Velvia 50 shortage

[dscottjorgenson]

There appears to be a shortage of Velvia 50 across the USA, if not worldwide, at least for the 120 format. Amazon.co.jp has instituted order quantity limits (1 box maximum), and most major US retailers are sold-out or only have small quantities, short-dated or expired. Samys in LA, for example, has had it on backorder for months now. Meanwhile prices on amazon.com have gone through the roof with those few of their retailers who still claim to have this in stock.

Can anybody here shed any light on this - reasons for the shortage and prospects going forward?

 

[Henning Serger]

No problems at all to get Velvia 50 in 135 and 120 here in Germany.
If you really need 120 now, you can place an order at Fotoimpex, they ship to the US.

Velvia 50 shortages have occured several times in the last years. Nothing new or to worry about. Probably all the pandemic-caused international logistic problems play a role here, too.

Best regards,
Henning

 

[Helge]

Love that film! So sharp, so saturated, keeps like nothing else in frost.

 

[wiltw]

Just maybe the worldwide shipping backlog has affected film...either supply of raw materials, or supply of finished goods.
The is a clog in the shipping industry because of COVID and because of considerable rise in pent up demand for goods that are shipped via freighter.
Freighters are at anchor for weeks, waiting to go into port to be offloaded. Not enought truckers available to transport all of the containers because of higher than usual number of ships being offloaded. Shortage of containers to load goods, because containers are being used and stuck on ships. Big issue and they have no idea when the situation will be alleviated.

 

[NortheastPhotographic]

There is an everything shortage. Even our bleach is backordered.

 

[Sal Santamaura]

...If you really need 120 now, you can place an order at Fotoimpex, they ship to the US...

"Now?" Henning, are you trying for a second job as a stand up comic?

Please review PHOTRIO posts about DHL shipments from FOTOIMPEX to the U.S. and reconsider that suggestion.

 

[Henning Serger]

"Now?" Henning, are you trying for a second job as a stand up comic?

Please review PHOTRIO posts about DHL shipments from FOTOIMPEX to the U.S. and reconsider that suggestion.

Hello Sal,
nice idea for a completely new career.......
But no thanks, I am satiesfied with my current jobs .
Of course I have read that thread. But it is fortunately mostly outdated now. I've just recently talked to FOTOIMPEX and they told me that meanwhile the shipping situation has improved significantly concerning speed, as the backlog of the hub in New Jersey has been reduced (that was the main problem). The latest orders only needed about 2-3 weeks from Germany to the US. Much less time than during the winter.

Best regards,
Henning

 

[dscottjorgenson]

Thanks for the responses, everybody (especially Henning). I've sent an inquiry to Fujifilm USA at https://www.fujifilm.com/us/en/business/professional-photography/film/contact and will relay their response back here should I receive any reply. (I'm doubtful that I will get any response from this company, though, at least their photography division, as I hear they are famously uncommunicative with their customers.)

Meanwhile B&H is one of the few US retailers with any Velvia 50 in the 120 format still in stock. I just today received a 5-roll pack from B&H, ordered last week and shipped on Monday. It expires April 2021 (yes this month) and is the same lot number (5232012) as half of all the 120 Velvia 50 that I bought and accumulated from various US retailers between Spring and Fall of 2020. FYI, the other half of what I accumulated over that time, also from US retailers, is expiration-dated September 2021, lot number 5242012. That's it. Go figure. I deduce from this that even major US retailers (and I believe B&H is the biggest in North America) have not received a fresh shipment of this film from Fuji in 6-12 months. In comparison, during "normal times" over the last decade, this film has always come to me with expiration still 6-12 months or more into the future.

Given those timings, it makes me suspect that Fuji has not been able to (or has chosen not to) manufacture much, or any, of this film since shortly after the pandemic got underway, whether due to shortages of raw materials, problems with distribution, issues with coronavirus safety in the factory, or whatever. I wonder what's up and when it will get back to normal.

 

[cmacd123]

Meanwhile B&H is one of the few US retailers with any Velvia 50 in the 120 format still in stock. I just today received a 5-roll pack from B&H, ordered last week and shipped on Monday. It expires April 2021 (yes this month) and is the same lot number (5232012) as half of all the 120 Velvia 50 that I bought and accumulated from various US retailers between Spring and Fall of 2020. FYI, the other half of what I accumulated over that time, also from US retailers, is expiration-dated September 2021, ... I deduce from this that even major US retailers have not received a fresh shipment of this film from Fuji in 6-12 months.

