Sayonara Acros?

[cgw]

Fuji usually doesn't fool around. Affects both 35mm and 120.

Fujifilm Acros 100 Film To Be Discontinued in October 2018, Report Says - Fuji Rumors

 

[Derrel]

Well...I sense that there is truly not that much interest in B&W film these days when, with multiple readily-accessible newer technologies, we can take any color film image (slide or negative) and easily convert it to Black & White. Shooting in Black & White on film really does not make a lot of sense to many people; today you can scan or digitally photograph color film images, and apply myriad post-processing effects to the film, and arrive at a wide,wide range of final image looks. With B&W film...you're pretty well locked-in to a B&W final image.

My impression is that, in today's quite small film market, color stocks are what the majority of sales are made up of. Economically, it must make no sense for Fujifilm to continue making and selling Acros 100.

 

[cgw]

Film products and processes make up a tiny part Fuji's financial statement. That, I think, is what's kept Acros around this long. I'll miss it, especially in 120.

 

[jcdeboever]

I love that film. That sucks. Oh well, I like TriX too and it's still around.

 

[cgw]

Agree with Derrel. Just more evidence that the "film renaissance" is, sadly, proving to be a mirage. In this case, the irony of the Acros discontinuation must be stinging Fuji since they made a big deal of their "Acros" film simulation in their newer mirrorless models.

 

[compur]

But, Fuji's instant film business is evidently booming

PetaPixel says:

"Fujifilm’s Instax instant film business has been booming as of late, selling in record numbers (outpacing Fujifilm’s digital cameras) and dominating sales charts on Amazon. But sadly, it doesn’t appear that Fujifilm’s traditional films have seen as much of a resurgence."

https://petapixel.com/2017/10/27/fujifilm-killing-off-films-2018-things-look-grim/

 

[Derrel]

But, Fuji's instant film business is evidently booming

PetaPixel says:

"Fujifilm’s Instax instant film business has been booming as of late, selling in record numbers (outpacing Fujifilm’s digital cameras) and dominating sales charts on Amazon. But sadly, it doesn’t appear that Fujifilm’s traditional films have seen as much of a resurgence."

https://petapixel.com/2017/10/27/fujifilm-killing-off-films-2018-things-look-grim/

Ironically...one of the single biggest shifts in photography during the digital imaging era has been the ability to shoot, and to "see the picture" very quickly--before leaving the party, before leaving the wedding, before the flavor of the event has even left one's immediate senses...and that is what "instant film" processes have always provided: the ability to shoot a picture, and then to be able to see it, to share it, to see the finished image, immediately. Fuji's "Instax" film is an instant picture process...the images take less time to develop than it takes to eat a hamburger or to drink a soda...similar to the way digital images can be "seen" and "shared" immediately. It seems to me that "immediacy" is a thing that many people crave now, as it relates to photographic imagery.

 

[compur]

^ Yup

Sadly, the New55 project has also died:
New55 FILM | Real photography – without a darkroom.

They were involved with bringing back 4x5 Polaroid 55 film and did produce some products, I believe.

 

[jcdeboever]

^ Yup

Sadly, the New55 project has also died:
New55 FILM | Real photography – without a darkroom.

They were involved with bringing back 4x5 Polaroid 55 film and did produce some products, I believe.

They just released a batch for a limited time.

 

[Jamesaz]

During the winter holidays just passed, one of my grandkids (5yrs.) had an instax. Besides my interest in playing with it, I observed that she and her cousins (8 & not quite 11) we're posing and directing each other and then looking at the prints together. They could just as easily shared on their phones ( yes, they have phones, except the 5 y.o. but she sure knows her way around one) but instead all looked at the same images together. I, at least, found this refreshing and far more social than phone looking. As far as the instax product goes, I don't have to own one but that's just me.

 

[Dave442]

I have a few old rolls of film laying around, but no camera to put them in. I have an old turntable, but no records to play on it. My wife has a saddle, but no horse to saddle up.

As the old ways go out of style it just becomes too much of a nitch market.