How much film to you keep in stock?

[Canyongazer]

A bit off topic but....

In 2003, returning from Paris after six weeks in France, with an entire suitcase dedicated to film, a jumble of mostly exposed 120.

As the official sorted through each and every slow B&W, Color Neg, Color T, fast B&W, Color Neg, Color T, Color T tungsten ...perhaps 400 rolls in all, I said to him in what I optimistically call French:

"I am sorry for the delay but I am a Professional Photographer."
without looking up he replied, in English:
"I too am sorry, but I am a Professional Suitcase Inspector."

Today I use six SD cards on similar trips, each one potentially color, B&W, fast and slow.

 

[gnuyork]

WAY more the 50+ rolls (and sheets) in the freezer. Chest freezer. Full.

 

[roscoetuff]

Maybe the reason I have 75+ rolls in the fridge is that I forget what I've already got and just order more. Typically, I answered "10 to 50" and then went into the garage to count more than 75 rolls.... and way more than that if you count the bulk reels of 35mm.

Sigh.

 

[Pioneer]

No idea. More than enough to get me going for several years.

Whenever I run across good discounted deals on film I buy as much as I can afford. The rest of the time I just shoot, develop and print. I also buy a lot of bulk rolls for 35mm from time to time so I have quite a bit of AEU/Fomapan 400 and TMX100 on hand, which are a couple of favorites.

I do buy 5 rolls or so of some films that I use regularly but that don't seem to store as well. This includes Delta 3200 and Portra 800. Sometimes I'll use it up in a month, other times it can take as long as 3 months. Kodak Portra 800 for example pushes to EI 3200, sometimes ever 6400 if I am not worried about shadows, extremely well when fresh but not as well as it begins to age.

 

[traveler_101]

This is why I love forums. Whenever I think I have a problem, someone comes along with more than me, and suddenly I feel normal again!

😀

Me too. And it is useful because I can show my wife the photo and then she is less perturbed about the relatively modest amount of freezer space I am using. 15 rolls at this point. And to clarify refrigerators/freezers are rather modest here in Norway.

 

[Kai-san]

😀
And to clarify refrigerators/freezers are rather modest here in Norway.

They are. But I have a separate fridge for my films. 😛

 

[maigo]

The Vision1 500T film was a recan from an NBC studio job and I think the can was mishandled over the past few decades and has become significantly slower and has been exposed to all kinds of weird ambient radiation I think. One of the most random pieces of film I have ever worked with:

These have a Mad Max feel to them. I like it.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Huss]

The Vision1 500T film was a recan from an NBC studio job and I think the can was mishandled over the past few decades and has become significantly slower and has been exposed to all kinds of weird ambient radiation I think. One of the most random pieces of film I have ever worked with:

Fantastic pic!

 

[Huss]

1 (one) cartridge of Lomo Tiger 110 film

 

[markbakovic]

This is why I love forums. Whenever I think I have a problem, someone comes along with more than me, and suddenly I feel normal again!

+1

with my
2 25 sheet boxes of Fomapan 100 in 4x5 (cracked one this morning tho), 3 rolls in 120
50 sheet box of Adox CHS 100 in 9x12 (~75% full after 6 years)
1 roll Agfa Vista 400
3 rolls Provia 100 (in 35mm)

none of which are iced, well... I could claim I'm keeping Foma (and Chris of Blanco Negro) in business one $100 order every 6 months at a time... 😛

(I guess I should be glad that) renting and moving frequently really cramps one's film hoarding style!

 

[Scrambler]

I dont know how to rate. 2 100ft rolls b+w, one part used of 160 portra. I think I'm back to nothing stored of store-bought film rolls but how many I have loaded varies. Then theres 4x5- I think 70 sheets or so. So is that more or less than 50? I know its more than 20!

 

[rangefinderlove123]

You bunch of sissies, just bought me 4 miles worth of 35mm iso 400 film (bulk load)...

Another 200 rolls of 120 film rotting around too

Life's too long

 

[LCSmith]

Not nearly as much as I should. I usually only buy when I run out, or I am about to run out. That's just how I roll (pun intended).

 

[Huss]

It's all you need if you know what you're doing...

 

[Geo Toreno]

Film stock

 

[mpaniagua]

It's all you need if you know what you're doing...

You mean the eggs right? 😀

 

[raid]

I always buy my film in quantities of 10 rolls of 36 exposures.

Erik.

I did so a week ago. 10 rolls of 36 exposure color film in my case.

 

[Takkun]

Just out of curiosity, why so much stockpiled, aside from what's discontinued? Just bulk discounts?

For myself:
1x 100' roll each of Delta 100, Tmax 400, Silvermax
a few five-packs each of of HP5 and FP4 (the latter i regret a bit) in 35 and 120

And my single pack each of FP-100 and 5-pack Acros in 120. I'd long since mourned their loss, until a contact at my local shop told me they had a case of both left. Only bought a single of each since I didn't want to dwell on it, nor deprive others of the joy of them by hoarding.

 

[Papercut]

tins and tins of 100ft bulk (10+ of Acros alone, then Efke25, Tri-X, Tmax400, HP5+, etc. -- total must be 20-30 tins), miscellaneous 120 rolls (another 50 or so). Likely somewhere between 400 and 500 rolls. And then several 50 sheet boxes with bw 4x5 film in various stages of depletion. All of it in cold storage.

Someone on page 1 asked if people stockpile chemicals to match the film. No. I don't. I figure that b/w chemistry will be available longer than any specific film emulsion and even if the Great B/W Chemistry Apocalypse occurred, I would just finally have the motivation to learn Caffenol developing (which I've been meaning to do for a long time).

 

[Pentode]

I’m just gonna copy and paste my reply to the same question that’s floating around on APUG right now:

I have a whole lot. I buy film whenever I see a good deal. I shoot a fair amount so I know it's never going to be around more than a couple of years at most.

I have a small, dormitory-style refrigerator that I use for film only and it's about half full or maybe a bit more than half. The small freezer section contains about 60 rolls of infrared film and the rest of the fridge is about 20% E-6 and the rest black and white. I have about 100 rolls of various speed b&w and several 100', 200' and 400' rolls waiting to be spooled into cassettes. I'm good for a while. But if I spot a good deal....

EDIT: I also keep roll film in the fridge but I tend not to keep as much of it. I have around 35 rolls of 120 and another 20 or so of 127. I try not to keep the roll film as long because I worry about moisture and backing paper issues. I do grab 127 whenever I see it available, though.