cosmonaut
Well-known
I am down to six rolls of color film in the fridge. Five rolls of Reala, One roll of Ektar. So I checked the B&H catalog and color film prices and choices is going to make me quit color film all together. I still have quit a lot of B&W. 60-70 rolls.
Maybe someone will buy out Kodak patents and put out some more. I really love Ektar.
For those of you still using color how do you cope with high prices. Is there some where it is cheaper? Have you quit color all together?
Maybe someone will buy out Kodak patents and put out some more. I really love Ektar.
For those of you still using color how do you cope with high prices. Is there some where it is cheaper? Have you quit color all together?
keytarjunkie
no longer addicted
I try not to look at the price. As a college student, film takes up most of my budget.
My school has a few Jobos we can use to develop our own film, so that helps. 4x5 Portra is nearly $4 a sheet, and 8x10 has become too expensive to ignore the cost of. I don't think I'll be able to afford 4x5 film after I graduate, as I won't be developing it myself. 35mm is cheap cheap cheap in comparison!!
My school has a few Jobos we can use to develop our own film, so that helps. 4x5 Portra is nearly $4 a sheet, and 8x10 has become too expensive to ignore the cost of. I don't think I'll be able to afford 4x5 film after I graduate, as I won't be developing it myself. 35mm is cheap cheap cheap in comparison!!
Robert Lai
Well-known
I just pick up expired rolls whenever they become available. Fuji slide films (e.g. Provia 100F) are still good 5 years after the official expiry date. Their color negative films keep well too. For a while I was using their 800H that was a few years expired.
thegman
Veteran
I don't shoot a huge amount, so the cost is not a big deal. However, there is cheap film, like Superia or Kodak Gold. To be honest, looking at the price of film now, vs. the 90s, taking into account inflation, it's probably a bit cheaper now. There have been recent spikes though, which make it seem pricey.
I just bought 5x120 rolls of Provia 400X for £8, so it's not too bad. And that was from the official Fujifilm shop.
I just bought 5x120 rolls of Provia 400X for £8, so it's not too bad. And that was from the official Fujifilm shop.
steveniphoto
Well-known
i shoot the cheapest film i can get. that normally means arista premium or arista ultra for b/w and fuji superia for color.
David Hughes
David Hughes
Hi,
I keep my eyes open and buy whenever I see it going cheaply. As has been said, about to expire or just expired is very cheap. Sometimes I get silly bargains when they clear th shelves for no reason I can understand, f'instance 3 36 exp. cassettes of slide film for two pounds earlier this year...
BTW, when I sold my dSLR (a serious "pro" model) I got to wondering what each photo cost and discovered that each file from the digital was the same price (within a fraction of a penny) as the 7 x 5 prints I pay for with colour negative film. Add the cost of the printer, paper and ink etc and digital is dearer. For reasons that escape me, people seem to think film is dear and digital is free but ignore the cost of a new digital, etc, every few months or years. And you can buy a lot of film for the loss of money on digital.
Regards, David
I keep my eyes open and buy whenever I see it going cheaply. As has been said, about to expire or just expired is very cheap. Sometimes I get silly bargains when they clear th shelves for no reason I can understand, f'instance 3 36 exp. cassettes of slide film for two pounds earlier this year...
BTW, when I sold my dSLR (a serious "pro" model) I got to wondering what each photo cost and discovered that each file from the digital was the same price (within a fraction of a penny) as the 7 x 5 prints I pay for with colour negative film. Add the cost of the printer, paper and ink etc and digital is dearer. For reasons that escape me, people seem to think film is dear and digital is free but ignore the cost of a new digital, etc, every few months or years. And you can buy a lot of film for the loss of money on digital.
Regards, David
Godfrey
somewhat colored
Simple: I pay them when I want to use film.
If I don't want to pay for film (and processing), I use a digital camera.
Just got a stock of film for my Polaroid SX-70 in yesterday. Seven packs of film, 56 exposures, cost $160. I'll enjoy using it up, a lot, and I'll do my best to make every one of those exposures count for something.
Film and processing are the price of enjoying film photography. It's never been cheap.
