the price of film...

[back alley]

have been looking at ebay for film, used to be cheaper to buy on the net, even with shipping, than to buy locally.
now the prices seem much closer to each other. not worth the wait for delivery.

this is for xp2 only.

 

[ClaremontPhoto]

Film is cheap.

Buy 100 rolls.

Or 200 rolls.

 

[back alley]

8+ bucks per roll, not THAT cheap

 

[steverett]

There's always bulk loading. To get labs to process it, just get some used film canisters from a 1-hour photo (i get them free by the dozens from walmart), tape your film to the tail sticking out, and wind it in. C-41 procesing is all the same, so it doesn't matter what type of film the canister says.

 

[steverett]

Film is cheap.

Buy 100 rolls.

Or 200 rolls.

At B&H, a 50-pack of XP2 is exactly the same as buying 50 single rolls. I noticed with some other types, 5-packs actually cost more per roll! 😕

 

[monochromejrnl]

I've found that it's generally easier to save money by processing your own B&W film than it is to find 'deals' on film and then paying someone else to process it... it also makes the process much more rewarding...

 

[dmr]

Film is cheap.

It's the processing that hurts!

 

[steverett]

I've found that it's generally easier to save money by processing your own B&W film than it is to find 'deals' on film and then paying someone else to process it... it also makes the process much more rewarding...

Agreed, but being a mod, I'm sure the OP has read many posts on the subject and has his reasons for choosing XP2.

 

[back alley]

i like xp2 but i also like other films...finding the time and energy to process seems to get harder and harder.

 

[monochromejrnl]

time is always scarce but I find that I can process 4 rolls of film in just under 30 minutes using diafine and 4 reel tank... compared to having to take film to a pro lab and the minimun 3-4 hour wait, I find it's much faster to process my own...

i drop off C-41 when I'm feeling lazy but the bulk of my stuff is home processed and I find it saves much quite a bit of money...

it's tough to complain about the price of film and not the price processing.. all I'm suggesting is that you can save money if you process your own...

if you like the smooth tonality of XP2 then you may also like Acros and Delta films..

 

[back alley]

didn't realize that i was complaining.

more like stating a new reality for me.

love the delta films, especially the 400 and 3200

 

[Fred Burton]

Pixels are cheap. Compared to them, film is outrageous! 😉

 

[cjm]

I love XP2 but stopped using it because it's too expensive for regular use (for me). I've settled on Arista Premium 400 ($1.99/roll) and Diafine ($13.99 for one year or more of use).

 

[Keith]

Film was cheap for me ... until the Aussie dollar decided to do it's submarine impression!

 

[nightfly]

A few years ago you could get rolls of Tri-X from B and H for about $2/roll, now it's $4/roll. This might have been their "imported" stuff but I could never figure out how or why it was any different.

 

[benlees]

Henry's (TO) sometimes has specials on film and they have free shipping right now. Might be worth a look.

 

[troym]

A few years ago you could get rolls of Tri-X from B and H for about $2/roll, now it's $4/roll. This might have been their "imported" stuff but I could never figure out how or why it was any different.

B&H seem to have stopped selling separate "imported" Tri-X. Don't know if Kodak pulled the plug or if their supply dried up. As I understand it, the so-called imported film was manufactured in the US for sale overseas, but purchase by B&H in foreign markets and reimported.

 

[aparat]

Bulk XP2 works out around $3 per 36-exposure roll. I second the idea of loading into used canister that you can get for free from your local minilab. I have been doing this for a while. Also, I no longer order prints, just negative processing. That, along with bulk loading, is the cheapest route with XP2.

 

[Film dino]

Bw400cn?

Bw400cn?

8+ bucks per roll, not THAT cheap

Joe,
eBay seller amaan13 has these for just over $2 a roll (Jan 08) plus shipping
Item 130273156665

 

[back alley]

that's the kodak version.
i have not used that film in a long time but remember liking the ilford better.

anyone have more recent experience with the kodak film?

his shipping seems high but even with shipping the price is way better than local.
he also has 100 roll lots available.
thanks for the hu.
joe