Comments on: Fuji Discontinues A LOT of Color Films

By: figitalrevolution

figitalrevolution — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 15:13:52 +0000

Please listen to and pass along the next post here on FR as it addresses many of the comments here on scanners:

http://figitalrevolution.com/2010/03/15/scanners-the-achilles-heel/

Viva la Revolution- Stephen

By: Sam Agnew

Sam Agnew — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 11:43:02 +0000

Just a quick followup.

A Frontier as it stands is no substitute for a Coolscan. Otherwise we’d all be happy with the CDs from our corner developer. The scans are low res and oversharpened and can’t penetrate the shadows.

What I’m saying, though, is that what a Frontier scanner does it does in something like one second per frame. Surely, a company that can do that can make a scanner that could do a decent scan in less than a minute per scan and then mass produce it. Judging by the price premium people are currently paying for an in-stock Coolscan 9000 I think they could sell lots. If they are smart and sell it cheap Flickr would be overrun with GOOD film shots. Film may even have a renaisance as a result.

C’mon Fuji (and Kodak, for that matter)! I mean, especially Kodak (they of the original PhotoCD)!

Sam

By: figitalrevolution

figitalrevolution — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 22:48:04 +0000

These are the same industry insiders that said to me years ago that film production would be done by now and that no new films would be released so why wastey time with FR… Ektar 4×5 and 8×10 prove that if enough people want something and are willing to buy it… Very important element… then anything is possible.

By: smogranch

smogranch — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 22:11:51 +0000

I’ve been mentioning this to my industry buds and there is a near immediate and forceful, “never happen,” response.

By: figitalrevolution

figitalrevolution — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 21:52:42 +0000

I mentioned this to Kodak as well… several times… but as of now nothing!

By: Paul

Paul — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 19:22:18 +0000

Sam,
That’s a great point. I would love to have something that is a production type scanner but doesn’t fill a room or require a separate pc to run like the scanner part of a frontier.

While the cost of those is not that high on the used market, space is at a premium..

Would be interesting to see what they could come up with if so inclined.
Paul

By: Sam Agnew

Sam Agnew — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 05:06:45 +0000

Here’s what Fuji need to do:

They need to leverage their expertise in film, optics and electronics and fill the gaping hole in the quality film scanner market.

How many people shoot some film, scan it on a flatbed and then walk away? How many people are serious about film but their only quality scanner alternatives are old and out of production?

The film market needs an affordable scanner for film with ICE that can do good scans quickly. It needs the resolution of a Coolscan and the DMAX of a Coolscan but and batch scan capability. It needs to be affordable and fast. I’m sure the six or seven years of sensor and electronics development since the last serious scanner was developed should make this possible. Especially for a company like Fuji that already produces a sharp scanner with almost instant scan times and ICE (in their “digital printing” Frontier machines).

C’Mon, people! Wake up! If you are serious about selling film how about helping your customers to get that film onto websites and into high-quality files for today’s digital printing!

Sam

By: Tomas Webb

Tomas Webb — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 05:10:13 +0000

I wonder if Fuji will change their mind again about certain films if enough people complain enough? Discontinuing 800z doesn’t make so much sense after their earlier announcement.

Would be nice to see an “official” fuji announcement though….

By: Dave

Dave — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 04:42:49 +0000

I find it interesting that for Neopan 400 120 they say in the Photography Blog post (linked in the comment above) that it is due to “…environmental concerns over one of the raw materials used in its production” rather than a lack of demand.

By: Hirte223@gmail.com

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