buying in bulk

macaroniitfc · Oct 29, 2009

All - I plan to shoot an average of ten rolls per week of black and white film in 2010. I'll probably be looking at getting a mixture of ISOs. I live in Japan. Can anyone suggest where the best place might be to buy BW film in bulk (prefer Ilford but Kodak works too). Also, how long does film tend to last before it expires (if you keep it in the fridge)? Cheers!

David William White · Oct 29, 2009

That's a lot. This is a bit unorthodox, but consider Eastman Kodak black & white motion picture film for the cheapest option with high quality. Either Eastman Double-X (5222) which is an iso250 film or Eastman Plus-X (5231) which is an iso80 film. Both are available directly from Kodak (Motion Picture Division) in either 400ft. or 1000ft. cans. That should bring you down to about 30 cents per foot (US price). You'll have to bulk load, etc. I don't know how readily available Kodak makes this film in Japan, but if not, you could check with filmstock companies there.

I shot my whole summer vacation in Double-X, using short ends from a local film company.

Black and white lasts years if refrigerated.

Denis R · Oct 29, 2009

well, that depends...

for film length roll your own

100' = 20r 36x
regular dated film stored properly is usually good for 2 years
properly is below 75*f, not chilled!

with your rate of shooting, you will need 2,500 ft of film to feed your addiction

assuming 50 ft/ wk for 50 wk for convenient numbers

order 25 rolls and be set for the year and don't worry about expiration

with this large of an order, you may qualify for a special status and may want to order direct from manufacturer

sepiareverb · Nov 11, 2009

Anybody have tips for getting 400' rolls into 100' lengths for a bulk loader??

Dennis S · Nov 11, 2009

Bulk film

sepiareverb said:
Anybody have tips for getting 400' rolls into 100' lengths for a bulk loader??

That is a good question because I have been looking into the 400' rolls. (I have found a place that will delivery for free!) BUT that is a lot of film on one roll. Anyone with a great suggestion ??

Larry.Manuel · Nov 11, 2009

I used nearly 200 feet of Kodak 5231, and came to the conclusion it was good, but not great. It is a low-contrast film, and works well in very contrasty light. On overcast days, it wasn't ideal for my [insert guffaw here] "artistic vision". I bought mine on FleaBay, and it was good quality. At normal film-house prices [US 38 cents/foot], I don't think it's any less expensive than Freestyle house brand in 100 foot rolls. When I use ISO 100 film [and I favour that], I like the grain size of Delta 100, FP4+ and Acros. APX 100 is available in 100 foot rolls, too.

http://www.tapesuperstore.com/koblandwhned1.html

My experience: I tended to over-buy and then change my mind. Now, I buy only 100 feet of a particular film at a time.

There's an enormous thread on Double-X and Plus-X movie film at Rangefinderforum.

http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=52426&highlight=5222

brianmquinn · Nov 11, 2009

Arista Premium 100 and 400 from Freestyle at about $2 for a 36 exposure roll is hard to beat and these are quality items. Just do a search on them.

AlexG · Nov 12, 2009

If you can go to Shinjuku, drop by the film and paper division of Yodobashi Camera (If you've never been there, the film store is in its own building.). They had some ok deals on bulk Neopan and some Kodak stuff.

fotch · Nov 12, 2009

sepiareverb said:
Anybody have tips for getting 400' rolls into 100' lengths for a bulk loader??

Do it in the dark.

sepiareverb · Nov 12, 2009

fotch said:
Do it in the dark.

I have a headlamp that will help.

bdilgard · Nov 12, 2009

The subject of XXL bulk rolls come comes up from time to time. Here is another thread on the subject:

(there was a url link here which no longer exists)

sepiareverb · Nov 12, 2009

Thanks.

cmacd123 · Nov 16, 2009

sepiareverb said:
Anybody have tips for getting 400' rolls into 100' lengths for a bulk loader??

