Film is coming back but where's the film?

[MarylandBill]

Film is dead, If BW film is still available, the price will be out of reach for most people. Yes you still can buy Polaroid, but do you willing to pay the price?

Someone must be willing to pay, otherwise they couldn't charge the prices they do... and the Impossible Project wouldn't have started making film for the cameras.

Also, wasn't instant film always more expensive than 35mm film? And more of a niche product?

--
Bill

 

[jwc57]

If people are willing to spend $14 to $35 for typewriter ribbon, there will be a market for film. Reading about the "comeback" of typewriters reminds me of some points made here at RFF about film cameras. Points like-- simplicity; tactile; slowing down the process; making you think. Like film and film cameras, people in the 20's and 30's are going to typewriters.

http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/money/media/story/2012-03-15/typewriters-comeback/53546156/1

http://articles.nydailynews.com/2011-12-19/news/30529848_1_typewriter-business-ipads-smith-corona

(I own a 1940's Underwood in working condition. I also have my dad's portable typewriter that he used when he attended college, after a career as a Marine. I'm passing the portable to my niece who has just signed a contract for her first novel.)

 

[waynec]

My guess is that E-6 will go away soon, followed by C-41 after that. In my lifetime (I'm 29) I can see having only BW film left and having to send it out to a few places around the world, or doing it at home. I don't think BW will go away.

I think half the problem is for some people having to absorb the costs to send out for processing when there is no close option. The death of the labs basically caused an increase in the total overall costs to develop and print or scan a roll. Add that in with the increase of the cost of the film and you have people saying that it's not worth it in these economic times to spend upwards of $25 a roll or more. This is why to a degree that for the real enthusiasts there is a marked interest in at home developing thru offered kits in E6 and C41.
I 'm personally going to start shooting E6 again besides B&W. Even with my closely available Pro processing and cheap shipping costs, which are only $14.50, ( I have a stock of film) I'm looking to go to a kit; It's cheaper and easily done. It's also nice to see an actual positive then have to go thru Cd's of low rez images. I can scan my own.

I agree to an extent that C41 and E6 will disappear but it will be in formats and certain films.

 

[Noll]

I think half the problem is for some people having to absorb the costs to send out for processing when there is no close option..

I dunno, I think the bigger problem is that local processing is now a huge ripoff. I went to Walgreens the a few weeks back, and processing a 36 exp roll of print film (prints + CD) cost me $17, and the scans didn't even look that good.

I can send my photos out to Dwayne's and have the same roll processed with prints and scanned for $10. And their scans look much better. Shipping adds about $1.50/roll. Precision Camera and Video is excellent as well, for less $ than Walgreens. As far as I'm concerned, the best options involve sending film out.

It's all a PITA, but I just can't quit the Portra...

 

[waynec]

I dunno, I think the bigger problem is that local processing is now a huge ripoff. I went to Walgreens the a few weeks back, and processing a 36 exp roll of print film (prints + CD) cost me $17, and the scans didn't even look that good.

I can send my photos out to Dwayne's and have the same roll processed with prints and scanned for $10. And their scans look much better. Shipping adds about $1.50/roll. Precision Camera and Video is excellent as well, for less $ than Walgreens. As far as I'm concerned, the best options involve sending film out.

It's all a PITA, but I just can't quit the Portra...

I went to Walgreen's a little over a year ago and just got the roll processed and uncut which was cheap. Too bad the girl rolled it up in front of me with bare hands.

My total cost for local pro processing including what ever film in E6 without a CD average's just over $21. The CD is $9. This does not add in shipping for the film from B&H.