I have been trying to get hold of 35mm and 120mm films; off late I see them either on backorder or priced insanely high. Anybody has any clue when will this end?
I have tried B&H, Adorama, Amazon.
I have tried B&H, Adorama, Amazon.
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Shortage of films?
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- Thread starter bpndy
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I checked my orders from the last 10 years, and films have all doubled in price. Some films took 10 years to double, some took only a few years. That said our hobby is getting expensive. That said even with the high prices, film is still selling hot off the shelves. Im so glad my freezer is full. I really dont think it will end any time soon. For as long as Millenials like to shoot film on their Ebay camera, this will persist. Covid isn't helping either. It may take a couple years.
alot of the shortage is actually induced by the sellers.
but everythign seems to have doubled
but everythign seems to have doubled
Freestyle appears to be out of ‘normal’ 35mm C41. B&H shows only Ektar, which is a good film, but not what I am running out of. Does anyone know what is going on?
The availability of retail color film is the subject of discussion in many threads here on Photrio. Here's a ten-pager that resulted from a similar inquiry from a similar post count.
In short, demand exceeds supply. There are strategies for reducing cost, but they seem to be over the heads of most casual film shooters.
In short, demand exceeds supply. There are strategies for reducing cost, but they seem to be over the heads of most casual film shooters.
Try google, then filter for shopping. There are plenty of places that have film in stock. FYI Amazon has perhaps the worst prices on color film anywhere.
How so? This is a supply line problem, the sellers have nothing personally against you except that you accuse them of something that they have not control over.
I went to Freestyle's website, seems to be lots of B&W 35mm films. Some bargains too: $5.89 for Arista EDU Ultra 36 exp (Foma 100), I should buy some, it's not marked low of stock or anything. $7.49 for Delta 100 36 exp, Tri-X is there in 36 exp.
Y'all must shoot different films than I do.
Y'all must shoot different films than I do.
MattKing
Moderator
Folks, this thread is in the Colour Film sub-forum!
(extra u added intentionally)
(extra u added intentionally)
mind you I have NEVER seen any 120mm film. (size 120 yes)
Most of it is probably in my fridge
I think it will be very hard to find 120mm films, really. It would be easier to search for 70mm film instead.
So it was YOUR fault, fatso!! End of thread, we found the culprit.
You could use that technique to shoot three B&w images with red, blue and green(yellow)? filters and merge them into one colour image.
I still dont understand why people cannot just go to google and find color film for sale, in stock. Just now it took me a few seconds.
Or we could just engage in my favorite past time, which is sit around and needlessly complain.
I don't think prices for color film will ever go down in the near future. Demand currently is moderarately high but not high enough to justify producing film in higher volumens more so on color films. There is higher demand for b&w since it is cheaper to process but color is more expensive to process so it keep the volumen down.
MattKing
Moderator
There is far, far, far more colour film made and sold by the Kodaks than black and white.
Ilford sells more black and white than Kodak does.
But the Kodaks sell far more film than Ilford does.
In the Kodak world, they are beset by a huge number of difficulties that originate outside their control.
Just to pick one example from one of my sources:
The film base…cellulose tri-acetate base to be specific. Very limited suppliers in the world with limited machinery and increasing competitive demand.
Ilford sells more black and white than Kodak does.
But the Kodaks sell far more film than Ilford does.
In the Kodak world, they are beset by a huge number of difficulties that originate outside their control.
Just to pick one example from one of my sources:
The film base…cellulose tri-acetate base to be specific. Very limited suppliers in the world with limited machinery and increasing competitive demand.
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- Artist-Photographer
- Deleted
Thanks for the correction, I did not even notice the spelling mistake! Americans spell many words wrong (colour, centre to name a few), pronounce letter Z wrong (Zee) and even drive on the incorrect side
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Please make sure that your money hasn’t halved in value instead.
I also learnt that USA has banned import of Fuji Velvia due to some environmental concerns.
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- Artist-Photographer
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- Artist-Photographer
- Deleted
I know, I am an Indian myself (living in USA). That's why I was making the joke 
What is an ebay camera?
It a”minty” one.
I still don’t know if that means it’s in great condition or has a fresh scent.
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- Artist-Photographer
- Deleted
In a word - yes.
In this insane day and age, the term "cheap film" is an oxymoron. There ain't so such thing any more, and the sooner you accept this and learn to live with it, the better you will be.
Sadly, film is now becoming a niche product. The days of $2 a roll 35mm stock is long gone. 120 now requires a bank overdraft or a well-lubed credit card to buy, at least in five-packs. An Ebay retail seller in Australia is now asking $24 for one roll of Provia 120, which makes every exposure cost $2. Who in their right mind will pay this inflated price??
We are all being force-driven into the pixels-age. Conspiracy or not, the high-inflation-for-everything world we are now fast moving into will see the end of budget analog photography. This is sad, but like many other unfair things,
To repeat myself (as we old duffers tend to do a lot), we have to accept this and learn to live with it.
In this insane day and age, the term "cheap film" is an oxymoron. There ain't so such thing any more, and the sooner you accept this and learn to live with it, the better you will be.
Sadly, film is now becoming a niche product. The days of $2 a roll 35mm stock is long gone. 120 now requires a bank overdraft or a well-lubed credit card to buy, at least in five-packs. An Ebay retail seller in Australia is now asking $24 for one roll of Provia 120, which makes every exposure cost $2. Who in their right mind will pay this inflated price??
We are all being force-driven into the pixels-age. Conspiracy or not, the high-inflation-for-everything world we are now fast moving into will see the end of budget analog photography. This is sad, but like many other unfair things,
To repeat myself (as we old duffers tend to do a lot), we have to accept this and learn to live with it.
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- Artist-Photographer
- Deleted
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