thoughts on the announced Kodak film price increase?

[Don_ih]

If people stop using Kodak film for the "unimportant" shots and only use it for the model shoots, paid portraits, and thoughtful landscapes. Kodak won't sell enough film to justify making film.

 

[removed account4]

The film market did shrink in the past and this impacted all major manufacturers, in particular Kodak and Fuji.

However, after this reduction, the demand has only gone up, and up, and up, and up, as @Henning Serger duly noted here, every year, every month.

hi flavio81
IDK doesn't really seem like its really going up up up to me. someone in a previous thread in the past few weeks posted something about Ilford's numbers during this pandemic going down. we'll never really know what's going on. seems like they have a coating schedule and they are keeping us dogs hungry until feeding time.

please see graph at bottom of this page, supposedly shows the trend..

 

[removed account4]

Huh? I don’t only use Kodak stuff. I like Ilford and Fuji films also. I’m just saying if Kodak shut down building 38, and either offshored film production or just sold the brand/trademarks I wouldn’t use Kodak film anymore.

sorry for my misunderstanding
you made it seem as though if EK stopped making film you would stop making photographs,
I was wondering if you lost possession of a specific camera you would stop making photographs too.

Greed eventually leeds to ones demise.

Using kodak film for only important shots is greedy or Kodak's raising their prices to deal with the increased cost of manufacturing and distributing film is greedy ?

 

[faberryman]

Or I could go digital, except it’s so expensive to get into and I get poorer every year, so I’d need a get rich quick scheme.

Have you considered going into film manufacturing? Sure there are a few barriers to entry, but nothing a guy with a couple of hundred million dollars can't handle. You know there is a revival going on and existing manufacturers can't keep up with demand. And you can raise prices as often as you want. People will pay anything for a roll of film.

 

[BrianShaw]

So I’ve heard. Perhaps I will write to Elon (pardon the obscure pun) for some funding.

What about Bezoschrome?

 

[sasah zib]

fao 2019

the trend is clear. All emulsions through transship

Kodak is banking on their deals with CVS and Google photo

 

[Don_ih]

Greed eventually leeds to ones demise.

I doubt it's greed. They want a certain amount of profit from what they manufacture - as all companies do. Their film is expensive to manufacture, though. The more expensive the thing you make, the more you have to charge per unit to maintain a good margin. The problem is the demands of their margin. If they exceed the price people are willing to pay and remain inflexible in terms of their demands for profit (which is different from greed) for that product, they'll have to stop making it. Realistically, no one can expect Kodak or anyone else to manufacture the film for nothing.
So the other option to raising prices is reducing cost. That would be a lower-quality product or the same product made using a cheaper workforce.

 

[MattKing]

And don't forget that the price increase isn't coming directly from Eastman Kodak. It is coming from Kodak Alaris, which means increased costs relating to distribution issues are also influencing the results.

 

[Pieter12]

I doubt it's greed. They want a certain amount of profit from what they manufacture - as all companies do. Their film is expensive to manufacture, though. The more expensive the thing you make, the more you have to charge per unit to maintain a good margin. The problem is the demands of their margin. If they exceed the price people are willing to pay and remain inflexible in terms of their demands for profit (which is different from greed) for that product, they'll have to stop making it. Realistically, no one can expect Kodak or anyone else to manufacture the film for nothing.
So the other option to raising prices is reducing cost. That would be a lower-quality product or the same product made using a cheaper workforce.

Greed also plays a part in compulsive bargain-hunting.

 

[Don_ih]

Greed also plays a part in compulsive bargain-hunting.

I doubt bargain hunting has anything to do with it. People who want to shoot film can only use what they can pay for. The more you want to use, the more you need, the more you pay. Commercial use is a different matter, of course, because film then becomes an expense (which is to be covered by payment for work). Plain old pure "I just wanna use film" can't be blamed for not wanting to spend a lot of money, since it's not using the film to actually make money. Wanting the "highest possible quality" for personal use is great - but it's very rare. Most people will compromise. Looking to be able to spend less is not greed. Also, normally, Filmy Joe spends $50 on film - so he gets 10 rolls of Foma instead of 7 rolls of Tmax. He's not actually saving money.

 

[Pieter12]

I doubt bargain hunting has anything to do with it.

True, but then digital is the real bargain here, unless you're shooting film with an off-brand or unpopular camera. Certainly film is not cheap when you're shooting larger than 35mm. But there are folks who will hunt down the absolute lowest price on film--meaning someone is getting the short end of the stick. Either the buyer, getting short-dated or expired film, or the seller, cutting margins razor-thin. There is no free lunch. If Kodak decides they need higher profits to continue to make film, so be it. Or they could go the way of Agfa.

 

[removed account4]

if people added up all the hours they shop around and bargain hunt they will realize if they charged minimum wage for their time they will have spent more than any film that is expensive that they refused to buy because it was expensive. It's like driving around to get 2cents off a gallon of gas, people waste dollars so they save 30 cents. the idea that EK or KA are greedy is absurd. Their films are supposedly the best on the market, they put huge effort in manufacturing a great product lots of RD. If people don't want to buy whatever film it is that has become to expensive to fill their camera, then they will buy a lesser expensive film and fill this site up with endless threads about how lousy brand X film is, nothing new.

 

[Pieter12]

if they charged minimum wage for their time

Another great fallacy. Who is paying?

 

[George Mann]

I will likely be forced to give up on this falsely inflated "commodity" entirely!

It's too bad digital sucks.

 

[warden]

fao 2019View attachment 289997

the trend is clear. All emulsions through transship

Kodak is banking on their deals with CVS and Google photo

Where is this graph from? What do the colors refer to?

 

[George Mann]

You made it seem as if you were an inventor millionaire in a previous post/posts not quite sure why someone who lives in a mansion is complaining about film prices…

It has been many years since I have been wealthy (I live in a campervan).

 

[Ai Print]

It's too bad people like you don't recognize how good digital is. Whether photography or CDs.

Some never tire of the tired old argument. I don’t use both film and digital because I am indecisive, I use them both because they are both good!

 

[George Mann]

Digital doesn't look or sound real!

 

[George Mann]

He’s the cook, not the owner.

A real comedian!

 

[George Mann]

I’m curious - do you really believe this crap or are you just trolling everyone here? Nothing wrong with trolling. I’m just asking.

I the Great Genius see and hear better than others!

 

[pentaxuser]

And don't forget that the price increase isn't coming directly from Eastman Kodak. It is coming from Kodak Alaris, which means increased costs relating to distribution issues are also influencing the results.

An interesting point Matt. Could it be that Kodak's increase to reflect all the reasons that have been given is in fact in the high single figure range and that it is KA ,whose aim is the health of the Kodak pension pot, that is the one that has added on what many see as as an unreasonable/unaffordable margin?

pentaxuser

 

[George Mann]

There has been too much emphasis on Alaris and Kodak instead of the causative effects of inflation, and the volatility of shipping plus the (lack of) availability of materials.

Every company and consumer is feeling the sting.

 

[removed account4]

It has been many years since I have been wealthy (I live in a campervan).

sorry about prying, I hope things get better.

 

[George Mann]

Using kodak film for only important shots is greedy or Kodak's raising their prices to deal with the increased cost of manufacturing and distributing film is greedy ?

The greed I am referring is a deeply entrenched institution far removed from casual introspection.

 

[Pieter12]

health of the Kodak pension pot is the one that has added on

That is an expense that part of the cost of doing business. If you had worked a lifetime at EK, wouldn't you like to know your pension check wouldn't bounce? I would be more upset if it were to go to shareholders or the CEO's pocket.