The Promised Land of Slide Film

[VF101]

In this thread, I learned what insane prices you have to pay in Australia for slide film. Today I just fetched my latest slide film from the local drugstore ("dm") here in Germany. I payed 1,95€ for development and the film (a white labeled Kodak Elitechrome) had cost me 2,95€. Development took about five days.

So, it seems we're living in some kind of promised land; at least when it comes to (slide) film. I'll enjoy it as long as it will last.

 

[Rhoyle]

I pay about $10 for the film and another $10 for processing at a local lab. I'm doing mostly my own black and white now and digital color. However, I still think I get my most satisfying results with E100G.

 

[Matus]

VF101, indeed one may get some film cheaply here in Germany, but what you quoted does not really reflect the 'normal' prices.

It is indeed great that one is able to get the film in a cheap way too, but I personally (as long as I can afford it - I do not generalize or finger poiting here) keep buying film in photo shops (or online).

Just to give other folks an idea about common prices for film in Germany I quote below a few:

Velvia 50:
35mm: 8.50 €
120: 4.80 €
4x5 (20) 52 €

Provia 100F:
135: 8.30 €
120: 4.70 €
4x5 (20): 55 €

Provia 400X:
135: 10 €
120: 5.50 €

Ektar 100:
135: 5.00 €
120: 4.50 €
4x5 (10): 40 € (that is 4 € per sheet !, I have no idea why ...)

Portra 160:
135: 5.30 €
120: 5.00 €
220: 12.00 € (a bit strange ...)
4x5: 39.00 € (pricey)

Portra 400:
135: 7.00 €
120: 4.50 €
220: 12.00 € (really strange)
4x5 (10): 45 € (pricey)

Tri-X 400:
135: 4.50 €
120: 4.00 €

FP4+:
135: 4.50 €
120: 4.00 €
4x5 (25): 38 €

Those above can unfortunately not be found in drugstores.

 

[HHPhoto]

In this thread, I learned what insane prices you have to pay in Australia for slide film. Today I just fetched my latest slide film from the local drugstore ("dm") here in Germany. I payed 1,95€ for development and the film (a white labeled Kodak Elitechrome) had cost me 2,95€. Development took about five days.

So, it seems we're living in some kind of promised land; at least when it comes to (slide) film. I'll enjoy it as long as it will last.

Yes, I fully agree: Germany is indeed the promised land for slide film and projection.

Because:
- slide film is relatively cheap, especially at drugstore chains and online distributors
- slide film development is quite cheap, with the cheapest options in the 0,85€ to 2,55€ range
- also lots of professional labs offer reasonable prices for development in the 4-5€ range
- more than 40 professional E6 labs, most of them doing mail order service as well; most of these labs deliver top notch quality
- even five (!) specialised labs for BW slide processing
- one photo magazine which still reports from time to time about slide films and projection (fotoforum)

- five companies producing new slide projectors (DHW, Braun, Reflecta, Götschmann, RBT)
- several companies producing new slide mounts
- best 35mm slide frames ever by Diaspeed: www.diaspeed.de (the new HT- XYZ slide frames, best flatness and sharpness both for projection and scanning)
- best slide loupes produced new by Schneider-Kreuznach and Rodenstock
- several companies producing new light tables
- specialised dealers for slide projection (e.g. www.atelier-rieter.de, http://www.heidifoto.net/technik/ , http://www.ms-photo.de/Rollei-P/index.htm )

And lots of professional photographers who are doing absolutely stunning slide projection AV shows in big halls (e.g. Norbert Rosing, Helfried Weyer).

Cheers, Jan

 

[HHPhoto]

VF101, indeed one may get some film cheaply here in Germany, but what you quoted does not really reflect the 'normal' prices.

Well, what is "normal" for you?