G
larmarv916
Well-known
Well for starters, Bulk roll film is a great price and you can load rolls when you need them and the film rolls fit in a small can and you can keep it frozen for years. Second I try use the idea that I am shooting "Cut Film" and only allow myself 3 or 4 sheets per day...force myself to slow down...think more and shoot less....means more productive creative output by me.
TXForester
Well-known
I'm finishing off the last of the film from the 99¢ store. I'll probably switch to Kodak Gold and Color Plus for everyday shooting, and use slide or Ektar when I'm shooting something special.
ottluuk
the indecisive eternity
Last couple of months - no problem - I'm attending uni lectures at daytime and (try to) get work done at evenings/weekends so time and energy left to burn film is almost nil 
But even with a normal schedule, I shoot low volume. I've tried cranking it up, especially with digital, but after a shooting spree I usually just feel bad, and even worse when looking at all the crap produced. Increasing overall volume doesn't seem to increase the number of keepers much in my case.
All colour gets shot on digital nowadays although I really liked Portra 160NC in my pre-digital days. Basic black and white 35mm films are still quite affordable locally (and I could save more by ordering bulk quantities from abroad when I finally decide to settle on a specific emulsion). I shoot a roll of XP2 every now and then and get lab proofs - and that is a bit more expensive. But that is still less costly than having four beers in a local bar and provides longer lasting fun than four beers.
But even with a normal schedule, I shoot low volume. I've tried cranking it up, especially with digital, but after a shooting spree I usually just feel bad, and even worse when looking at all the crap produced. Increasing overall volume doesn't seem to increase the number of keepers much in my case.
All colour gets shot on digital nowadays although I really liked Portra 160NC in my pre-digital days. Basic black and white 35mm films are still quite affordable locally (and I could save more by ordering bulk quantities from abroad when I finally decide to settle on a specific emulsion). I shoot a roll of XP2 every now and then and get lab proofs - and that is a bit more expensive. But that is still less costly than having four beers in a local bar and provides longer lasting fun than four beers.
cosmonaut
Well-known
Well I have heard this in the past as well. I have been doing a few portrait sessions lately and the last one I did I took 400 pictures. If I had done that with film the cost would have been incredible. I adds up quicker than you realize. Just that one time would have put a dent in the cost of a nice digital camera.
tunalegs
Pretended Artist
For slides I had been buying Lomography "xpro chrome" which was just rebranded Kodak Elite Chrome. $19 for three rolls vs. near $14 for a single roll of velvia. Then Kodak axe-massacred all of their slide films, and consequentially the packs of xpro chrome disappeared not long after. I know I can get velvia for half as much online, but I prefer to support local shops. Apparently they've (lomog.) already released a "new" slide film, it might be rebranded Agfa Precisa, which is rebranded Fuji... again for $19 for three rolls
As for black an white, there's Arista, Fomapan, Kentmere all for basically ludicrously low prices (under $40 for 100') if you buy bulk rolls and spool your own.
As for black an white, there's Arista, Fomapan, Kentmere all for basically ludicrously low prices (under $40 for 100') if you buy bulk rolls and spool your own.
MartinP
Veteran
Rollfilm, whether 135 or 120, is at a reasonable price these days I find. As long back as I have used them Portra, Vericolor III and so on were never as cheap as snapshot film. What I do think is disproportionate is the cost of sheet colour film. The pricing of Portra in 10x8 killed my 'colour-neg pinhole plus contact-print' project idea stone dead.
For black-and-white materials, film is probably as cheap as it has ever been, and of better quality, so I'm actually quite pleased with that. Paper is perhaps a bit more iffy regarding price and availability, but still survivable currently. All this pre-supposes buying almost nothing locally unfortunately, instead using bulk buying a couple of times a year.
For black-and-white materials, film is probably as cheap as it has ever been, and of better quality, so I'm actually quite pleased with that. Paper is perhaps a bit more iffy regarding price and availability, but still survivable currently. All this pre-supposes buying almost nothing locally unfortunately, instead using bulk buying a couple of times a year.
magicianhisoka
Well-known
1) Be more discerning with what I shoot
2) Buy something cheaper like Superia 400
3) Remember that the image is more important than the medium used and use my iPhone
2) Buy something cheaper like Superia 400
3) Remember that the image is more important than the medium used and use my iPhone
Mackinaw
Think Different
Cost is relative. Where I live (northern Michigan, USA) people don't sweat over spending $5,000 for a used snowmobile.
