davidnewtonguitars
Family Snaps
I'll get even, just raise the price on the stuff I do and sell.
traveler_101
American abroad
Clearly, prices are going to go up as the firms still in the business reckon with the costs of redeveloping film production at a smaller volume. BUT . . . some people are already paying out their backsides.
Oh Canada - these are just outrageous prices.
Jesus, Mary and Joseph . . . hope your wages sustain that kind of price.
traveler_101
American abroad
Oh come on, Ko.Fe, was it really that bad? LOL I am just curious: what kind of film did you get in the Soviet era? Did you get the Czech products - Foma?
Larry Cloetta
Veteran
It’s barely more than 30 cents a shot. 30 cents, not $30. Photography is still one of the world’s least expensive hobbies, or can be. Film is more than it was, still pretty cheap, and the cheaper stuff is dirt cheap if Kodak proves too dear.
traveler_101
American abroad
I am not arguing against using film - not at all. I use film - sparingly - but I love it and am willing to pay for it. I have to deal with a tariff barrier here in Norway, but Foma sells locally and is very reasonable. Adox from Germany - can get small quantities shipped here at a reasonable price - or buy it from Fotoimpex in Berlin and bring it back. Kodak - I bring it back on my trips to the states.
My only point was that prices in some places are unreasonable.
Keith
The best camera is one that still works!
Thirty cents a shot sounds terrific but after that thirty cents all I have is a 24 by 36mm square of nothing until I develop it ... and then if I want an actual photograph I have to scan or print.
I'm also not arguing against the use of film but to me these days that is not a cheap thing to do!
Phil_F_NM
Camera hacker
Just buy expired film if the current price is too high. Or pay a student to place an order from the Kodak student store but all you're going to get is EK5222 but it's definitely not $.30 an image.
I'm not yet broke but I'm also pretty poor. I currently have 800 feet of 35mm black and white, and over 2000 feet of 16mm black and white. Didn't cost me that much to accrue all that either, less than $300, because I'm a smart shopper and look for deals on expired film or use my student discount when I can afford to buy new film.
Phil Forrest
I'm not yet broke but I'm also pretty poor. I currently have 800 feet of 35mm black and white, and over 2000 feet of 16mm black and white. Didn't cost me that much to accrue all that either, less than $300, because I'm a smart shopper and look for deals on expired film or use my student discount when I can afford to buy new film.
Phil Forrest
Larry Cloetta
Veteran
It’s possible that I have the wrong attitude. Maybe, if we enjoy film photography, maybe it’s emotionally misleading to compare the price of a roll of film to “what it used to be”, and better instead to measure $12 against one’s net income for the year, because that’s the real yardstick which should determine whether film at $12 is “affordable” or not.
If someone is shooting 30-50 rolls a month, that’s one thing, but for those shooting, say, 3 rolls, 100 shots, 3 exposures every day, it’s $36 a month. For a hobby that can bring as much satisfaction as photography, still seems really inexpensive to me. When I was making $1.40/hour I am not sure film felt a lot cheaper to me than it does now, but I bought it anyway.
Home economics is always about choices, but there’s not much one would need to give up to scrape together $36 a month.
Film cameras are cheaper than dirt, as well, literally. Try pricing what it costs to have a load of fill dirt delivered. Golf, fishing, sailing, horses, bowling, most every hobby is more expensive than film photography is all I am saying.
Nobody needs to look at it the way I do, certainly.
If someone is shooting 30-50 rolls a month, that’s one thing, but for those shooting, say, 3 rolls, 100 shots, 3 exposures every day, it’s $36 a month. For a hobby that can bring as much satisfaction as photography, still seems really inexpensive to me. When I was making $1.40/hour I am not sure film felt a lot cheaper to me than it does now, but I bought it anyway.
Home economics is always about choices, but there’s not much one would need to give up to scrape together $36 a month.
Film cameras are cheaper than dirt, as well, literally. Try pricing what it costs to have a load of fill dirt delivered. Golf, fishing, sailing, horses, bowling, most every hobby is more expensive than film photography is all I am saying.
Nobody needs to look at it the way I do, certainly.
Bob Michaels
nobody special
So the price of film is going up. That has been continually happening for at least the 50 years I can remember. So is the price of everything else as well as salaries and wages. Did anyone expect the price of film to remain constant while everything else increased?
Who shoots so much film that you cannot compensate simply by eating a lower cost lunch a few days a week?
I remember the same moans and groans with a 30 meter tin of HP5+ (18 36 exposure rolls) went from US$19.95 to $21.95 back some 40 odd years ago. And photographers kept on shooting.
Let's put this into perspective.
Who shoots so much film that you cannot compensate simply by eating a lower cost lunch a few days a week?
I remember the same moans and groans with a 30 meter tin of HP5+ (18 36 exposure rolls) went from US$19.95 to $21.95 back some 40 odd years ago. And photographers kept on shooting.
Let's put this into perspective.
Prest_400
Multiformat
I do often think about the increases, as I am currently a grad student without much income and thus quite sensitive to it. However, the smaller amounts I shoot are worth it, and finding a way.
I do mostly shoot BW Ilford currently, and in Europe it has uniform distribution and great pricing.
