4x5 Velvia 50 update

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Trail Images
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4x5 Velvia 50 update

Post by Trail Images » Fri Nov 09, 2012 3:05 pm Etc/GMT-1+01:00

For those who may have taken time to sign the petition and followed the updates here is a message I received last night.
It took a bit of time but Fuji did respond to the on-line petition that was signed by almost 2000 LF photogs.
The person who started the petition, Stef Dunn in Brisbane Australia, gets full credit for all his efforts to date and he is also following up with them on the response letter listed below.
He has also posted a bit of information on the response on the petition site as well. I've not seen that to date, but Stef asked that I post this information on any photog sites I had access to.


PDF Letter without the header info listed:


Thank you for your constant patronage.



I am Norihiko Sakata from Photo Imaging Products Division, responsible for photographic film products.



I am writing in reply to your letter of September 5, 2012 sent to our management including the CEO. We again realized how much photographers supported and loved “Velvia 50 sheet film” after receiving numbers of petition for continuation of the product.



Until today, we have made our best effort to keep our production to supply regularly. However, the demand of “Velvia 50 sheet film” has drastically dropped which is only a few percent compared to peak usage period. Therefore, we had to reduce the variety of photographic films including Velvia50 sheet film in order to sustain the film supply over the future.



We will try our best to examine what we can do based on your petition, but please understand that we will not be able to guarantee whether we can fully meet your expectation or not under this severe situation.



Once again, thank you very much for your continuous support.



Norihiko Sakata

Senior Operations Manager

Imaging material & Camera solution group

Photo Imaging Products Division

FUJIFILM Corporation

7-3, AKASAKA 9-CHOME, MINATO-KU

TOKYO 107-0052, JAPAN

Paul Arthur
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Re: 4x5 Velvia 50 update

Post by Paul Arthur » Mon Nov 12, 2012 12:36 pm Etc/GMT-1+01:00

Hmmmm. Seems that it's unlikely that we'll see a change in the policy then, but at least they now know how strongly people feel about it.

Thanks for organising the petition.

Even if they do change their mind, I don't think they will sell enough quantity to sustain it. Like last time, the big users of the film have stockpiled. I've picked up 1,000 sheets, and some have even more than me, whilst others have started to fully explore colour negative film to reduce their reliance on Velvia. I'll have no sympathy if it does happen - that's what happens when you mess up your supply chain and don't listen to you customers.

Paul

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Re: 4x5 Velvia 50 update

Post by Trail Images » Mon Nov 12, 2012 3:07 pm Etc/GMT-1+01:00

I totally agree with your comment, Paul. The observations about what others have done is exactly what has taken place. Many stock piled and others moved to negative film. Obviously all of this skews any numbers of support for the product and I'm sure it will be lost over the long haul. Too bad, it was Fuji's film that gave them claim to fame, so to speak. :(
Reading between the lines there was a slight glimmer of hope on their rethinking as to what could be offered up in response to the petition and overall customer loyalty. However, beyond maybe a once a year special pre-order run of some sort I do not see much of anything else. It would be better then nothing, but I suspect it might only see a one time event at best. Stef Dunn the person behind the petition and all the follow up messages and letters to Fuji is writing a letter in answer to their recent response to see what they may offer up if anything. Hopefully more to come. :D

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Re: 4x5 Velvia 50 update

Post by Charles Twist » Tue Nov 20, 2012 3:20 pm Etc/GMT-1+01:00

I hope Stef Dunn is able to make some convincing & constructive suggestions.

Paul's comment about a stockpile of 1000 sheets is quite revealing. A commercial landscape photographer working from dawn till dusk with only a 5x4 camera, will expose 20 sheets in a good day quite easily. So that stockpile would last a couple months. No good for a full-time pro. Nowadays the financial return per image rules out LF shooting in this genre, so that most LF photographers are hobbyists who might expose as little as 5 sheets on an occasional day out. I can see why Fuji's bean-counters fail to see the point.

So I hope that Stef Dunn is able to convince Fuji of the brand value associated with supporting (i) a niche market and (ii) an art form which uses some unique image-making instruments.

Charles

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Re: 4x5 Velvia 50 update

Post by Trail Images » Tue Nov 20, 2012 5:26 pm Etc/GMT-1+01:00

Very valid points, Charles. Especially about the quantity of sheets being used. I'm only a semi-pro and shot 12 sheets in a sunrise cycle just yesterday. However, it will be another week before I go through that type of event again with time permitting. But, overall the point you make about it being used in an art form or niche production would suit most folks if it is the only way to keep the film alive.
Hopefully, Stef Dunn can get a clear answer back from Fuji beyond just their regrets of the presently halted production.

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