Anybody buying color sheet film these days?

miha · Aug 16, 2023

Yesterday I exposed my last ten sheets of EKTAR in 4x5, what I'm left with is a 20-sheet box of Provia. I'm not sure I'm willing to spend 90 EUR for another 10-sheet box of EKTAR. As much as I love my hobby these prices might stop me from pursuing my passion for LF color photography . Anybody else facing the same dilemma?

Donald Qualls · Aug 16, 2023

I bought my first ever color sheet film -- a 10-pack of Portra 160 and 10-pack of Ektachrome 100 -- just a few months ago. Yes, it's expensive -- which is why neither box has been opened yet. It does help a lot if you can process your own instead of sending it out for development...

miha · Aug 16, 2023

I do process everything by myself.

AnselMortensen · Aug 16, 2023

I shoot some, very sparingly....4x5, 5x7 & 8x10...only what I have in the freezer.
Not many options to purchase more of what I have.
I mostly shoot B/W, because I process it myself.
Color gets sent to labs, because I'm not set up for color.

ntenny · Aug 16, 2023

I’m sort of paralyzed by colour sheet film, because it’s so limited in availability and so expensive that I almost never feel like a subject is both important enough and reliable enough to justify using it. I have about ten sheets left of 5x7 Provia, and I think I need to find a little project rather than fritter it away on a shot here and a shot there.

But there is nothing like a giant transparency. I’m not sure it’s rational—I’m not targetting giant reproductions that would require this level of information—but the transparency as an object is irresistible.

-NT

DREW WILEY · Aug 16, 2023

It's easy to cure your fears about those prices for 4X5 color film. Start shooting it in 8X10 instead, and then 4X5 will seem cheap. I don't shoot as much 8x10 as I used to, and admit to working off my reserve of it stockpiled n the freezer, purchased when it cost about one fourth as much as today - in other words, back when 8x10 cost about the same as 4X5 today. But when you're enlarging an 8x10 Ektar original onto a 24X30 or 30X40 inch Fuji Supergloss print, now that is a marriage made in heaven!

I sold off my boxes of 8X10 transparency film after Cibachrome was discontinued. Now I either print directly onto RA4 medium from color neg originals, or else make precision internegatives from older on-hand transparencies. But sheet film is indeed getting expensive, so I ration it, and supplement it with 120 roll film whenever big enlargements are not in mind.

Both C41 and E6 processing are easy to get locally; and in my case, it wouldn't save me any money at all to do it in-house, given the extra fuss involved. I do develop all my own black and white film, since there are so many potential variations of that kind of thing. But C41 and E6 are standardized processes, which monitored big machines can do more reliably. And all my printing, both color and black and white, is done by myself. I'm highly equipped for that.

miha · Aug 16, 2023

I'm glad you are set. The thread is aimed at the hobbyists like me with with no fridge full of film.

armadsen · Aug 16, 2023

I just bought a box of Portra 400 in 4x5 yesterday. Using it to take portraits of my siblings as part of a Christmas gift for my mom this year.

Alan Edward Klein · Aug 16, 2023

miha said:
Yesterday I exposed my last ten sheets of EKTAR in 4x5, what I'm left with is a 20-sheet box of Provia. I'm not sure I'm willing to spend 90 EUR for another 10-sheet box of EKTAR. As much as I love my hobby these prices might stop me from pursuing my passion for LF color photography . Anybody else facing the same dilemma?

I bought my last two boxes of (20) Velvia 50 from Japan. A lot more than you spent. They're in my freezer with the meat. It's gotten to the point you can't buy both.

Alan Edward Klein · Aug 16, 2023

Donald Qualls said:
I bought my first ever color sheet film -- a 10-pack of Portra 160 and 10-pack of Ektachrome 100 -- just a few months ago. Yes, it's expensive -- which is why neither box has been opened yet. It does help a lot if you can process your own instead of sending it out for development...

Do it! Don't wait. Life is short.

miha · Aug 16, 2023

Alan Edward Klein said:
I bought my last two boxes of (20) Velvia 50 from Japan. A lot more than you spent. They're in my freezer with the meat. It's gotten to the point you can't buy both.

Donald Qualls · Aug 16, 2023

Alan Edward Klein said:
Do it! Don't wait. Life is short.

Only delay here is having too much film already waiting for processing -- two full Grafmatics (Ultra 400), a couple dozen rolls of 35 mm and 120 in B&W, C-41, and a couple Ektachrome.

Looking more and more like I won't get caught up until I retire (somewhere between 14 months and three years out now). Seems like I have less free time every week than the last.

DREW WILEY · Aug 16, 2023

And when you do retire, you'll just come up with ways to get more behind than ever! But don't get me wrong - I'm personally glad to be retired at last. I sure worked hard to get there.

abruzzi · Aug 16, 2023

in 4x5 yes--but only E6--never shot sheets of C41. I have no issue with the 4x5 price. I just recieved an email for Keith Canham--he's looking to put together a group buy on 5x7 E100, and I'm very tempted. Price is high, but not as bad as 8x10. I wish Kodak did something like the Ilford ULF so I could get Koday film in other sizes--especially 5x7.

Donald Qualls · Aug 17, 2023

DREW WILEY said:
And when you do retire, you'll just come up with ways to get more behind than ever!

