Slide film "investment", good idea?

[LeicaFoReVer]

I suppose that is my point, right now, it isn't disappearing. Sure, there are fears about it, but the reality on the ground is that you can still get it, and get it processed.

Yes but in this part of the world it is even more difficult. I dont think it is used anymore here. And even if I can find a place to have it processed I would doubt about the freshness of the chemicals the lab uses. I suppose that affects the processing right?

 

[raid]

I used nothing but slide film for about twenty years. The challenge was perfecting the exposure for the most difficult light situations (red squirrel standing on snow with some dark trees around .....). It was fun. The image quality was superb with slow ISO slide film. Now, I stopped it all.

 

[Mystyler]

I much prefer paying $15 for development of my slide films and picking the ones I want printed over paying $19 for C-41 development and prints as I have no real idea how my negatives look! I don't like throwing prints away, so I'd much rather not print the ones I don't want in the first place.

I'm taking my EC to work today with a roll of Velvia - to my surprise I only have two rolls left! Time for some more! 😀 (Although I have lots of Astia in the freezer and some 400X in the fridge!)

 

[Sarcophilus Harrisii]

Frankly, I would rather kiss goodbye to colour negatives than transparencies. Even though colour output has largely moved to hybrid process people still want to use a neg. I can see the case for portraiture/weddings I suppose, but generally reversal films just look so much better. Regarding the investment thing. Ask yourself why you take photos, and why you use film for this? Returns on investment can take many forms. The best return I get for using transparency is the feeling I get when I hold the films up to the light. I'm afraid that is something digital will never be able to replace for me.

All you can do, all anyone can do, is use it if they like it, and talk the stuff up to everyone they know. Jan has the right idea, we just need to clone a few dozens of him. 😉 Using as much as you can is no guarantee the films you like will still be available in five or ten years time, but, if usage declines much further I can sure as hell promise you, that they won't be.
Cheers
Brett