Film Price Increases

[Oren Grad]

The thread about Ilford is inconclusive about what the actual price changes will be, as opposed to MSRP. This is an important distinction. It's not a 50% increase overnight or anything as far as I can see.

What Bryan said. We'll see for sure in the coming days as the dealers digest it, but from the looks of the leaked spreadsheet the Ilford price changes will amount to a routine incremental increase, not a sudden large jump.

Other things that stood out for me: the spreadsheet included stock numbers and pricing for many of the ULF and other special sizes, indicating that at least for now Harman intends to continue to provide those sizes. And the spreadsheet also listed four sizes of Direct Positive paper, indicating their intent to continue offering this product, about which there had been some doubt - and with prices unchanged.

Given overall market conditions, it seems to me that at least on the Harman front this adds up to good news, not bad news.

[Tin Can]

Now we need a link to the Ilford thread

Or not

[B.S.Kumar]

The quantum of increase aside, why did all the others increase their prices simultaneously? The drying up of supplies from Fuji would naturally increase their sales volumes, so why should unit prices increase? My point is that like Fuji, all companies are bound to do the best for their shareholders. Every company tries to keep prices competitive. Now that the highest priced product is no longer available, they see that there is margin for increasing profit.

The link on the Photrio site for the Ilford prices has disappeared. But one example was

According to the spread sheet for 35mm Delta 100 36 exp:
DP100, 35MM, 36 EXP* 019498780622 10 100 S $6.30 $9.69
The dealers price is $6.30 and the MSRP in $9.69. The current price on B&H is $6.95.

We think B&H has only a 65 cent (10%) margin on that film. We don't know what the old dealer price and MSRP were.

[Laurent L]

Don't be so worried about film price increasing...

Everything is getting more and more expensive, it's inflation -and speculation as Kumar San pointed- that's all ! As a social worker with a low wage, I should be devasted but in fact I'm not. Photography, especially large format photography is so important to me that I decided to make it my only hobby. It's just a question of priority! And if the films prices goes on increasing till becoming some luxury items then I will shoot less but I'll keep on having fun with my large format gear.

And talking about prices, you should be happy about the prices you pay for your films in the US. Here in France the cheapest (not outdated) HP5 4x5 box of 25 sheets is sold on the Internet at 60$ shipping costs non included. The worst is yet to come with the aftermathes of the brexit, there will be a sharp rise in Ilford products...

At that time I will buy from the USA at B&H

This is kind of silly when you think about it, films made in the UK shipped in the USA will be sent back in Europe in order for film users to save money...

Anyway that's the way things go, why can't we just feel lucky to be able to shoot fresh film ? I deeply blame Fuji for the disappearance of Astia, Reala and now Acros but knowing that Kodak and Ilford are still making some money with films I want to trust in the future of this industry even if at the end we end up with only a few different films. Just hope my dear HP5 will be one of the survivors.

[paulbarden]

So it seems to me that everyone who is getting upset about Ilford's price increase is looking at the MSRP without interpreting that figure. Nobody sells Ilford films at MSRP.
I was shopping for supplies at Blue Moon Camera on the weekend and I asked the owner about the Ilford price update, and I was told that this would translate into an increase of maybe $6 or $7 over current prices (I asked specifically about boxes of 8X10 sheet film). That seems inconsequential to me. Its not as if you are going to find boxes of 8X10 FP4+ selling for $161. once new prices settle in.

If you can afford Ilford sheet film today, you can still afford it tomorrow.

[Pere Casals]

Where are the people who castigated Fuji for their greedy ways?

I've a different point of view.

Fuji imposed a 200% overprice in LF Acros compared to MF across, per surface. This is a short term policy to make money from captive customers, bring sells down, and preparing for product line killing.

Ilford has similar per surface price in LF than MF, they have a long term business for LF film, in the same way than with paper.

Customers can be loyal to a brand, and a brand can be loyal to customers. When a brand like kodak/fuji charges a 200% overprice to LF customers, this is not nice.

Understand me, my concern is that is that they are preparing to kill LF color slide photography, and this is the assassination of a kind of art.

This is sad, and painful.

IMHO Fuji could be proud of sourcing the most powerful imaging system in the world, and promoting that from loyalty to loyal customers, and having respect for LF photography. But what I see is 2nd rate managers using MBA recipes for fastfood restaurants.

[koraks]

Supporting art is nice, but fuji is not a philanthropic organization. They're a high-volume corporation; niche products evidently don't make sense to them. You can make it an ethical debate, but that's just as one-sided a view as the conjecture about 2nd rate MBA's.

[Bob Salomon]

Supporting art is nice, but fuji is not a philanthropic organization. They're a high-volume corporation; niche products evidently don't make sense to them. You can make it an ethical debate, but that's just as one-sided a view as the conjecture about 2nd rate MBA's.

I would think that a 2nd rate MBA might be more inclined to try to cater to a dimensioning niche market!

[Tin Can]

Zinger!

Great word usage 'dimensioning'

[Bob Salomon]

Zinger!

Great word usage 'dimensioning'

Spell checker didn’t catch it.

Diminishing market

Sorry, but thanks for pointing it out!