How much film do you use?

[NicoM]

I recently got my Leica M3, and I'm extremely excited about it. Starting this new year, I plan to use film a lot more regularly. I recently watched an Eric Kim video where he says that he shoots around 80 rolls of film in a month. I was blown away. Do any of you guys shoot anywhere close to that amount?

So how much film do you guys shoot per week/month/year?

 

[Gary E]

Not as much as I should be...

Not as much as I should be...

I used to shoot about 8 rolls a month with a mash up of B&W, Chromes and Print. Nowadays I am lucky to be able to shoot 4 rolls of anything. 🙁

With the cost of shooting film going up (transportation, lab and film costs), I have to work more to earn more to pay for this hobby; not to mention GAS attacks from time to time. It is a catch 22 situation. :bang:

 

[Mystyler]

Maybe one or two rolls a month.
At $40/roll for 135 Provia 400X and $143 for a 120 five pack, things get expensive quickly!

 

[matt_mcg2]

$40 a roll? What?!

I go through phases where I shoot more or less, but I probably average about 3 or 4 rolls of 35mm and 1 or 2 rolls of 120 a month. In the past month I've shot about 2 rolls of 35mm, and no 120. Black and white film only. Even if film was super-cheap, I probably wouldn't shoot much more. The limiting factors are time and opportunities/subjects that interest me, not money, as I develop myself and buy film cheaply.

Funnily enough, while I have a digital camera [which I am happy enough with] I shoot even less digital. Maybe 20 shots a month unless I go on a trip.

 

[Spanik]

I'm at about 50 rolls for the year, all 120 Provia 400X. Don't know where the price above comes from or what it includes but for me it comes at about 11-12 euro ofr a roll (roll+development+all transports). Spread over a year it's supportable as a hobby. Time do actualy shoot or do more with it are a more limiting factor.

 

[matt_mcg2]

Yeah, in the UK you can get 120 Provia 400 for about £5 a roll, and 35mm for about £8-9, although I notice the 35mm film is creeping up around £10 or more in some shops. With processing, the price for 120 Provia would be slightly more than 12 euros, but not by much.

Most of the black and white film I buy is under £4 a roll for 35mm, and closer to £3 for 120. Processing costs pennies as I do it at home and use relatively inexpensive chemicals.

 

[sepiareverb]

I'm in the roll a day category once it gets averaged out. All B&W. I shoot color with digital since 2010.

 

[NicoM]

Thank guys! I'll probably be shooting 2 rolls per week once the new year begins. I'll adjust from there, as I've never really shot film for long periods of time.

 

[Mystyler]

I'm at about 50 rolls for the year, all 120 Provia 400X. Don't know where the price above comes from or what it includes but for me it comes at about 11-12 euro ofr a roll (roll+development+all transports). Spread over a year it's supportable as a hobby. Time do actualy shoot or do more with it are a more limiting factor.

Roll only. Add $15 for 135 developing. Add $30 for develop and scan. Add $40 for develop and print. Add $50 for develop, print and scan. Welcome to Western Australia...plenty going for us, just not in the area of transparency film sales or developing.

 

[NicoM]

Roll only. Add $15 for 135 developing. Add $30 for develop and scan. Add $40 for develop and print. Add $50 for develop, print and scan. Welcome to Western Australia...plenty going for us, just not in the area of transparency film sales or developing.

Damn, those are some high prices!

 

[rphenning]

Roll only. Add $15 for 135 developing. Add $30 for develop and scan. Add $40 for develop and print. Add $50 for develop, print and scan. Welcome to Western Australia...plenty going for us, just not in the area of transparency film sales or developing.

wow, that's such a shame about those prices, I'd go broke quicker than I do now.

Have about $900 dollars worth of exposed 120 just waiting for me to have $900 to spend on getting it done. Just picked up a heap more film today.

 

[MarylandBill]

I don't have time to shoot as much as I want... probably about 2-3 rolls a month right now. Price is not a limiting factor at the moment. Since I shoot B&W (color I would use digital), if I had time to shoot more, I could keep costs down by using Arista 400 Premium at under $3 a roll and then developing and scanning myself (If I get shots I really, really like I can sent those individual shots to be scanned/printed professionally).

 

[gsgary]

About 2-4 rolls a week in summer and about 1-2 rolls in winter but the other week i shot 20 rolls 5 were 120 rest 35mm hardly shot any digital for last month just not the same since i get my M4

 

[Photo_Smith]

Roll only. Add $15 for 135 developing. Add $30 for develop and scan. Add $40 for develop and print. Add $50 for develop, print and scan. Welcome to Western Australia...plenty going for us, just not in the area of transparency film sales or developing.

Nasty prices, we like to think of rip off Britain it seems worse 'down under' at those prices it would make me think twice about my hobby.
I pay about £2,00 for 135/120 dev only and £4,00 for E-6. My local Lab does 120 D&P to 6x6" prints (proof quality) on a analogue Noritsu 1202v printer for £7,50 same day!
At those daft prices what about developing your own? I serious photographer could buy himself a small s/h minilab....

 

[Mystyler]

Holy smokes, I can't even get decent C41 develop and print 6x4 for that cheap! $25!
I have thought about DIY, but I'm mostly colour E-6. I just don't think I could shoot enough to keep a minilab up and going...but I have though about it. I have never even developed my own B&W though, so I also don't want to run before walking! 😀

 

[falleri]

It depends, but probably around 4 rolls of 35mm per month and 2 rolls of 120 film. If I'm working on a specific project that amount goes up, usually more 120 film.

You have insane prices. I pay 5-8 euros per roll of film, depending on the brand and 35mm or 120. I develop, scan and print myself, and developer etc. isn't that expensive either thankfully.

 

[tunalegs]

It depends. If there is an event or something I end up shooting a lot more. There was a triathlon here a month or so ago, and I shot four rolls just for that morning. Normally just farting around with a camera in my bag I might shoot one or two rolls a month. Since I discovered a local lab will process and mount slides for $9.95 I've been shooting a lot more slides lately - but then Fuji and Kodak decided to murder their cheap slide films. So I'm shooting more B&W again.

 

[phl0w]

I use film much more than digital.
I go on walks a lot. I try to walk for 3-4 hours a day - but never less than 2. Usually I shoot a roll or two of 120 while walking but the weather and light is often against me 😉 Depending on the weather I've been averaging at about 5 rolls a week now. 35mm usually 1-2 rolls a week, 36 exposures are simply too much for my taste. I like to empty rolls in one walk and 12 exposures are better suited for that. My go to emulsions are Acros and TMax 100 as slow films, and XP2/HP5+ and TriX in 400.
I only shoot B&W and develop and scan at home, so money is not an issue at only ~5€ a roll.

 

[DNG]

Being on a limited budget.....
I shoot an average of 2-4 a month when I have film... but, I may go for a month or 2 without film also....maybe 35-45 rolls a year. A little more if I find great deals on B&W 400 film

 

[RattyMouse]

4-6 rolls of 120 film per week for me, when shooting weather is good.