Buying film from overseas...

[gamincurieux]

Have to have a proper think about what I actually want.... best done over a beer in the sun....

 

[gamincurieux]

Yes, you can go the single-reel steel tank if you like. Personally I stick with Paterson as it's a modular system, for want of another way to put it, with the reels & parts. The 2-reel tank does fine for one roll.

 

[Dave Pritchard]

I've bought TX400 film cans from Freestyle and have them shipped to Santiago, Chile at least three times and no problem so far. Hint: along with the film cans I´ve also bought cartridge of Neopan 1600 as an "X-ray test device". At the arrival of the cans, I develop the virgin Neopan film in search of any strange sign... always clear (except for the numbers, of course).

Sir, you are a paranoid genius. I bow to you. What a great way to qualify shipped goods!

 

[gamincurieux]

Ah, yeah, I'd also probably look at getting some Polaroid/Fuji Instant film for this Polaroid back I just bought.......... film/paper/polaroid......... don't know about paper though, it's bloody heavy & dense, might just keep on banking on quitting photography students offloading theirs. Film is my main concern. Excuse me, just thinking aloud....

 

[gamincurieux]

Dave Pritchard, that is BRILLIANT!

Why not do it with one roll of T-max 3200, even more sensitive.

 

[Molli]

So you're telling me this tank, which I managed to get a roll on the very first time in the dark should be ignored? Kidding. The only real problem I'm having is not knowing which of their instructions should be ignored (e.g. No need to remove the film from the canister) and which I should learn the work around for (obviously there's no way I'm tipping this baby upside down - it has a small side opening for pouring out the chems... wouldn't want to be sloshing those all over myself for the sake of "modern" agitation methods!)

If I'm to buy another tank, I can simply go back to the guy I bought this one from. He actually told me to bring it back if I didn't like it and, given that I've cleaned up the box it came in, flat pressed the instruction manual, and returned the tank and reel to their former glory, I don't think he'd mind taking it back at all. I'm of a mind to keep a hold of it, though, purely for historical purposes! See here: http://www.photomemorabilia.co.uk/Paterson/Developing_Tanks.html The one I have is the first model BEFORE they changed the agitation tube from hexagonal to tapered. So, I got a treasure for $10

At any rate, I'm here to learn from my betters So, my thanks for all of this advice, you've no idea how much I appreciate it!

 

[gamincurieux]

You load the reel in a dark bag, or a fully dark room?

Just looking at your link........... wow..... hell no, don't take it back, nono, keep it!

I'd just get something newer for actual developing. Get used to loading the reel out in the light with a dummy roll.

 

[gamincurieux]

I'd very much like to go see this shop in Tyabb......

 

[gamincurieux]

I have the most incredibly interesting grain focus scope, a Mitchell Unicolor, but I'm not going to use it for actual focusing. Crazy-looking long pointed angular thing that shows an image on the ground glass screen of exactly where the pointed tip is pointing to on the enlarger baseboard. I play with it, then do actual critical focusing with the Bestwell Microsight. No real use, but I'll never get rid of it.

 

[gamincurieux]

"No need to remove the film from the canister"??!!

 

[Molli]

I was just about to go and see if I could find a web page to the place for you. You HAVE to see the camera's this guy has. Sorry, got to stop calling him "this guy". His name's Jack and I've yet to leave his little corner of this place in less than two hours because I always get caught up in his anecdotes. He's a treasure trove in and of himself! It's called The Packing House. A rather un-spectacular name for one of the best antique centres around. In fact, I believe Tyabb only exists so that there's a Melways reference for all of the antique stores.

Okay, I've found you a link and I'm glad of the prompt to find it because I just discovered and ONLINE catalogue! At any rate, to get to Jack's Cameras, there's no direct link, you have to go their via their main site, click on the online catalogue and choose Cameras. Here's their home page: Dead Link Removed From the brief glimpse I just had then I can tell you two things 1) the catalogue does NOT constitute an online store and, 2) that is the shiniest and cleanest and most organised I've ever seen his little corner of the shed. The entire place is massive, Jack takes up a little spot measuring perhaps 5 x 8 metres and my hands itch for a dusting cloth every time I go in there!

He has notes lying around all over the place with things like "Molli wants 58mm filters - keep an eye out" or, in the case of the second last time I went in - homework for me. He needed information on a camera he'd picked up that had him somewhat stumped so, hand the details over to the first person who walks into the door with a net connection to find out He's a gem.

 

[gamincurieux]

You might like to have a look at this Molli (provided the link works):

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=370312391181&ssPageName=ADME:B:EF:AU:1123

Considered getting myself one not too long ago.

 

[gamincurieux]

Ah OK, that place looks similar to The Mill (3 branches, Nth Geelong/Warnambool/Daylesford). Can spend hours in places like that.

I'll get a few bucks of gas and head down there.

 

[Molli]

Yes, I saw one of those advertised (selling from Perth) about a month ago for $17. It was an antique bakelite Yes, I have a thing for antques.
At any rate, I simply can't afford to be buying anything that isn't a thousand percent necessary. Buying this camera in the first place (for a whopping big twenty dollars!) was money I shouldn't have spent so going out and buying a tank when I have a functional one here, no matter how archaic, will have to suffice until I win a Nobel Prize (and that rather generous wad of the folding stuff) for solving all the world's ills - or some such thing

 

[David Grenet]

There's also Blanco Negro in Sydney who sell the Czech Foma products that I need to look closer into..... only it looks like their dedicated webpages on Foma products/prices seem to have gone, I can only see the pages about their darkroom hire etc etc.

