Film News: Fujifilm’s latest price hike to not affect B&W films
Lovers of Fujifilm film are now scrambling to stockpile rolls with the latest news of yet another price increase. Last night on their website they announced that major price hikes are coming to its films, reportedly north of 30% starting from April Fool’s Day no less. In addition, all of their photographic papers will see prices hiked as well with the minimum increase being “double digits”:
FUJIFILM Corporation (President: Kenji Sukeno), the leader in photographic products, is announcing that it will implement a worldwide price revision for its photographic films and photographic papers. Fujifilm has always provided the highest quality products to the global market. Over the past several years, Fujifilm has faced the rising cost of raw materials and logistics. In the past Fujifilm has absorbed some of the costs by undertaking intensive structural reforms and communalization of production facilities, but as a responsible manufacturing company and to provide the high-quality products our customers expect, the company will institute a price increase.
Fear not, for the price hike will not affect their B&W film lineup…mainly because they don’t have any. Acros and Neopan went the way of the Dodo last year. So no more black and white film, rolls of Velvia will be in the neighborhood of $20 USD a pop and Pro 400H prices will be on par with Portra. But they do care about their film shooters and to show their support for the film community they’ve recently released this new website as their contribution to keep film alive!
MN
I know I’m being overly pedantic, but Fuji does manufacture black & white Instax film (mini & wide, not square but hopefully at some point they will)
How much of this do we think is actually *instigated* by the recent increased cost in everything film-related (as a growing niche hobby) along with Ectachrome’s sell-out success, $20 rolls of CineStill, and other alternate film stocks that are priced (much) higher than Fuji? (E.g. is Fuji increasing price so as not to appear to be the cheap brand?) Or is the belief this is just Fuji getting the green while the getting is good before getting out?
Definitely the second one. They don’t care enough about non-Instax film to worry much about market position. They probably just want to make the existing stockpile last longer since they’ve already stopped making many different stocks.
I have been told by a reliable sort to a (giant) New York City retailer who tells me that Fujifilm did a giant run of their films years ago and sent into the deep freeze for gradual release. SO the discontinuation announcements really represents when the stock is gone. Decision was made years ago and the machinery to create new stock, broken down for scrap.
According to Emulsive & Kosmo Foto, Fuji is bringing back Acros 100 & considering reviving some other brands.
Fujifilm did not increase the prices by 30% for the Provia 100F as announced after the intro of the Kodak E100! Guess they just wanted the same profit range for Provia they have with their instax films. Everybody should do his/her share in keeping this newly evolved competition alive! Even if Provia is sold slightly cheaper than E100.
Peter