Fujifilm and Kodak Corp. Histories

[VidThreeNorth]

"Asianometry" has made an interesting summary video on YouTube about how Fujifilm and Kodak competed:

"Why Fujifilm Survived (& Kodak Didn't)",
posted Jun 4, 2023 by "Asianometry", [length 24:29]
""

[Jul 16, 2023]
I did not notice it at the time, but apparently, this was my 1,000th "Message". I should go celebrate. I'll grab a can of Coke. . . .

 

[wobe]

Thanks - interesting story.
Fujifilm are opening their ‘Wonder Photo Shops’ around here (and internationally according to the website) - I have two near me and one does 2 hour film processing priced at just $2.80 per roll, results are excellent - this will take over from my home processing - go Fuji!

 

[VidThreeNorth]

Based on my vague memories, in Canada, Fujifilm products were imported/distributed by Black's Cameras which was a large chain of small photography stores mainly in Ontario. Eventually Fujifilm bought out Blacks. At that point the camera industry was in decline and the Black's stores eventually shut down.

Kodak had a large processing plant in west end Toronto (near Eglinton Ave. West and Weston Rd.). The area has been under re-construction for quite some time.

 

[cgw]

Thanks - interesting story.
Fujifilm are opening their ‘Wonder Photo Shops’ around here (and internationally according to the website) - I have two near me and one does 2 hour film processing priced at just $2.80 per roll, results are excellent - this will take over from my home processing - go Fuji!

Lucky you. Fuji's sole outpost in Toronto charges C$14 to print and process 135/36. Add in the film cost of a 36exp roll of 200 at C$17 and we're talking C$31+15% HST. Go Fuji? Seriously?

 

[cgw]

Based on my vague memories, in Canada, Fujifilm products were imported/distributed by Black's Cameras which was a large chain of small photography stores mainly in Ontario. Eventually Fujifilm bought out Blacks. At that point the camera industry was in decline and the Black's stores eventually shut down.

Kodak had a large processing plant in west end Toronto (near Eglinton Ave. West and Weston Rd.). The area has been under re-construction for quite some time.

Things weren't dire in '93 when Fujifilm bought Blacks.

 

[wobe]

Lucky you. Fuji's sole outpost in Toronto charges C$14 to print and process 135/36. Add in the film cost of a 36exp roll of 200 at C$17 and we're talking C$31+15% HST. Go Fuji? Seriously?

For opening a chain of stores that support photography in general and of specific interest to me 2 hour film development processing for $2.80 (including tax) a roll?

Yes, for me, seriously.

 

[cgw]

For opening a chain of stores that support photography in general and of specific interest to me 2 hour film development processing for $2.80 (including tax) a roll?

Yes, for me, seriously.

So where exactly is Fuji running this charity? Seems their only US location was NYC that closed in 2020...
Online only now.

 

[wobe]

Wonder Photoshop

Wonder Photo Shop is your one-stop photo shop with a lifestyle upgrade! Here, creativity flows and taking a trip down memory lane is a cause for celebration. Relive your most precious memories and make them come alive, anytime anywhere as Wonder Photo Shop goes online.

wonderphotoshop.ph

There are two shops near me, one walking distance so maybe they are more prevalent in Asia - From their main website they intend to roll out these shops worldwide.

 

[cgw]

Still curious where you are because that sort of cheap process/print service just isn't that cheap anymore after demand cratered.

This Fuji shop concept isn't new in N. America. It apparently never caught on when it rolled out 6-7 years ago. The Toronto store is nothing special--lots of Fuji product and some Frontier machines. Surviving downtown labs are cheaper and faster. NYC's store closed 3 years ago where established labs are still running.

Happy you're getting a deal but it's not the norm for N. America--once a huge market. This ship sailed quite some time ago. IMHO, slightly misleading to suggest otherwise.

 

[wobe]

Still curious where you are because that sort of cheap process/print service just isn't that cheap anymore after demand cratered.

This Fuji shop concept isn't new in N. America. It apparently never caught on when it rolled out 6-7 years ago. The Toronto store is nothing special--lots of Fuji product and some Frontier machines. Surviving downtown labs are cheaper and faster. NYC's store closed 3 years ago where established labs are still running.

Happy you're getting a deal but it's not the norm for N. America--once a huge market. This ship sailed quite some time ago. IMHO, slightly misleading to suggest otherwise.

Philippines - 1x roll of 36 exposure 35mm 2 hours or next day process only is PHP 160 which is approx $2.80 and the results are good. So that sort of cheap process is available here still thankfully.

We have another competitor outfit also locally that does a similar service and price, same day etc but their results were unfortunately poor when I tried them

As you can see from the Wonderphoto site there are many branches across several Asian countries (here alone there are 22 according to their website, I know of 3 within driving distance to me, 2 of which offer the same day processing).

I already buy most of my film from them but only now tried the processing, I will be supporting them more now which ultimately is all we can do if we wanrt our local developers to continue. As I have said already on a previous post - seeing people with film cameras here is not unusual so thankfully there is maybe enough business to keep this operation viable, at least for now.

 

[cgw]

Demand tanked in N. America over a decade ago. When giant Costco closed its Canadian in-store labs in 2010, it was obvious the party was over for cheap dev/print service. Aside from scarce labs, film prices are utterly absurd but reflect how small the market is now. Believe me, I'm not happy about any of it. Enjoy it while you can.

 

[Don Fischer]

Years ago I drove for Time DC SCD for a leesor out of Greeley Colo. Seems we always hauled paper out of a small town where Kodak had a plant near Greeley, can't remember the name of it. Hauled into Rodchester and New York City. NYC building was in the south side of the city on a very narrow dead end street! If you didn't back into their narrow doors on the blind side you had to find a way to turn arround, next to impossible. Then Kodak put in a big plant in New Jersey, boy was that nice, plenty of roon to turn around and back in and plant delivery doors a lot wider. Nice enough guys to work around especially back in those days. Unions ran everything and seem's like far to many had it in for drivers like us! I hated Time DC!

 

[VidThreeNorth]

A while back, I went out and photographed the building that Kodak built in Toronto. I think it was a processing factory. The building is still there, but the big Kodak sign is gone. I photographed the building, and also a rail overpass. There is a mural which looks like a copy of an old aerial photograph taken before changes were made.

 

[Spirit Vision Photography]

Fuji is now outsourcing their film production to Kodak.

 

[cgw]

A while back, I went out and photographed the building that Kodak built in Toronto. I think it was a processing factory. The building is still there, but the big Kodak sign is gone. I photographed the building, and also a rail overpass. There is a mural which looks like a copy of an old aerial photograph taken before changes were made.

You need to do some serious research on that site, dude. You're way off the mark. Put less politely--wrong!
Processing factory? Seriously?