you”, or “when Kodak raises film prices, I buy Kodak film…”. Such revelations.

photography hasn't always been an expensive hobby for those who want more than dime store cameras and machine prints ?
Buying stuff / film when its more expensive. I think its called taking one for the team!