Tri-X price drop

[Peter Schrager]

I've been seeing a 30% price drop via some posts on Facebook...sounds like great news!

 

[logan2z]

I've been seeing a 30% price drop via some posts on Facebook...sounds like great news!

BH currently lists a 36 exposure roll of 35mm Tri-X at 9.99. That does seem to be lower than when I last looked, I thought it had gotten up to the $11-12 range.

I've moved onto HP5+ which I now prefer, but it is nice to see reductions in film prices for a change.

 

[retina_restoration]

Kodak made a post on Instagram about this, but it's only for 35mm format, not any others.

 

[otto.f]

They had to because I didn’t buy it anymore

 

[pentaxuser]

They had to because I didn’t buy it anymore

Yes but what if there is no more slack in Kodak's acceptable margin of profit versus cost of production? No more Tri-X ?

I often wonder how far that "margin" on price extends be it manufacturers' margin or retailers ' margin before we reach the real "rock bottom" or maybe every price we see is always rock bottom. That's what I always believe to be the case when I am told so

pentaxuser

 

[loccdor]

Great, when I first got started with film Tri-X and HP5+ were very close in price, $3.95 if I remember correctly. If you bought it rebranded as Arista, it was less. Have the costs of production really risen to $10 in just over 10 years? I doubt it. My guess is Kodak is making enough lately from having the only color products that they choose to lower their margins on black and white to compete better with Ilford.

 

[Prest_400]

Have the costs of production really risen to $10 in just over 10 years? I doubt it. My guess is Kodak is making enough lately from having the only color products that they choose to lower their margins on black and white to compete better with Ilford.

Well, the latest price increases were across the board and some color products are eye watering expensive (Ektachrome). But I would say it's more a matter of catching up to reality and inflation. Pre 2015 weren't good times for Kodak, and at the brink of closing. I'd rather have available expensive than nothing.
But someone, perhaps Henning, mentioned that in B&W volumes are much larger at Ilford Harman and that HP5 was ahead of sales due to the Kodak pricing.


Good news for classic 35mm B&W!

 

[Sal Santamaura]

They had to because I didn’t buy it anymore

Yes but what if there is no more slack in Kodak's acceptable margin of profit versus cost of production? No more Tri-X ?...

If the market persists in resisting high prices, yes. Currently B&H permits one to place no more than 500 36-exposure rolls of 400TX into one's cart, which I interpret as an indication sales are lacking. Things are apparently piling up even more with 24-exposure rolls of TMAX 100. B&H not only cut that product's price, but allows one to place 2,000 rolls of it in one's cart.

 

[Lachlan Young]

120 400TX is at near parity with HP5+ here currently - and about half the price of TMX 100 in 120 & 60% of the cost of TMY-II pro-packs.

 

[lamerko]

In Europe, the 135/36 is currently €14.50 ($15.70). For comparison - HP5+ is 9 euros ($9.70). The prices include taxes and are for single items. For larger quantities - there may be discounts, reciprocal for both films.

 

[runswithsizzers]

I may have shot a roll or two of Tri-X back in the early 1970s, but none since then. Somehow, I got it in my head that I don't like Tri-X. But that vague feeling is based on no more than a distant memory of something may or may not have happened to someone I once was.

I just put a roll in my B&H shopping cart, so we will see how it goes. US$10, if anybody cares (I don't).

 

[loccdor]

If the market persists in resisting high prices, yes. Currently B&H permits one to place no more than 500 36-exposure rolls of 400TX into one's cart, which I interpret as an indication sales are lacking. Things are apparently piling up even more with 24-exposure rolls of TMAX 100. B&H not only cut that product's price, but allows one to place 2,000 rolls of it in one's cart.

I like your method of testing their site, I would have never thought to do that. However I have noticed on B&H that I can only ever buy around 10 rolls of Flic Film 100 (36 exp Fomapan 100 in plastic cassettes for $4) before it's gone, that happened to me twice several months apart.