There are several distributors who offer lower prices as which you have mentioned.
Just look at www.fotobrenner.de (Ct100 Precisa 14,99€ 5 pack; Provia 400X 79,90 10 pack) or
www.macodirekt.de
www.nordfoto.de
www.photo-lang.de
www.technikdirekt.de
www.generalphoto.de

And the drugstore prices for film here in Germany are indeed extremely low.
And you have such a drugstore almost "at every corner of the street". Even the smallest town has at least one drugstore.
Therefore it is easy to get the basic films locally.

I've travelled round the world a lot.
The situation for film shooters here in Germany is very good compared to other countries.

Cheers, Jan

 

[VF101]

Matus, of course there are films which are more expensive than the drugstore labeled Kodak or Fuji films. My point was that you can get cheap films and cheap E-41 development in any german town, even in really small ones, without the need to use mail order services - a situation which seems to be in complete contrast to many other countries.

HHPhoto, thanks a lot for your hints and resources, which I find very helpful.

 

[HHPhoto]

HHPhoto, thanks a lot for your hints and resources, which I find very helpful.

You are welcome.

Just some additional infos to my above post:
Slide projector manufacturers:
http://www.braun-phototechnik.de/de/products/list/~pcat.106/Diatechnik.html

https://reflecta.de/de/products/list/~pcat.5/Dia-Projektoren.html

http://www.gecko-cam.com/sales/goetschmann/produkte-products/

www.dhw-fototechnik.de

http://www.rbt-3d.de/index.php?idcat=30

Slide projection is the field where film has the greatest advantage over digital.
With a very good quality projection lens you can fully exploit all the detail on film and project it onto the screen (we've tested that several times). No significant resolution loss and grain enhancing like with most scanners.
And very cost effective: A huge, brillant slide on the screen cost about or less than 1€, a print of the same size cost more than 100 €.
If you want your pictures great, impressive, sharp and brillant, and you don't have a fortune to spend, slide projection is the way to go.

And much better than digital beamers. In digital projection you pay 7000€ for a 24 MP D3x, and then another 7000€ for the beamer to smash down your 24 MP to extremely low 2 MP (and that even only in horizontal direction, in vertical direction it is 40% less).
We've compared the 7000€ beamer class with slide projection in a direct comparison: No competition, no chance for the beamers at all. Much much better detail and color rendition with the slides.

With slides you feel like being back in the scene at the moment you shot it, it's so real.
It's a "time machine".

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=suRDUFpsHus

Cheers, Jan

 

[umcelinho]

in Brazil a roll of slide film will cost about $25, plust another $13 for development only - not considering mounting frames nor scanning. not cheap, really...

 

[HHPhoto]

in Brazil a roll of slide film will cost about $25, plust another $13 for development only - not considering mounting frames nor scanning. not cheap, really...

Buy from overseas, for example from B+H, they even have a brazilian website (!).
AFAIK the slide film in your Lomography Gallery Store in Sao Paulo is cheaper, too.
I've heard of a very good and reasonable priced lab in Porto Alegre, maybe you can send your films there.
Another option: Self developing with the Tetenal E6 3-bath kit. Excellent quality and very cheap.
E6 home development is easy, not rocket science.
If you can develop BW, you also can develop E6.

Cheers, Jan

 

[Steve M.]

I'm glad you brought up the high image quality slide film produces HHPhoto. The "normal" these days is for a couple of people to crowd around a flat screen computer monitor (which looks like crap compared to a CRT, but never mind that) to see some photos. I remember a friend that had traveled a lot, and once a year he'd give this huge party and show slides in a room for interested people. The quality was amazing, as was the interaction you got w/ 30 or more people all seeing the same thing.

 

[ReeRay]

Here in Thailand the prices are about 25% less than shown for purchase and development. Film is in great demand also with the stores frequently running out of stock. Long may this enthusiasm continue.

 

[BobYIL]

Here in Thailand the prices are about 25% less than shown for purchase and development. Film is in great demand also with the stores frequently running out of stock. Long may this enthusiasm continue.

For example what cost the Tri-X, HP5 and Velvia 50 without processing?

 

[ReeRay]

For example what cost the Tri-X, HP5 and Velvia 50 without processing?

