The Kodak-Fujifilm rivalry continues, with the latest manifestation being duelling price rises for silver halide products!
Following the massive 30 percent plus hikes from Kodak paper and chem supplier Sino Promise, Fujifilm has gone one better, citing ‘soaring raw materials, transportation costs, etc, as well as the decline in demand.’
Film prices will increase between 20–60 percent while photographic paper will go up between 10–20 percent and photochemicals 10 percent:
April 1: Film up 20-60 percent;
May 1: Colour photo paper up 10-20 percent, photochemicals 10 percent;
June 1: Prolab products, printed products and services up 8 -94 percent.
The silver halide segment of the industry seems to be in disarray, with searing price rises across the board, increasingly stringent dangerous goods regulations hitting photochemicals, and Kodak paper and chem distributor Sino Promise possibly on the verge of collapse. The range of film stocks available is also shrinking year by year. Feedback from the US indicate that Fujifilm is aware of Kodak supply problems, but doesn’t have any extra capacity to fill the breach.
The cumulative effect of recent Sino Promise price rises, removal of credit terms and delivery payments in Australia is estimated as upwards of 50 percent – if indeed future orders are fulfilled.
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