Dead Link Removed is the site that you want.

I found Chris very friendly and helpful whe I dropped by to pick up a box of 8x10 Fomapan 100...

 

[gamincurieux]

Molli, as long as it works

 

[Molli]

If you have any item in mind, go ahead and email Jack before you head down - he'd be only too happy to dig through his clutter and see if he has what you're looking for - or to keep an eye out for it and hold it aside for you.

Speaking of your peculiar grain focusing scope - I saw one of those lying about the place at Jack's but I couldn't tell you whether it was of any interest or not - haven't gotten that far in my studies as yet

He has an enlarger sitting up above that case of view cameras, etc. that I almost asked him to put aside for me (not knowing, at that stage, a single thing about printing at home). I think
it was a Meopta - does that sound right? Sixty five dollars in the original box - looked close to pristine. I let someone (temporarily, I'm thinking) talk me out of it. Right now, I'm debating whether to grab a Yashica Electro 35 off him. I really only want it for the lens To get something that will shoot/has a f1.7 lens for $22 from someone who a) isn't going to lug a P&H bill on me and b) has all of his cameras checked professionally and, c) ALWAYS notes any problems with them, prices accordingly AND lets you bring it back if it's not what you wanted or not as good as you hoped.... it's VERY tempting. (Says she on the budget with nothing but half a tub of butter in her fridge!)

 

[Molli]

Dead Link Removed is the site that you want.

I found Chris very friendly and helpful whe I dropped by to pick up a box of 8x10 Fomapan 100...

Thank you for that, David. I'd only been by their site a couple of weeks ago and wondered where it had all disappeared to!

 

[gamincurieux]

I have in my fridge half a tub of butter, a liter of milk, 3 bottles of Mercury cider, 4 eggs, mustard, Laughing Cow cheese spread, a block of Parmagiano, a frozen loaf of rye bread, a bottle of pre-mixed chilled Coola cordial, 5 pro-packs of Portra, and a couple of bulk rolls of Tri-X.

Speaking of NY stores & UPS..... UPS has just this second delivered the Polaroid back for the Nikon from Adorama. It cost $60 US to send, but I won the actual item for just $10. $70 US all up beats one I saw for sale same condition at Borgs in Port Melbourne for $150 AUD.

So..... lets assemble an order for film!

 

[wotalegend]

You might like to have a look at this Molli (provided the link works):

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=370312391181&ssPageName=ADME:B:EF:AU:1123

Considered getting myself one not too long ago.

Ah yes, that's an Agfa Rondinax 35U. I have one which I have had since new (about 1965) and it has done hundreds of films. I have also recently acquired a Rondinax 60 which is the same thing for 120 size, but haven't had a chance to use it yet. The drawback with this design is that the reel sits vertically, not horizontally, and the whole film is not immersed at any one time, so you have to keep turning it constantly. The one big advantage, of course, is that they are daylight loading. I also recently acquired a Jobo tank for 35mm which looks and works pretty much like a conventional tank once loaded, but has an ingenious system of daylight loading which involves inserting the cassette inside the centre spindle. I have used that and I believe that it is a better system than the Agfa one.

On the subject of films and overseas orders, you can count me in for a Melbourne area group order. I'm in the east, not far from Eastlink. I have been on APUG for some time now and I have never before seen any mention of a Melbourne group order, so I'm all for it. I have bought from the US and Europe before, and also from cheap_shots_AU in Sydney, and I have never seen any evidence of x-ray fogging. I mostly only buy chemicals from Vanbar now, both because of their prices and their locations. It is chemical supply which worries me for the future rather than film. If Vanbar disappears for whatever reason, where are we going to get chemicals?

 

[Ian David]

If Vanbar disappears for whatever reason, where are we going to get chemicals?

Chemicals are pretty easy to mix, and there will always be some raw chemical suppliers around. Film is much harder...

Ian

 

[Molli]

It is chemical supply which worries me for the future rather than film. If Vanbar disappears for whatever reason, where are we going to get chemicals?

I'm guessing that's about the time we start brewing soups from all of the household goodies like oj, tylenol and urine...


.... yes, I know, I should read the ENTIRETY of a 'MythBusters' thread before posting these things, but the idea amused me... and I have at least one of these three things handy.... granted, I've not been storing it in the fridge!

 

[gamincurieux]

Half a teaspoon of Maille moutard in the developeur gives it a certain je ne sais quoi oh so very special!

 

[Molli]

I have bought from the US and Europe before, and also from cheap_shots_AU in Sydney

cheap_shots_AU I have bookmarked for future refernce on eBay Would you have a recommendation for us regarding the costs of product/postage and handling from either the US or Europe?

From my research, Freestyle seems to be the best but we're going to need to find one place that will supply all of our needs. Speaking of, what format are you after? Do you do your own prints as well (or is it blasphemous around here to suggest that someone might not??)

Anyway, feel free to post your shopping list and any places you recommend we consider. Also, given financial commitments elsewhere, the date of order is looking more like the start of Feb. (Is this okay, Paul?) Would that suit you also, or be too long a wait?

The offer still stands, by the way, to play delivery girl with all of this stuff once it gets to Oz.

 

[Molli]

Half a teaspoon of Maille moutard in the developeur gives it a certain je ne sais quoi oh so very special!

Stop it, you're making me hungry!
And did I mention that, along with an empty fridge, the cupboard is also bare?