Alarming!

Matt5791 said:

That's interesting you have heard of Palm, Ben. I am always suprised not more people have heard of them.

They keep investing in new kit too, most recently a new 50" RA4 print processor. They are what I call a really complete modern lab, offering everything traditional and digital.

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They did a feature on labs in Professional Photographer a year or two ago that mentioned them, and they advertise in the mag, a few of my photographic friends deal with them mail order, and like them.

Matt5791 said:

They always have a good range of Kodak and Fuji film in Calumet in Birmingham (in the fridge) plus numerous other outlets in the city - but this is a large city of course.

We are also lucky to have a proper photo lab too (Palm laboratory) offering all services from colour / B&W hand printing to exhibition Chromira prints.

I think that many of us will have to accept that forward thinking and mail order are the way forward.

Matt

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Went there before I went on holiday. Some Portra and Reala, I had the last roll of 120 Tri-X and a single 35mm roll of HP5. I was expecting a lot more stock in the shop, compared to what they had online which is quite comprehensive.
Shame really as I prefer to support bricks and mortar rather than online when I can.

I get most of my film from 7Dayshop, its so much cheaper I think Reala is about 1/2 the price there than it would be in Jessops. Boots is silly expensive if either store stopped selling it I would not be too disheartened because I think its not just down to digital but also down to it being so expensive.

ajuk, I asked for Reala at Jessops a couple of weeks ago, and the salesman said "Is that film ?"

Unlike Matt, I found Calumet in Birmingham useless. For years I used Pelling & Cross, then also Leeds Cameras & Ultrafield, all in Birmingham. We had excellent suppliers. Then Leeds bought Ultrafield. Calumet bought Pelling & Cross, and finally Calumet bought Leeds.

Leeds always kept Agfa APX100 5x4 & 35mm, APX25 120 & Agfa Record Rapid papers & Rodinal on their shelf, and re-ordered regularly. Always had just what I needed, I discovered why much later - they guessed my usage so ensured I could always buy what I wanted.

The late Bryan Barfoot ran Leeds in Birmingham exceedingly well and taught his staff to look after the customers, when I was involved in some exhibitions which were part of a Photo-festival Leeds gave us excellent discounts. Acouple of years later they did the same when I had alarge solo exhibition.

Leeds were a company who supported photographers first and made a profit after. Because they were so customer orientated you had no need to buy anything from one of there competitor.

Ian