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

[Takkun]

I sometimes love the resurrection of old threads like this..

My film buying isn't online dependent, but am a big fan of Freestyle as I bulk load.

I don't shoot much color at all, but it's rare I don't find Fujicolor, even overpriced, at chain drugstores out of town. Went out backpacking in Olympic NP a few years ago and failed to remember film, and picked up a couple rolls at a Rite-Aid in Sequim. One local Seattle-area chain, Bartell Drugs, usually has TMax, albeit at $7.50.

Glazer's just north of downtown is great, has a selection of 35, 120 and 4x5 from Kodak, Fuji, Ilford, Foma, and Adox, and even keeps Super8 around too. I do like shopping there and contributing to them stocking film, but sometimes the 10.2% sales tax is a bit steep.

In reference to the recent thread on the health of Fuji's lineup, I stopped in and spoke with staff, and was told that the other day a fairly prominent photographer whom I've never heard of stopped in and dropped $800 on film.

 

[Timmyjoe]

Hey Ian, how long have you been shopping at Glazer's? That was a blast from the past. I used to deal with a guy there named Bill, but we all called him Captain Canon because he was a nut on all the Canon FD equipment and was like an encyclopedia of Canon FD knowledge. Must have been early to mid-1990's.

Best,
-Tim

 

[Takkun]

Oh man. I've been shopping there for a long time, since 2001 or so. I ended up working at a different shop, and everyone I worked with is now at Glazer's, so its nice to see them all again. I take it that, being in Chicago, you haven't been to the new store? Still have the freezer of film, and a small but diverse darkroom section—handful of Omega enlargers, new GraLab timers, whole line of Ilford paper and some Photographers Formulary kits. Makes up for the loss of Tall's (as for the Ritz at Westlake, and Jim's, good riddance..)

The gentleman I spoke with the other day was also a Bill, though he was an encyclopedia of all things Fuji X. I've only run into him a handful of times in the last couple of years but I wouldn't be surprised if he'd been there forever and we'd just never crossed paths.

 

[Greg Maslak]

Living in a small town in British Columbia, Canada, I buy all my film and chemicals from the websites of traditional camera stores in big cities across Canada. My two favourites are Camtec in Montreal and The Camera Store in Calgary (from YouTube fame). Of course I access the the pages from the internet. I really can’t think of any traditional retailers in any business that don’t have an online presence. Unless we’re talking about sellers that are exclusively online ala Amazon, I don’t really understand the difference between online and traditional any more.

 

[shimokita]

The only reason I purchase film online is because Kodak doesn't sell certain products in Japan (e.g. Gold 200)... buy from NY with delivery less than one week - Order to Door.

 

[Godfrey]

The next to last good camera shop near me closed a couple of years ago so I mostly buy film from online retailers now. I could still get it elsewhere, but why work so hard? Online retailers are the current mode of business for most goods, simply the way it is today.

G

 

[sepiareverb]

I buy all my supplies online. I live in a small town in rural VT. I could drive to Burlington for a small number of my standard materials, but since 90% can only come in by carrier to the door I don’t bother.

 

[telenous]

I can find most everything I need locally in one or other brick and mortar store, be it film or darkroom related . That's in Athens, Greece. I am told there are three E6 labs as well. Somewhat arcane stuff, on the other hand, has to imported. For example, you will not find anyone selling Rollei S80 film or palladium printing process materials. Overall, film does well here.

 

[CharlesDAMorgan]

95% of my film and about 80% of my camera equipment purchases come from online. I'm lucky to have a good film camera store in Plymouth where I have bought film if I've run out plus the occasional camera and lens (plus bags and straps) but despite living a mere 30 minutes from London, it's cheaper and easier to order online. I actually get better rights to return goods if bought online - let alone Ebay return procedures - so it's hard to see any real benefit to bricks and mortar shopping apart from being able to handle the goods.

 

[seany65]

I buy most of my film online, but if I had the choice, and the price and quantities were similar, I would be happy to buy more from a real shop.

I certainly would not let a lack of film online stop me buying film, even if I had to pay a little more for it.

 

[webOSUser]

There are three good camera stores in the Raleigh NC area and I deal with all three.

Film and gear I get from all of them.

Some film and gear I get on line because the local stores don't carry it.

Steve W

 

[randy stewart]

I have been buying my film and paper online for 20 years or more, here in the US. This partly because the only photo store in my community closed, and partly because they didn't carry the materials I wanted when they were open. Whatever hassle is involved ordering on the internet is nothing compared to traveling about 20 miles to a major city with a couple of camera stores and having to select from their very limited support for film photographers. For me, price has not often entered into the decisions. Today, Adorama for film; Freestyle for paper.

 

[Archiver]

No thanks to Gerry Harvey, owner of the Harvey Norman retail chain and one of the strongest campaigners for lowering the GST threshold on imports, we now have to pay GST on anything imported to Australia, regardless of cost. This doesn't really help local retailers at all, it just adds money to government collections. I'll never buy at a Harvey Norman store again. Sod you, Gerry Harvey.

We can buy film from high priced retail shops, but there are a few places in Australia which offer lower priced film online. Walkens House Of Film is one of them, and while I've heard good reports, I haven't tried them yet.

The last time I bought film in a shop was a year or two ago, when I shot my last frames on one roll and found that I hadn't packed a spare. I bought two rolls of Fuji XTRA 400 for almost double what I would have paid at Walkens.

Before that, my last retail film haul was for a whole bunch of almost-expired Provia and Sensia, plus a couple of boxes of XTRA 400 and 800. They have been in the freezer since 2008, and I use a roll every now and again.

 

[Mooshoepork]

No thanks to Gerry Harvey, owner of the Harvey Norman retail chain and one of the strongest campaigners for lowering the GST threshold on imports, we now have to pay GST on anything imported to Australia, regardless of cost. This doesn't really help local retailers at all, it just adds money to government collections. I'll never buy at a Harvey Norman store again. Sod you, Gerry Harvey.

We can buy film from high priced retail shops, but there are a few places in Australia which offer lower priced film online. Walkens House Of Film is one of them, and while I've heard good reports, I haven't tried them yet.

The last time I bought film in a shop was a year or two ago, when I shot my last frames on one roll and found that I hadn't packed a spare. I bought two rolls of Fuji XTRA 400 for almost double what I would have paid at Walkens.

Before that, my last retail film haul was for a whole bunch of almost-expired Provia and Sensia, plus a couple of boxes of XTRA 400 and 800. They have been in the freezer since 2008, and I use a roll every now and again.

Full disclosure, I work in the industry.

If you’re buying film I would encourage you to use a store that isn’t known for anti competitive practices.

There was some nastiness with the company in question allegedly parking domains for other stores and having them redirected in order to stamp out business.

I can vouch for Trevor at decisive moment. Nice guy, runs a tight ship and has lots of rare stuff too.

 

[citizen99]

I can sometimes get 35mm film in the High Street e.g. Boots (UK) but mostly use 120 so that has to come by post.

 

[Lou Iaquinto]

+ 1 for "I'll never buy at a Harvey Norman store again."

Thanks for the tip on Walkens Archiver,

Lou

 

[jawarden]

100% of everything online.