How dependent on the internet is your continued use of film?

[Keith]

Ten minute walk to Adorama.

😀

 

[vitaly66]

Most of the vendors mentioned here -- BH, Freestyle, Adorama, etc. -- existed in business for quite some before being "online". And it is still very easy to order from them without any internet connection whatsoever by using their handy 800 numbers.

 

[telenous]

For the time being I buy most of my film locally (that's in Athens, Greece). Prices are competitive over what it'd cost to buy from one of the online stores when you calculate also p&p costs. Perhaps there'd be a small saving to be made if I were to buy 100+ rolls in one go, but I prefer to help the shopowners here, who are already in trouble anyway.

 

[burancap]

I am 100% online now and it looks like only for B&W.

I think I am going to give up on color C41 all together. I recently found that I really like Fuji 200 available for nothing (cheap) in local drug stores. I started buying it up and then the same d@mn stores selling it -gave up (cheap) C41 processing!

 

[finguanzo]

OK, OK, so it might take 15 minutes to walk 10-12 blocks...

Lucky you, it takes me a 35 minute train ride to get to adorama..
🙂

 

[Doug Smith]

Just a 5 minute walk to Adorama for me.... It's nice having it as my local camera store. I can often be found lingering in the used section seeing what gems they have on display while waiting for my number to be called.

 

[TXForester]

So far I have used online sales to purchase a couple of film cameras, but no film so far. That will probably change. Locally, I'm stuck with Fuji Superia in 200 and 400. I'm going to have to use online stores to purchase film no longer sold here.

 

[Mongo Park]

100% again online from Mailshots UK. Very good service and competetively priced here in the UK. Shop prices are just way too high.

 

[Leica All Day]

I have been shooting film for 20 plus years and I have never bought film online.....

cheers, michael

 

[newtorf]

lucky *******! 😉 I should look around for photobuds now before it is too late.

Right now, I don't buy film because I have several hundred rolls of various colour slide films courtesy of my now-digital Photobuds.
"Here Robert. I was cleaning out the freezer and found this brick of_______ and you're the only person I know still shooting film, so here ya go."
One hundred (+/-) members in my club and I'm the only film shooter left.
They even added "Digital" to the name of the club. Ugh!
I suppose at some point I'll have to go on-line to get film from Adorama or B&H, because the availability of slide film here in Toronto has been greatly diminished in the last year or so, but for now, I'm OK.

 

[mbisc]

I live in Arizona where for most of the year it is too hot for film to sit in the mailbox for half a day. Plus I like to support the last outposts of in-person, camera stores.

 

[newtorf]

Does craigslist count as local? Probably a quarter to a third of my films came from craigslist when I occasionally searched around. All others were online, but surprisingly not much from freestyle/adorama/bh.

 

[kxl]

Without the internet, I'd be forced to brave the traffic-infested 35 miles from my home to the Freestyle catalog order center in Santa Fe Springs, or even worse, endure a painful 45-mile drive to their retail store in Hollywood.

 

[GaryLH]

Maybe 80/20. 80% on line and 20% local.. 100% local for my b&w film chemistry.

Gary

 

[GaryLH]

I live in Arizona where for most of the year it is too hot for film to sit in the mailbox for half a day. Plus I like to support the last outposts of in-person, camera stores.

I usually order my film during the colder but non-rainy months. If I run out during any of the hotter months I alway buy local.

Gary

 

[3rdtrick]

I do buy most of my gear from my local shop but I get my film from B&H. About the only film I am using now is the Fuji pack film for my Polaroids and it is quite pricey in local stores if they even carry it.
Pete

 

[alienmeatsack]

I buy most of mine online, either from B&H, Freestyle, Amazon or eBay sellers. Locally we don't have any choices and those we do have are limited and overpriced. So online wins.

I have been trying to stock up when I have extra money in case the online supply gets expensive or difficult to find. And I buy almost anything in 120/135 I come across at flea markets, resell shops, etc if I can.

 

[leica M2 fan]

I just about have to buy online because of the ridiculously high prices at retail.
But I find myself going to the local photo shop when I'm out of something special
I want to shoot. It's getting harder and harder to stay with film.

 

[hipsterdufus]

I do most of my film shopping online. I also have to send my C41 out because there is no one in town that does a decent job with it. Overall, I'm beginning to wonder if it's worth the hassle to keep shooting film.

 

[Murchu]

Kinda have the best of both worlds here in Ireland right now. Between 1 great family run film mecca (Gunnes) in Dublin, and another pretty decent photography shop in Cork (Barker Photographic), it's possible to get film without resorting to the web. Moreover the two aforementioned bricks and mortar stores will both courier anything via next day delivery anywhere in Ireland. In addition to that, in recent years one of the Irish film stalwarts here has opened up his own online web front (thephotoshop.ie), through which he will supply film supplies anywhere in Ireland just as competitively priced as the two physical stores mentioned.

In addition to this, I can then order through the web also, with two great places in the UK (Silverprint & AG Photographic) that will ship to Ireland, a third (Macodirect) in Germany, and then Freestyle in the US for a bulk order when the prices can't be ignored.

You can also of course get film elsewhere here, but you will be heavily gouged, and with good film stores in the two biggest cities here, there's really no need.

I think getting hold of film supplies is not the hard part, with the main issue being able to afford commercial processing. Currently a roll of film here will run you from between €3- €5, but processing will run you €12- €15, with no commonplace processing only options really available. In addition, there's only one place left in Ireland that will process E6, so slide is as good as dead to most people, alas.

I think what is really needed, if someone had the appetite for it, is a centralised clearing house for film processing. Basically one giant location, where film could be mailed in from all around its geographic catchment area, processed and mailed back with scans or prints. Costs could be driven through the floor, and anyone could get film, be it b&w, c41 or e6 processed very cost effectively (I'm thinking €6/ €7 a roll inclusive of shipping with prints or high res scans). 2- 3 locations in each of Europe, the US, and Asia (basically enough locations to both minimise shipping costs and maximise economies of scale). That would be the game changer film needs, imo. Moreover, when up and running, then hit the market with a big campaign to get those who abandoned film back (think everyone who bought into digital, but who ever only wanted a handful of 6x4's, for example).