Update: Within hours of this announcement several online retailers and eBay sellers have increased their prices by up to 40% in anticipation of the April 1st change. Price gouging continues to thrive in 2019. Well done to everyone taking advantage of the situation and thank you all for supporting the community.

Effective April 1st 2019, every single film and photographic paper product sold by Fujifilm will see a “double digit percentage” increase in price according to a new press release.

Fuji color negative Film, color reversal film, Quick Snap cameras and control strips will increase by 30%, and covers:

The exact price increase has not yet been confirmed by the Japanese photography giant, although with wording like, “The minimum increase is expected to 30%“, it is this photographer’s opinion that we can expect it to be much more. Given a current price of $11.99 for a roll of 35mm Provia 100F at B&H, this means a potential post-April 1st price of $15.50 – approximately 20% more than a roll of EKTACHROME E100 at the same store.

Interestingly, INSTAX film was not explicitly mentioned in the official press release, which goes on to state:

“Over the past several years, Fujifilm has faced the rising cost of raw materials and logistics. In the past Fujifilm has absorbed some of the costs by undertaking intensive structural reforms and communalization of production facilities, but as a responsible manufacturing company and to provide the high-quality products our customers expect, the company will institute a price increase.“

Fuji’s last across-the-board professional/consumer price increase came in 2016, which saw a ~10% increase in price on all “consumer and professional photographic films, including black and white, color negative, color reversal films, as well as One-Time-Use cameras.“

Interestingly, Fuji’s Simple Ace single-use cameras saw a standalone price increase in 2018 by up to 30% in some markets (alongside a brand new packaging design).

Fuji remains one of the most commercially prudent film manufacturers today and at the very least, this latest price increase should mean the film business is able to cover its cost as an ongoing concern.

Who knows, if consumers absorb these costs (as they have already done at least four times since 2000), there may one day be an appetite at Fuji Japan to keep it going, perhaps even growing it. Regardless of your personal opinions about the company, this slightly unlikely possibility is a good thing. You can read the official press release here.

Your comments below, please.

~ EM