Velvia 50 - fresh - 15 rolls of 135mm is $100 (5 Euro each)

FP4 135 as above is $75 (3 Euro each)

Don't use Tri-X or HP5

Processing incidentally is 1.75 Euro for each of the above

 

[sepiareverb]

Slide projection is the field where film has the greatest advantage over digital.

+10!! Few things irk me as much as what is commonly accepted in this arena now. There is nothing available today that I've seen that comes anywhere close to a projected slide- be it a Kodachrome from 1940 or an Ektachrome from 1975 or a dupe of a Velvia from last year. Crispness, detail, vibrance and glow all suffer in every digital projection I've seen. But people don't care. They happily accept this pathetic state of affairs as progress.

 

[David_Manning]

Lucky German film shooters. If slide film were as inexpensive to shoot here in Texas, I'd never have invested in digital.

My favorite little camera, Contax T3, sulks in the corner. I shot some of the best chromes I've ever seen with that Sonnar lens, rivaling my Nikon F6 slides.

Oh well...

 

[sepiareverb]

...My favorite little camera, Contax T3, sulks in the corner. I shot some of the best chromes I've ever seen with that Sonnar lens...

That T* coating does most every slide emulsion justice don't it?

 

[kokoshawnuff]

Overall E-6 is probably the most expensive option in the US, but still not bad when compared to the prices in I've read about. I get the film (E100VS or E100G) for $8.50 per roll, and developing for $8 per roll. Because I shoot B&W 90% of the time (with home development), the $16.50 is worth it to me occasionally

 

[Rico]

I took advantage of the shrinking US market for slides by scooping up two Leitz projectors: CA2500, Color 250 AF. Their mass and build quality instills confidence. 🙂 Now just need a projector platform and screen. Well, okay, also the Zeiss T* P-Sonnar 90/2.5. I think it's Leitz P mount...

Items above are from a seller I bookmarked on eBay (Germany of course).

 

[ooze]

You are welcome.

Just some additional infos to my above post:
Slide projector manufacturers:
http://www.braun-phototechnik.de/de/products/list/~pcat.106/Diatechnik.html

https://reflecta.de/de/products/list/~pcat.5/Dia-Projektoren.html

http://www.gecko-cam.com/sales/goetschmann/produkte-products/

www.dhw-fototechnik.de

http://www.rbt-3d.de/index.php?idcat=30

Slide projection is the field where film has the greatest advantage over digital.
With a very good quality projection lens you can fully exploit all the detail on film and project it onto the screen (we've tested that several times). No significant resolution loss and grain enhancing like with most scanners.
And very cost effective: A huge, brillant slide on the screen cost about or less than 1€, a print of the same size cost more than 100 €.
If you want your pictures great, impressive, sharp and brillant, and you don't have a fortune to spend, slide projection is the way to go.

And much better than digital beamers. In digital projection you pay 7000€ for a 24 MP D3x, and then another 7000€ for the beamer to smash down your 24 MP to extremely low 2 MP (and that even only in horizontal direction, in vertical direction it is 40% less).
We've compared the 7000€ beamer class with slide projection in a direct comparison: No competition, no chance for the beamers at all. Much much better detail and color rendition with the slides.

With slides you feel like being back in the scene at the moment you shot it, it's so real.
It's a "time machine".

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=suRDUFpsHus

Cheers, Jan

WOW! A beautiful post, topped with a wonderful scene from Mad Men! It brought tears to my eyes.

What a beauty slide film is when projected. Indeed, no comparison at all with today's digital beamers. I've watched professional digital projections by professional photographers and I still wonder how they can be happy with such crappy quality. The photograph literally disintegrates on the screen.

 

[thegman]

In the UK, usually the home of the excessive mark up, I can get E6 development for £2.29 + VAT at Genie Imaging, or dev + scan for £5.99. Elite Chrome is pretty cheap, but I think a roll of Velvia 35mm is about £6 though.