Fujifilm announces shortage of 120 slides

Sorry Fujifilm film shooters, more bad news: on the heels of a steep price hike announcement, the brand has revealed a looming shortage of medium format slide film caused by supply chain constraints. Color reversal film enthusiasts will need to hang on, stock up and be patient, as the brand’s 120 format film is expected to be in short supply for the foreseeable future.

Films concerned

Rest assured, 35 mm shooters, for the moment, the announcement concerns only slide films in 120 format (medium format). These include Fujichrome Velvia 50, Fujichrome Velvia 100and Fujichrome Provia 100F.

“It is difficult to supply enough products due to an insufficient supply of raw materials, and supply and demand are expected to be tight at this time,” the company wrote on its website.

Where to find it before it’s too late

We checked with three major US-based retailers to see if we could still pick up rolls of any of the stocks mentioned above and came up almost empty-handed. B&H and Adorama list the movies as out of stock. That said, Amazon had a handful of Provia 120 five-packs available from a third-party seller for around $20 above the current rate ($85).

On the other hand, our local camera store…Glazer’s Camera in Seattle, WA—has both Velvia 50 and Provia 100 in stock. So definitely worth looking local first if you’re on the hunt!

The shortage follows a dramatic rise in prices

The announcement comes about a week after the brand acknowledged plans to raise movie prices later this month by up to 60%. Photographic paper, processing chemicals and other printing products and services will also see price increases, some by up to 94%.

“Fujifilm Imaging Systems Co., Ltd. has responded to recent increases in raw material prices, transportation costs, etc., as well as reduced demand for photography-related products,” its site explained. website. “We have done our best to absorb the costs by improving production efficiency and reducing costs, but since it is difficult to absorb the costs by company efforts alone, we will implement revisions of price.”

Can you still shoot a movie on a budget?

With shortages and skyrocketing prices, some may wonder, “Is it still worth making movies?” We say yes! In fact, it’s still entirely possible to shoot movies on a budget, although you may have to settle for more affordable stocks than Provia and Velvia.

In this article, we outline three ways to save some cash while satisfying your analog appetite. (Spoiler: For the price of a new Nikon Z7 kityou could shoot, develop and digitize a 35mm roll a week for 12 years, what do you think?)

So hurry up and stock up if your movie of choice is on the affected product list, and don’t forget to #staybrokeshootfilm.

About Debra D. Johnson

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