Fuji statement: Commitment to film

[Henning Serger]

Hello dear film friends,

just as an information (and without comment):

http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/nb2...l#.UAmKn6CT9ju

Best regards,
Henning

[rthomas]

Their statement leaves Ilford out completely (not to mention smaller manufacturers), so I assume they are speaking here about color films exclusively.

[BrianShaw]

That kind of press release is always welcomed. Good for them for being forthright and public about their current corporate position

The cynical side of me, though, wonders what factors (and how close we already may be to the decision limits) they have set that may change such a corporate position.

[Jeff Kubach]

A bit of good news!

Jeff

[thegman]

I think at this point I'd like to see Fujifilm sell the film business, or spin it off. They've said it's less than 1% of their business, but their business is 10's of billions of Euros a year. So the film business is probably still a couple hundred million a year, a huge business by most people's standards.

Let it run as an independent business, same for Kodak.

[CGW]

Nakajima said that the company will be required to take measures in the future to improve the profitability of the photo film business, including trimming its product lineup and passing higher costs onto customers.

Translation: Be prepared for even less choice and even higher prices--and possibly the end of production--since it's <1% of our business and likely falling.

I'm filing this with the bubbly interviews with ex-Kodak US marketing manager for professional film, Scott Disabato, who was talking about a "very real resurgence in film" in 2010 and as late as 2011 on the eve of the 1/2012 bad news.

Let's see where we stand Q3-Q4.

Guess Ilford is too small for Nakajima-san's radar.

[seadrive]

So... Fuji remains in the film business as a service to people who use film, in case EK decides to stop making film?

Well, whatever their reasons, I hope the gentleman quoted speaks truthfully.

Nakajima said that the company will be required to take measures in the future to improve the profitability of the photo film business, including trimming its product lineup and passing higher costs onto customers.

Higher costs are inevitable, but the "trimming its product lineup" part worries me.

[Steve Smith]

I think at this point I'd like to see Fujifilm sell the film business......

Let it run as an independent business, same for Kodak.

I don't see why any company would sell a part of the company which is profitable - especially Kodak if it's their only profitable part.


Steve.

[BrianShaw]

... ya, but it is always hard to know if htat is real profit or profit "on paper". Accounting hijinks are legion.

[Rudeofus]

I'm filing this with the bubbly interviews with ex-Kodak US marketing manager for professional film, Scott Disabato, who was talking about a "very real resurgence in film" in 2010 and as late as 2011 on the eve of the 1/2012 bad news.

Let's see where we stand Q3-Q4.

It's Q3 now, almost 6 months after Kodak filed for ch11, and they still coat film! Yes, they did discontinue their comparatively tiny E6 lines (which weren't their main focus anyway), but even under intense financial pressure they hold on to their coating lines. Think about this ....