On top of what you said, photography is quite cheap for being a great way to stop time and making a picture that lasts. And it complements other activities. Many other hobbies are just ephemeral amd consumed.
I recently printed off some TriX I shoot as a teen, and having the image on paper of a late beloved person is hard to price. If something I even appreciate my past self for pushing thru $ limits, got that Kodachrome and TriX and shoot what I did.
nickthetasmaniac
Veteran
That’s interesting. In Aus Kodak is generally cheaper than Ilford for B&W, and Portra400 is quite a bit cheaper than P400H for colour...
Ko.Fe.
Lenses 35/21 Gears 46/20
Short answer: it was no foma (who needs bw made in USSR, but ORWO (slide), at least in Moscow.
Bad? Is it self lobotomy or lack of the common knowledge :bang:
In fat on (and just because of tiny population) oil Norway which escaped deadly communism (due to different nature on nation) you just can't image to have needle with liquid food inserted to you soft tissues in your month just because you are on the starving strike due to non agreement with fake communism. And it was considered as soft time. In hard time people were jailed and killed due to the quota. It was golden times of communism.
Wanna be where?
Read this:
https://www.nybooks.com/articles/1972/03/09/a-letter-from-vladimir-bukovsky/
Pál_K
Cameras. I has it.
I truly hope demand is increasing - that would offer film manufacturers reason to keep developing and improving their products.
Those Olympus half frame cameras are seductive. I intended to go for a short walk with my Pen FT and surprised myself by making 72 exposures in a few hours. Got the prints back last week - stunningly good.
My feelings as well, although these days in retirement I have to sacrifice by spending less on something else.
gavinlg
Veteran
10ish dollars for tri-x at walkens house of film Keith! Even Vanbar are ripping people off in Aus. Even worse in NZ.
https://walkens.com.au/product/tri-x-400-35mm/
Keith
The best camera is one that still works!
It's not really an issue for me thankfully ... if I get the urge I have 600ft of the stuff in my freezer!
nickthetasmaniac
Veteran
Oddly enough expired film is often more expensive than fresh stock in the local market (even the same emulsions).
Trends are strange things...
Guy Pinhas
Well-known
I have been bulk loading for the last few years. Eastman, Foma and recently Orwo.
Foma is the more commercially available film, so here are my calculations: One bulk roll of 100ft will give me 18 rolls. So, initial investment not counted in, each 36 exposure roll costs me €2.38 as the bulk roll costs €43.00. Lucky me, I can deduct VAT meaning that the price prior to VAT is €36.00 which means that each roll of self spooled 36 exposures ends up costing me €2.00.
Let's say, for argument's sake, that both Orwo and Eastman are double the price of Foma. It's still 4-5 Euros per roll which is, IMHO, a great deal for great film!
I think you can easily find a new bulk loader anywhere between €50.00 and €70. On the used market it would be more along the €30.00 mark. Include some cassettes that cost €1.00 and you're good to go.
Of course this is 35mm and B&W so those are my two cents for exactly what they're worth: €0.02
Foma is the more commercially available film, so here are my calculations: One bulk roll of 100ft will give me 18 rolls. So, initial investment not counted in, each 36 exposure roll costs me €2.38 as the bulk roll costs €43.00. Lucky me, I can deduct VAT meaning that the price prior to VAT is €36.00 which means that each roll of self spooled 36 exposures ends up costing me €2.00.
Let's say, for argument's sake, that both Orwo and Eastman are double the price of Foma. It's still 4-5 Euros per roll which is, IMHO, a great deal for great film!
I think you can easily find a new bulk loader anywhere between €50.00 and €70. On the used market it would be more along the €30.00 mark. Include some cassettes that cost €1.00 and you're good to go.
Of course this is 35mm and B&W so those are my two cents for exactly what they're worth: €0.02
Jamie123
Veteran
Standing in line for hours just to buy garbage? Sounds exactly like Black Friday to me.
Anyways, I don't feel like arguing about capitalism vs socialism as that wasn't the point I was making. The point was, Black Friday is just an arbitrary sales day. There's nothing sacred about it that should be respected.
Also, either you're translating proverbs from another language that don't work in English or you just make the worst similes ever. Vomiting on an opera stage? Why would that be an "act of morons"? Either it's part of the act in which case it makes narrative sense or the opera singer is ill in which case they're in need of medical attention and hardly deserve being called a moron.
Mooshoepork
Established
How is being 1-2 dollars more “ripping people off”?
One is a walk in retail store with overhead and the other is some uni students running it out of their mum’s house.
Cost price for dealers in Australia is pretty close to what they’re selling it at.
Edit; and it’s even cheaper at the other online retailers in Australia.
gavinlg
Veteran
Most retailers only lowered their prices when guys like ikigai and walkens starting selling film at competitive prices. I remember Michaels in Melbourne and camera house elsewhere selling Portra 400 for $25aud+ just 6-7 years ago, and when I asked why it was so expensive they told me film is dead and I should just buy a digital camera.
I've got little respect for most of the bigger brick/mortar photographic businesses in Australia for that kind of attitude. Vanbar isn't included here - they've always been pretty good. But I'm not paying more for the sake of them having a store, 2-3 dollars a roll is $30 when you buy 2 five packs.