One time I tried it I bolted a 1 inch core from a Kodak Bulk roll to a smooth bit of plywood (I actually used a sink cut-out which meant it had Formica on one side)

I then set up a 1/4 inch shaft, taken off a dead projector also in the same bit of plywood. I put down a strip of masking tape at the maximum diameter. BUt if you can score a S-83 spool, you can just wind until the spool os full.

The spool used for 35mm microfilm would also work. The legacy pro film I recently got from Freestyle was wound on a similar spool. I actually used another 1 inch core that I modified to have a home-made key that would fit in a 2 inch 35mm core.

Just set the full roll on the suply core in the dark, and wind off 100 ft. Put the rest back in teh black baga nd can, then put the 100 ft in your loader.

cmacd123 · Nov 16, 2009

sepiareverb said:
Anybody have tips for getting 400' rolls into 100' lengths for a bulk loader??

Another idea mught be to talk a Motion picture lab into spooling it on "eymo" spools for you. Be honest that you intend to process it yourself, and ask them how much the will charge, it should be in the 5-10 dollar range per roll including the cana and spool.

sepiareverb · Nov 16, 2009

cmacd123 said:
One time I tried it I bolted a 1 inch core from a Kodak Bulk roll to a smooth bit of plywood (I actually used a sink cut-out which meant it had Formica on one side)

I then set up a 1/4 inch shaft, taken off a dead projector also in the same bit of plywood. I put down a strip of masking tape at the maximum diameter. BUt if you can score a S-83 spool, you can just wind until the spool os full.

This is much like what I'd been thinking today. Glad to hear it can work.

Dennis S · Nov 17, 2009

Bulk film

sepiareverb said:
This is much like what I'd been thinking today. Glad to hear it can work.

These were the types of ideas I was looking for. I just couldn't see myself going into a VERY dark bath room with 400' roll of film and a spool and a pair if scissors. And trying not to get my greasy hands all over the film trying to roll it on a usable 100' + or - roll for my bulk rollers. But when I put a 100' roll in my loader it seems like there would be enough space in it for say 150' ??????????????? Dennis

cmacd123 · Nov 18, 2009

dances_w_clouds said:
But when I put a 100' roll in my loader it seems like there would be enough space in it for say 150' ??????????????? Dennis

depends on the loader!

Measure the usable diameter allowing for your fingers to drop the roll in.... Kodak used to have a tool for calculating the length from the diameter of a roll but I can't find it on their site.

David William White · Nov 19, 2009

sepiareverb said:
Anybody have tips for getting 400' rolls into 100' lengths for a bulk loader??

I've been respooling from 600 meter rolls using two lazy susans that I picked up at Ikea: http://www.ikea.com/ca/en/catalog/products/90074483

I just drilled a hole in the middle of each, formed a key for the receiving side, to keep the core turning, then I can wind by spinning the receiver. Not very high tech, but it just takes a few minutes.

sepiareverb · Nov 19, 2009

another fine idea. good thing I'm procrastinating on this (and haven't found a roll yet!)

Dennis S · Nov 19, 2009

David William White said:
I've been respooling from 600 meter rolls using two lazy susans that I picked up at Ikea: http://www.ikea.com/ca/en/catalog/products/90074483

I just drilled a hole in the middle of each, formed a key for the receiving side, to keep the core turning, then I can wind by spinning the receiver. Not very high tech, but it just takes a few minutes.

Another fine Idea. In fact I have such a thing that will work this way. What I was wondering about was the type of spool that the 400' rls came on ? It would be harder to find out and then make an attachment in the complete darkness. I know what the spools are like with the regular bulk film. Are the 400' the same ?

David William White · Nov 19, 2009

I just found a core from a 400ft. roll of 5222 and it's 2 inches in diameter (outer diameter) and a 1 inch inner diameter, so they are larger than the cores on the 100ft. rolls we normally deal with. However, for my simpler twin lazy susans, the pegging for the 400ft roll is not that critical (just keeping it from sliding off the susan as film gets pulled off of it), and you just need to make sure the receiver side can key into the inner diameter of the core that will go into your bulk loader.

Dennis S · Nov 19, 2009

Definitely on my "to do" list for AFTER Xmas

buying in bulk

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