Retailers do try to keep fresh stock in stock. so if their stock is becoming close dated, one explanation is that they are receiving stale stock from the supplier, and the other one is that they have had slower sales than they were expecting and are desperately trying to run down their stock before it goes bad. with a big dealer like B&H, the second explanation is more likely in my mind. I know I personally have not used as much colour film as I would in a "Normal" year last year as I was staying close to home and avoiding any interactions with folks who might make me sick. (I have not used as much B&W either for the same reason)

 

[dscottjorgenson]

Thanks for the comment. I doubt the throttling factor is on the retailer's side. Samy's (largest photographic retailer in Southern California, if not the West Coast of North America) has had 120 Velvia 50 on backorder (according to their website) since at least February - that's when I started shopping for film again and they're my usual go-to so I've been checking-in on their website regularly since. And Unique Photo in New Jersey: spoke on the phone with a guy there a couple weeks ago and he looked-up their order history when I asked how long they'd had it on backorder. The answer was, since late last year (I don't remember whether November or December, something like that). So I think its a Fujifilm issue - either a supply chain issue, or a manufacturing one, or a distribution/export/import problem.

 

[TheGreatGasMaskMan]

I needed one, and got it off Amazon say a month or two ago. The last place I'd buy film, but some retailers had it.

 

[AnselMortensen]

Maybe @B.S.Kumar can shed some light on this?

 

[Ernst-Jan]

No problems at all to get Velvia 50 in 135 and 120 here in Germany.
If you really need 120 now, you can place an order at Fotoimpex, they ship to the US.

Velvia 50 shortages have occured several times in the last years. Nothing new or to worry about. Probably all the pandemic-caused international logistic problems play a role here, too.

Best regards,
Henning

I received some from Fotoimpex last week. (RVP50 in 120) and it was only "good" till september this year. Maybe I should speed up my shooting speed of it.

Expires slide film faster? because the previous box also wasn't also very long "good", like 11 months.

 

[TheGreatGasMaskMan]

I received some from Fotoimpex last week. (RVP50 in 120) and it was only "good" till september this year. Maybe I should speed up my shooting speed of it.

Expires slide film faster? because the previous box also wasn't also very long "good", like 11 months.

velvia 50 should hold up well past its expiration date.

 

[Helge]

Freeze it. It keeps “forever” even at a couple of degrees below zero Celsius.

 

[TheGreatGasMaskMan]

2005 expired velvia, shot summer 2019.
don't know if it was frozen or not... don't think it was

 

[Ernst-Jan]

velvia 50 should hold up well past its expiration date.

Good to know. I am not afraid for let's say 4 years or so past expiration date on film, I will store it in the fridge anyway (and the last boxes 400H I could buy in the freezer) but the scrooge inside me still wants "as fresh as possible". The Ilford films I bought recently had expiry dates in 2023

 

[TheGreatGasMaskMan]

And 2015 expired Velvia 50 from last year (literally a week before the apocalypse.)

 

[Henning Serger]

Hello Ernst-Jan,

I received some from Fotoimpex last week. (RVP50 in 120) and it was only "good" till september this year. Maybe I should speed up my shooting speed of it.
Expires slide film faster? because the previous box also wasn't also very long "good", like 11 months.

don't worry!
Fujifilm's Fujichrome colour reversal films are very stable. And Fujifilm is very conservative and cautious with their guarantee dates.
My test results concerning that topic:
1. I did a test with several rolls of both Astia 100F and Provia 400X which were both 2 years beyond their guarantee date. All these film rolls were stored for the whole period at room temperature of 18-20° Celsius (not cold stored in a fridge).
The results of all these films were perfect.

2. Did another test run with Velvias which were 5 and 6 six years beyond their guarantee date and were cold stored in a normal fridge for the whole period.
The results of all these films were perfect as well.

Best regards,
Henning

 

[Alan Edward Klein]

Does Fuji make Velvia in Japan or other countries? Could Covid be causing delivery problems? Maybe all the film is stuck in the ship in the Suez Canal?

 

[Henning Serger]

Does Fuji make Velvia in Japan or other countries?

Edward, all Fujifilm photographic colour film is produced in their factory in Japan.

Could Covid be causing delivery problems?

The pandemic is definitely causing severe shipping problems globally, with many different products.

Maybe all the film is stuck in the ship in the Suez Canal?

Certainly not, as the Fujifilm films for North- and South America are not be shipped via this route, but across the Pacific.
And here in Europe we don't have a Velvia shortage currently.

Best regards,
Henning

 

[wiltw]

Does Fuji make Velvia in Japan or other countries? Could Covid be causing delivery problems? Maybe all the film is stuck in the ship in the Suez Canal?

per web info, Fuji South Carolina plant makes no photographic film. Velvia is made in Japan.

 

[Alan Edward Klein]

Interestingly, I use Velvia 50 in 4x5 which is unavailable in the USA. I have to order it directly from Japan. Very expensive. Plus there are shipping charges.

 

[TheGreatGasMaskMan]

Does Fuji make Velvia in Japan or other countries? Could Covid be causing delivery problems? Maybe all the film is stuck in the ship in the Suez Canal?

I'd assume the evergiven incident messed up Ferrania more than it would Fuji.

 

[Ernst-Jan]

I'd assume the evergiven incident messed up Ferrania more than it would Fuji.

I don't think there are much raw materials coming in there...