 

[Bronson Dugnutt]

IIRC the last time I purchased Tri-X was back in the halcyon days of 2017. I may have also picked up a bulk roll before prices went bonkers but it isn't on my radar in 35mm these days.

 

[logan2z]

Kodak Cuts Iconic Tri-X Black-and-White Film Prices By Up To 30%

Great news for black-and-white film fans.

petapixel.com

 

[Derek Lofgreen]

They had to because I didn’t buy it anymore

LOL me too! I love TriX but OMG $9.00 a roll really? Not to mention their color film offerings. Yikes. I am wondering if Kodak really thinks Ilford etc. are the competition... When I can pick up my digital camera and shoot BW all day long. High prices just hurt the film photography landscape on whole. At least the market may be leveling out with lower demand because the price is so high.

 

[GregY]

LOL me too! I love TriX but OMG $9.00 a roll really? Not to mention their color film offerings. Yikes. I am wondering if Kodak really thinks Ilford etc. are the competition... When I can pick up my digital camera and shoot BW all day long. High prices just hurt the film photography landscape on whole. At least the market may be leveling out with lower demand because the price is so high.

....& that gets you what?

 

[Anon Ymous]

....& that gets you what?

Some photographs at no cost?

 

[GregY]

Some photographs at no cost?

01010101..... this is after, all the analog portion of Photrio where numeric files don't count as photos....
You can buy a lot of Tri-X for the cost of a digital camera.

 

[Alan Edward Klein]

I've been seeing a 30% price drop via some posts on Facebook...sounds like great news!

Peter, better check expiration dates before buying.

 

[Cubao]

In Europe, the 135/36 is currently €14.50 ($15.70). For comparison - HP5+ is 9 euros ($9.70).

In the meantime price drop has arrive Europe as well. Tri-x (135, 36 exp.) is available under 10 Euro a roll. Today prices @ nordfoto.de

 

[miha]

Thanks for the heads up, @Cubao

 

[pentaxuser]

If the market persists in resisting high prices, yes.

I may not have understood what you have said here, Sal but it sounds as if it is your belief that the manufacturer or the retailer or are both offering the rock bottom price. There is no more "slack" in the price. If anyone values Tri-X then they need to pay the current price and be prepared to pay any future price rises. They should abandon any hope that further price resistance will result in any price drop or any hope that Tri-X may drop to the HP5+ price level

Have I got your statement correct?

Thanks

pentaxuser

 

[Sal Santamaura]

I may not have understood what you have said here, Sal but it sounds as if it is your belief that the manufacturer or the retailer or are both offering the rock bottom price. There is no more "slack" in the price. If anyone values Tri-X then they need to pay the current price and be prepared to pay any future price rises. They should abandon any hope that further price resistance will result in any price drop or any hope that Tri-X may drop to the HP5+ price level

Have I got your statement correct?

Thanks

pentaxuser

Don't read too many low-level, cost allocation financial specifics into what I wrote. I don't care whether Kodak or distributors/retailers are where the "slack" does or does not exist. Bottom line: inventory of a perishable item has piled up, and retail price has been lowered to clear it out. If the cost of producing/distributing/retailing 36-exposure 35mm 400TX (or any other SKU item) more than temporarily exceeds what the market is willing to purchase it for, it will be discontinued. That is all.

 

[lamerko]

In the meantime price drop has arrive Europe as well. Tri-x (135, 36 exp.) is available under 10 Euro a roll. Today prices @ nordfoto.de

Thanks!
I see that there are also promotions there - I loaded some Gold 200/120 in the cart

 

[pentaxuser]

Don't read too many low-level, cost allocation financial specifics into what I wrote. I don't care whether Kodak or distributors/retailers are where the "slack" does or does not exist. Bottom line: inventory of a perishable item has piled up, and retail price has been lowered to clear it out. If the cost of producing/distributing/retailing 36-exposure 35mm 400TX (or any other SKU item) more than temporarily exceeds what the market is willing to purchase it for, it will be discontinued. That is all.

Thanks, Sal and to make things worse I still maintain that Perceptol can develop a film perfectly well if there is less than 250 ml of stock solution

pentaxuser