The Modern Film Shooter: Costs and Allegiences

[kshapero]

Ilford XP2, 36exp at $3.99 at Ultrafine wins out every time over Kodak B&W C-41. I just get better results. Pickup 50 rolls of Kodak portra for $3 a pop. I am set. But I am finally figuring out my Nikon D200 and getting better results with legacy Nikon Lenses. Why do I care? No 2 trips to film lab, one to drop off, one to pickup.

 

[gavinlg]

You guys in the US have got it easy. Here in Australia the only local shop that sells film (whos planning to stop selling it within a few months incidently) sells kodak porta 160 for $15, provia for about $23 and velvia for $30 EACH ROLL. $30aud = $24us

 

[fixbones]

Gavin,

Totally!!!

I am based in Tasmania and can only get all my films online. Even then, there are mostly double, sometimes triple what our US/UK friends would otherwise pay.

Went to Melbourne last weekend. Paid AUD75 for 5 rolls of 36ex Kodak 400UC........

 

[kshapero]

You guys in the US have got it easy. Here in Australia the only local shop that sells film (whos planning to stop selling it within a few months incidently) sells kodak porta 160 for $15, provia for about $23 and velvia for $30 EACH ROLL. $30aud = $24us

Anytime you need film at US prices, I will be happy to order for you assuming it is a good deal for you. Sounds someone in the states could get a home business going on this.

 

[hans voralberg]

In Vietnam where I'm working now, there is such a limited choice of film, Velvia appear every few months or so, mostly Provia 100F, and NPH. No Kodak film like Portra or Ektar. No C-41 BW film like XP2 or CN400. At least the price is roughly on par with US, not too astronomical, one roll of Velvia 100 ~ 9$

 

[Tuolumne]

Why, that's enough to make you go digital.

/T

 

[MichaelW]

Why, that's enough to make you go digital./T

Not quite.

 

[mw_uio]

I live in Quito, Ecuador. Same story, limited supply of film. However, I have been able to have some success.

Neopan 100SS - $2.95/USD [includes 12% tax]

Neopan 400 - $5.00/USD

Provia 100F - $7.51/USD

Ilford Pan F 50 - $5.50/USD [imported from Lima, Peru]

Kodak Tri-X 400 - $3.XX/USD *[A long story about this]
[I am ordering some today!]

Kodak Max 400 - $4.88/USD
Kodak Gold 100 - $4.50/USD

I will soon have a price on Ektar 100/135.

Ya, film is a niche product but it is fun looking for it!!!


Mark
Quito, Ecuador

 

[Kent]

- 20 rolls Kodak BW400CN (two 10-roll bricks)

- 10 Rolls Kodak Portra 400NC (two 5-roll Pro Packs)

- 2 rolls Kodak Portra 160NC

Hi!

What a great decision to take these films. If you add some rolls of the new Ektar 100, it will be perfect!

 

[mh2000]

Current situation, I pass 5 Walgreens on my way to work, at least 2 of them do decent film work, dropping off film and picking up prints is way less work than fooling with digitals through to prints. Stopping on the way to work is insignificant to my day. My family likes looking at prints better than Breeze Browser anyway. I shoot digital for b&w and once you compare average time to process RAW files to good b&w to scanning and final PP it comes out in a wash... and I am more often happier with the film images anyway (not always, digital can be good and has different strengths). If you value prints at all, digital doesn't win because of double redundancy backup requirements.

It is not film cost, but film inconvience and processing. It has to be developed by you or you take it somewhere, two trips. Then it has to be printed some way for evaluation.

No wonder digi has taken over !

A few old grumps like me still buy film 100 feet at a time, load it into cassets, and have a great time.

But my digital Nikons see more and more use. The instantaeous color image is very adictive. I recommend a Nikon D700.

Now if Leica made a full frame RF, I would be in heaven.

 

[mh2000]

I get BW400CN/24 in 3-packs from Walmart for $9.99, good price I think. For color I shoot Kodak Gold 200 (rarely actually) and get it in bulk for less than $2 a roll. I'm happy with both these films.

 

[wray]

I've been shooting a lot film that I purchase from a local 99 cent store for, you guessed it, 99 cents a roll. It's marked made in Japan but it's not rebadged Fuji. Most likely it's DNP (Dai Nippon Printing Co) Centuria film. As you can see here, it's a little warmer than Fuji.

 

[Tom A]

It used to be that film was the most insignificant cost of shooting. Today it creeping up and if you are a medium to heavy user - it adds up.
Whenever I see a good deal on bl/w I pick up as much as I can carry or my wallet allows.
The Double X/5222 is looking better day by day. Less than $2/roll, though you have to roll your own. Freestyles Legacy Pro 400 and Arista Premium 400 are also good deals. I am getting ready for a 3 week trip to Europe - taking 30 rolls of Neopan Presto 400 and 30 rolls of Legacy Pro 400 + some rolls of Tri X and Acros 100. It is a vacation so my choice is to take stuff I want to experiment with - rather than having to bring home "commercial" shots. There is also the possibility that if I run short to pick up some Efke or Foma while there.

 

[kshapero]

It used to be that film was the most insignificant cost of shooting. Today it creeping up and if you are a medium to heavy user - it adds up.
Whenever I see a good deal on bl/w I pick up as much as I can carry or my wallet allows.
The Double X/5222 is looking better day by day. Less than $2/roll, though you have to roll your own. Freestyles Legacy Pro 400 and Arista Premium 400 are also good deals. I am getting ready for a 3 week trip to Europe - taking 30 rolls of Neopan Presto 400 and 30 rolls of Legacy Pro 400 + some rolls of Tri X and Acros 100. It is a vacation so my choice is to take stuff I want to experiment with - rather than having to bring home "commercial" shots. There is also the possibility that if I run short to pick up some Efke or Foma while there.

have a great trip, show us some photos on return.

 

[amateriat]

It used to be that film was the most insignificant cost of shooting. Today it creeping up and if you are a medium to heavy user - it adds up.
Whenever I see a good deal on bl/w I pick up as much as I can carry or my wallet allows.
The Double X/5222 is looking better day by day. Less than $2/roll, though you have to roll your own. Freestyles Legacy Pro 400 and Arista Premium 400 are also good deals. I am getting ready for a 3 week trip to Europe - taking 30 rolls of Neopan Presto 400 and 30 rolls of Legacy Pro 400 + some rolls of Tri X and Acros 100. It is a vacation so my choice is to take stuff I want to experiment with - rather than having to bring home "commercial" shots. There is also the possibility that if I run short to pick up some Efke or Foma while there.

This is interesting, because one of the bigger expenses of travel photography–the travel itself, particularly by air–has gone down, particularly on certain popular routes. An interesting thing to factor in.

Then too, my processing costs have gone way down for C41 film, since a good deal of it gets done a few blocks from be for a bit over two bucks a pop (no prints, and no cutting of negs), and turned around in half an hour or so. (incidentally, the lab person at my local CVS told me that they are getting a new processor in two weeks to replace their ten-year old(!) Gretag machine. Obviously, they're getting enough film business to bother with doing this. (The old machine seems well tended-to, judging from the film I've gotten back from them thus far.)


- Barrett