Can't disagree with this, but I only need about two weeks of days off (after getting rested up from the last week of work prior, takes 3-4 days) to get caught up on processing and about half that to catch up on scanning. Couple more weeks to finish getting my enlarger back up and running, and then I get to wonder how to afford more film and enlarging paper (especially RA-4 materials).

DREW WILEY · Aug 17, 2023

RA4 paper and chem is still relatively affordable, certainly way cheaper than printing b&w FB paper. But color sheet film is getting up there; 120 isn't so bad per shot. I am actually not shooting much color 4x5 at all, compared to former decades, but have mainly bifurcated toward roll film for convenience shooting and budget lowering, along with 8x10 color, reserved for those special shots where I have big or especially rich enlargements in mind.

But I have so many damn 4X5 and 8x10 chromes and color negs on hand already, most of which never have been printed, that I have more than enough to keep me busy for several decades after I'm permanently obsolete myself under some cemetery lawn. Maybe the gophers can evaluate the results.

Tim Stapp · Aug 17, 2023

If I'm ever going to shoot color film whatever the format, it will be E-6. I'll send it to AgX Imaging in the Soo. I'm always good for a trip to the Soo. I have the capability to print digitally up to 13x19 here at home, so to have drum scan or two plus the chromes... But, the cost of the film. Maybe I'll stay B&W since I'm stone color blind anyway.

SodaAnt · Aug 17, 2023

Am I buying color sheet film? No. I'd rather make all the typical beginner mistakes with much cheaper B&W film before I branch out into color.

When I do, I'll probably start with Ektar 100 (assuming it's still available).

With B&W, I'm starting out doing development with a Paterson tank and a MOD54 reel, with the intention of upgrading to a Jobo Expert drum. When I upgrade to the Jobo, that's when I'll feel comfortable doing C-41 at home.

koraks · Aug 18, 2023

miha said:
Anybody else facing the same dilemma?

Yeah. I would definitely buy fresh C41 4x5 film if it were more affordable. I have some expired leftovers, but expired C41 film (although it's been stored relatively well) just isn't the same as fresh. Like many others, I resort to shooting small and medium format when it needs to be color, and mostly use sheet film for B&W and especially alt. process. Fortunately, medium format is perfectly adequate for the vast majority of prints I make, so I don't lose much sleep over it.

BMbikerider · Aug 18, 2023

miha said:
Yesterday I exposed my last ten sheets of EKTAR in 4x5, what I'm left with is a 20-sheet box of Provia. I'm not sure I'm willing to spend 90 EUR for another 10-sheet box of EKTAR. As much as I love my hobby these prices might stop me from pursuing my passion for LF color photography . Anybody else facing the same dilemma?

It is still available in UK so someone will be buying it, but from the suppliers that mainly deal with pro photographers it is about 10% more expensive than you are paying (£10.45 for a 10 sheet box of 5x4) plus of course postage.

koraks · Aug 18, 2023

BMbikerider said:
It is still available in UK

Yeah, that's not really the issue though. It's available pretty much worldwide. The issue is the cost/sheet which is prohibitive for most of us.

Don_ih · Aug 18, 2023

I only have expired colour 4x5. I got lucky and bought 5 boxes of Ektar for $10 a box - just expired but stored well, and I have it in my freezer. I would have no colour large format film if I had to buy it new. Kodak must be selling it to someone but it really is priced too high for hobbyists.
Even at that elevated price, I doubt Kodak is making much profit from it.

Donald Qualls · Aug 18, 2023

Don_ih said:
Kodak must be selling it to someone but it really is priced too high for hobbyists.
Even at that elevated price, I doubt Kodak is making much profit from it.

I wonder if Kodak's color sheet films are just being cut as needed from one last frozen master roll? That would still be enough to keep hobbyists going for years, while the execs decide whether it makes sense to run another one...

koraks · Aug 18, 2023

Donald Qualls said:
I wonder if Kodak's color sheet films are just being cut as needed from one last frozen master roll?

Who knows....but I personally suspect that they confection sizeable batches from master rolls just as they do with roll films, then store the product in a local warehouse as well as the downstream supply chain, where due to low demand much of it goes out of date before it ever leaves the premises of Eastman Kodak and is discarded, explaining the high retail price. But that's entirely speculation on my behalf.

Alan Edward Klein · Aug 18, 2023

koraks said:
Who knows....but I personally suspect that they confection sizeable batches from master rolls just as they do with roll films, then store the product in a local warehouse as well as the downstream supply chain, where due to low demand much of it goes out of date before it ever leaves the premises of Eastman Kodak and is discarded, explaining the high retail price. But that's entirely speculation on my behalf.

If that's happening, why is B&H running out as soon as they get in some stock of a particular emulsion?

Anybody buying color sheet film these days?

miha

Donald Qualls

miha

AnselMortensen

ntenny

DREW WILEY

miha

armadsen

Alan Edward Klein

Alan Edward Klein

miha

Donald Qualls

DREW WILEY

abruzzi

Donald Qualls

DREW WILEY

Tim Stapp

SodaAnt

koraks

Moderator

BMbikerider

koraks

Moderator

Don_ih

Donald Qualls

koraks

Moderator

Alan Edward Klein

Anybody buying color sheet film these days?

Moderator

Moderator

Moderator

Privacy & Transparency

Privacy & Transparency