ILFORD price rises

[Tom Kershaw]

I see on the RK Photographic website that FP4 Plus 8x10 has gone up by around 45% from 50.88 GBP to 74.00 GBP

Tom

[Ian Leake]

The Ilford price rises have been pretty well trailed, and I'm sure they wouldn't be doing this unless they had to.

[Dave miller]

Not too much above the rate of inflation then!

[Trevor Crone]

I think they could keep down their prices by repackaging. Perhaps do away with their cardboard boxes (sheet film) and foil wrap sheet film along the lines of Wephoto.

[Richard Gould]

At that rate it will almost make Kodak prices seem cheap, and I use Ilford both for its quality and price, I just hope it does'nt price it's self out of the market in the uk Richard

[Ian Leake]

It's always been likely that prices would increase as film becomes a niche fine art product. Many of us have got used to spending big bucks on gear while enjoying relatively cheap consumables. We have to get used to the new reality that film/paper is expensive. If we want to use the best materials then we have to be willing to pay a realistic price for them.

I have done the maths for my own work. In my last modelling shoot I used 44 sheets of HP5+ (36 10x8 and the rest 5x4), and I can certainly say that the price increases will hurt. But I also believe that I can keep using HP5+ in the volume I need by raising my print prices and finding new customers.

Ilford is pretty much the only game in town for many film/paper products. If we want them to emerge from the recession as a strong business with a long term future, then it's in our own interest to stick with them. That means finding ways to keep using (and buying) Ilford film and paper. And it means helping them find new customers by evangelising about their film and paper.

[Dave miller]

Originally Posted by Ian Leake

It's always been likely that prices would increase as film becomes a niche fine art product. Many of us have got used to spending big bucks on gear while enjoying relatively cheap consumables. We have to get used to the new reality that film/paper is expensive. If we want to use the best materials then we have to be willing to pay a realistic price for them.

I have done the maths for my own work. In my last modelling shoot I used 44 sheets of HP5+ (36 10x8 and the rest 5x4), and I can certainly say that the price increases will hurt. But I also believe that I can keep using HP5+ in the volume I need by raising my print prices and finding new customers.

Ilford is pretty much the only game in town for many film/paper products. If we want them to emerge from the recession as a strong business with a long term future, then it's in our own interest to stick with them. That means finding ways to keep using (and buying) Ilford film and paper. And it means helping them find new customers by evangelising about their film and paper.

To a large extent I agree with what you say Ian, but it would be nice to hear from Ilford along the lines of "sorry, but we have to increase our prices because" instead of just having the misery heaped on without explanation.

[Ian Leake]

Originally Posted by Dave

To a large extent I agree with what you say Ian, but it would be nice to hear from Ilford along the lines of "sorry, but we have to increase our prices because" instead of just having the misery heaped on without explanation.

Yes, the PR could have been handled better. But unlike Kodak they remain absolutely committed to film so we really need to cut them some slack.

[Matt5791]

I agree the PR has not been as slick as we have come to expect from Ilford. These price rises are more about controlling the market in Europe where there is a weak £ in the UK. I've heard of some retailers who have been selling considerable quantities of products to customers on the continent - and this was problematic for Ilford. I know there were retailers in Germany buying off UK re-sellers for less than they could buy off their offical German supplier.

Having been over the prices, the actual results are not that bad. Many of the items the rises are not all that painful. The product lines that suffer the worst are, without a doubt, MGIV Fibre and MGIV Fibre Warmtone. Film is still resonably competitive, and we will try to keep it that way!

Also remember, there are other alternatives to Ilford - we will be bringing in more and more Rollei lines, and we have the Adox too of course - both of which are very competitive.

Matt

[B&W Neil]

Although I have used Ilford items for a large number of years I also have an eye open for what else is coming onto the market and what is happening there at the moment is quite interesting. I am already using ADOX and Foma items and are very pleased with the results - especially Foma papers. I would miss Ilford FB WT, as I had to get used to missing Forte FB WT, and I think that is about it out of the Ilford range for me. Everything else can be got elsewhere or made up yourself. I would like to support Ilford but in retiremnet, and I am sure like many othes here, one has to draw the line somewhere when it comes to hobby expenses.

I just hope they don't eventually price themselves out of the UK amateur hobby market.

Neil.