Question about buying film in Japan

[TXForester]

I have friend who wants to buy Fuji FP-100c45 and FP-3000b45. He feels the eBay prices are way too high because sellers know it isn't available in North America. He is looking for somebody he can trust to buy the film and ship it. How can he go about this?

Thanks for any help.
Mike

p.s. He is looking for in 4x5 sheets

 

[sevo]

I have friend who wants to buy Fuji FP-100c45 and FP-3000b45. He feels the eBay prices are way too high because sellers know it isn't available in North America.

p.s. He is looking for in 4x5 sheets

It is no question of a Japan-only film - the film is not made in 4x5" any more, globally. And the 3.25 x 4.25" version is readily available both in the US and Japan.

As far as old stock goes, black and white is gone on ebay and all Japanese online stores with a English web presence. Some remaining colour film seems to be still around with resonably close (09/12 to 01/13) expiration dates, but prices seem to be fairly the same everywhere, all ebay offers being from shops in Japan. A purchase directly in Japan would presumably be from the same sources, for the same price.

 

[TXForester]

Thanks. I don't know if the 3.25x4.25 would do. I think he is using a press camera (forget the model) and I don't know them well enough to know if there is an adapter for the smaller film size.

 

[sevo]

Thanks. I don't know if the 3.25x4.25 would do. I think he is using a press camera (forget the model) and I don't know them well enough to know if there is an adapter for the smaller film size.

International back instant film holders for the regular Polaroid size are more common than the 4x5 pack film kind (the later and more common 4x5 single sleeve Polaroids did already vanish some six or seven years ago - even if there still are some films on ebay, these are more than 5 years expired by now, and almost always no good any more). But if your friend has a 4x5 pola pack film holder, he'll want the matching film - the regular size won't fit there...

 

[paradoxbox]

your friend is unlikely to get a better deal on film in japan than anywhere else. (i live in japan and buy film every week)

some fuji film is cheap (notably low end color negative and neopan 400 b/w) but the rest of it is basically the same as US pricing or even more expensive after you consider shipping and customs costs.