Re: Ilford Quitting Film Business

AgfaPhoto (the new name after the management buyout) plans to focus on digital. Their income is now primarily from equipment leases to photo labs. I expect them to focus on color papers and chemistry for labs, and my guess (my reluctant guess) is the consumer film business will fairly quickly die.

The trend recently, according to PMIA, is that consumers are becoming discouraged about printing from their digital cameras at home, having discovered that it is slow and expensive, and are returning to photo labs for getting prints from their memory cards. This kind of printing is once again a growth market -- film sales volume (excluding one-time-use cameras) is dropping like a stone. Last year the prediction was a 15% decrease, and it turned out to be closer to 20%. The trend is accelerating.

David Foy

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> ------------Original Message------------
> From: Tom Ferguson <tomf2468@pipeline.com>
> To: alt-photo-process-l@sask.usask.ca
> Date: Fri, Aug-27-2004 8:50 AM
> Subject: Re: Ilford Quitting Film Business
>
> It isn't a "done deal", but it is very scary. Ilford is in some sortof
> legal bankrupt state (I'm in the US, so the British legal termsleft me
> a bit confused). The article stated that the "receivers" hopeto sell
> the film and "photo paper" business as an "on going business".But, if
> that doesn't happen quickly.......
>
> The Ilford inkjet paper division is continuing unaffected and for
> nowIlford USA (distributer I assume) is continuing unaffected (but
> thearticle didn't say how much material they had). I use Ilford for my8x10 and
> 11x14 camera film, I use Photowarehouse film (Ilfordrepacked) for
> enlarged negs from color transparencies, I still do afair bit of Silver
> printing and Ilford MGFB is my most commonpaper....... I'm worried!
>
> Agfa is a similar story, not exactly gone but in serious trouble.
> Agfahas "stopped" the film/paper department but agreed to sell it to agroup
> of the existing department managers. Assuming they close thedeal (the
> managers come up with the $$) Agfa will be back soon.
>
> One big, scary, question is what any re-started company would do
> withcurrent product lines and prices. I assume any new (smaller) concernwill
> have to raise prices and shrink offerings. That is very scary toan
> 11x14 shooter who also uses 16x20 pan film for enlarged negs. Backto wet
> plates????????
>
> On Friday, August 27, 2004, at 06:23 AM, Robert Newcomb wrote:
>
> Is is a done deal? Is Ilford really out of the film business?
> They have been a good source for large format film. How will
> we shoot big and/or make enlarged negatives? Somebody please
> calm me down a little!
> Robert Newcomb
>
>
> ---- Original message ----
> Date: Thu, 26 Aug 2004 21:47:27 -0700
> From: steves <sgshiya@redshift.com>
> Subject: Re: Agfa Quitting Film Business
> To: alt-photo-process-l@skyway.usask.ca
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Susan Huber" <shuber@ssisland.com>
> Subject: Re: Agfa Quitting Film Business
>
>
> I am shocked-yesterday- Ilford had quit the film business!
> I blame all the bottom liners!
> What is one to to do?
> Susan
>
> It is less 'what is ONE to do, but what about the MANY?' The
> simple
> solution is buy more film and paper.
>
> How many of you plan to actually Make your editions of 20 or
> 45, or whatever
> you claim as your edition?
>
> Now you see what the price of a photograph can become.
>
> Buy enough and your company will remain in business.
>
> I gave up on Agfa for Luminos Artos, myself.
>
> S.
>
>
>
> --------------
> Tom Ferguson
> http://www.ferguson-photo-design.com
Received on Fri Aug 27 18:41:01 2004