For 35mm, I buy bulk film. For medium format, I buy whatever I want whenever I need it. Cost isn't a factor to me, at least so far.
Jim B.
For 35mm, I buy bulk film. For medium format, I buy whatever I want whenever I need it. Cost isn't a factor to me, at least so far.
Jim B.
KM-25
Well-known
What an odd thread, kind of different from person to person don't you think? And should it not read color film since black and white is still really cheap?
How I cope with it is make a good living off of photography and write off the expense of it. I also think that compared to things like the price of gas, a new car or decent home in a nice town, it has not gone up that much. Who can complain about 4x5 Delta 100 being a little over a dollar a sheet....you are kidding, right? Rollei IR400 in 120 is now at $10 a roll but what am I going to do, I would pay triple that considering what an important film it is to me and my business.
I also think I will pay a lot more to keep companies that make film in business.
I guess it depends on the person...
How I cope with it is make a good living off of photography and write off the expense of it. I also think that compared to things like the price of gas, a new car or decent home in a nice town, it has not gone up that much. Who can complain about 4x5 Delta 100 being a little over a dollar a sheet....you are kidding, right? Rollei IR400 in 120 is now at $10 a roll but what am I going to do, I would pay triple that considering what an important film it is to me and my business.
I also think I will pay a lot more to keep companies that make film in business.
I guess it depends on the person...
Michael Markey
Veteran
Same with me .
I use more digital these days especially when taking stuff for others.
When I want film I buy fresh and when not I use digital.
willie_901
Veteran
The slow but inevitable trend towards reduced availability, and increased film and processing costs was instrumental in my decision to abandon film photography about five years ago.
The growth in smart phone popularity killed inexpensive 35 mm film because the number of casual family film users plummeted. Inexpensive film used be plentiful in drugstores and big box discount stores. Now it has all but disappeared here in the Midwestern US. Many casual photographers went directly from a compact P&S 35 mm film camera to a smart phone. Facebook, Twitter and Instagram sealed the deal. The family that shot a roll or two of 35 mm film for family events and holidays no longer exists and they no longer subsidize our use of inexpensive film.
None of this is a suprise and none of it is welcome. Unfortunately it is reality where I live.
Recently I found five rolls of exposed film (Tri-X and C41 color) in the back of my fridge. They were five years old. I sent them off to Precision Camera in Austin for development and scanning. This was the end of the line for me.
The growth in smart phone popularity killed inexpensive 35 mm film because the number of casual family film users plummeted. Inexpensive film used be plentiful in drugstores and big box discount stores. Now it has all but disappeared here in the Midwestern US. Many casual photographers went directly from a compact P&S 35 mm film camera to a smart phone. Facebook, Twitter and Instagram sealed the deal. The family that shot a roll or two of 35 mm film for family events and holidays no longer exists and they no longer subsidize our use of inexpensive film.
None of this is a suprise and none of it is welcome. Unfortunately it is reality where I live.
Recently I found five rolls of exposed film (Tri-X and C41 color) in the back of my fridge. They were five years old. I sent them off to Precision Camera in Austin for development and scanning. This was the end of the line for me.
bwcolor
Veteran
I still have a 5 cuft freezer full of film. I mostly shoot digital when shooting color, so that helps conserve my color film stock... expiration dates ignored.. low iso. When I want to shoot black and white, I use Freestyle off label film.
Photo_Smith
Well-known
If you find yourself shooting 400 shots on a single sitting that's way excessive IMO. Whether you use film or digital your subject(s) aren't going to be that patient with you–in fact they'll be bored after about 10-15 mins.
Unless you do burst type images 8fps style
Seriously at those rates I'd give up film! I do several portraits a week and I shoot between 1-3 rolls of 120 per subject, any more is just counter productive, I can normally get the shot I need within a few shots...
I pay £2 per 120 for B&W and about £4 for colour, 35mm film is cheap and plentiful at least here in Europe I pay £1 per roll for colour and about £2.50 for mono.