Fujifilm Provia 400X and Neopan 400 are reportedly being discontinued.
Once again, it's time to report on film discontinuations. This time it affects Fujifilm.
As the US-based photo retailer Freestyle Photo announced on Facebook, two films are being discontinued. One is the Provia 400X (Amazon), a slide film with ISO 400 sensitivity, and the Neopan 400 black and white film (Amazon). Both films, in both 35mm and medium format, will disappear from the lineup in the future.
Interestingly, the Neopan 400 was only reintroduced about a year ago; previously, it had been unavailable in Germany at least. It is not yet known whether this decision affects only North America or is worldwide.
As photographers, we naturally ask ourselves which film to use as an alternative. For the Neopan 400, finding a replacement is relatively easy, as the market for ISO 400 black and white films is quite large.
These include, among others, the Rollei Retro 400s, Kodak films like T-Max 400 (Amazon) and TRI-X 400 (Amazon), or Ilford films like HP5 Plus (Amazon) and Delta 400 (Amazon).
Slide photographers who also like to shoot at higher sensitivities, however, are out of luck. The Provia 400X was the last, albeit a very good, ISO 400 slide film, and it could also be pushed without issues.
Now, the remaining slide films are only the AgfaPhoto CT Precisa 100 (Amazon), Rollei Digibase CR 200/Lomography X-Pro Slide 200, and the three remaining Fujifilm films: Velvia 50, Velvia 100, and Provia 100F. Kodak left the slide film market some time ago.
Fujifilm itself recommends the Neopan 100 as an alternative to the Neopan 400, and the Provia 100F for the Provia 400X.
Update | 23.07.2013
Fujifilm Germany has now confirmed to us that the decision comes directly from Japan and is therefore worldwide. Stocks, at least in Germany, should last for some time, so it's not like all films will disappear overnight. Nevertheless, the two films will not be produced again.
