Canadian source for Kodak roll film

[MattKing]

I thought I'd pass on info about a good experience I recently had with a Canadian source for film - Don's Photo.

In recent years I have been having more and more trouble finding 120 film from Canadian sources that is both easily accessed, and at reasonable prices.

I strongly prefer Kodak materials, so that is what I'm generally looking for.

I recently was able to find 120 Plus-X at what I consider to be a very reasonable cost ($3.72/roll CDN in propacks) from Don's Photo. My order was larger than their stock on hand, but communication was almost instant, they gave me the option to cancel my order, and when I asked them to fill it anyways they brought in more stock and filled my order very quickly. Their shipping charge (usually $10.00 CDN) is very reasonable as well.

Their website is http://www.donsphoto.com/.

They have not, as yet, added darkroom supplies to their site, but they indicate that they intend to. I don't see any sign of any LF materials on the website, but I wonder if a telephone enquiry might yield different results.

I have no connection with them - just had a good customer experience - and I do like to support Canadian sources when I can.

If this thread should be in a different forum, please move it.

Matt

 

[Michel Hardy-Vallée]

Good thing to know, Matt. You know the real cultural difference between Québec and ROC is that in here photo stores don't even bother making an online storefront. I can't believe how much money they're losing by not doing so. The best pro shops in Montréal barely have online listings of what brands they sell!

 

[CraigK]

I will second Matt's plug for Don's. Good service, good prices. In Winnipeg, there are two Don's locations. We are also lucky enough to have another very good store, Photo Central. They probably stock more darkroom stuff than just about anywhere in Canada that I have been to....lots of Agfa paper and chems still on the shelves.

Their film selection is very good as well. Heck, they even have a fairly good lot of Agfa colour films in the fridge.

Their website is http://www.photocentral.ca/

 

[Michel Hardy-Vallée]

Their film selection is very good as well. Heck, they even have a fairly good lot of Agfa colour films in the fridge.

It's too bad they don't have "color" film because I think the americans really like it, whatever it may be...

 

[tom_bw]

Good thing to know, Matt. You know the real cultural difference between Québec and ROC is that in here photo stores don't even bother making an online storefront. I can't believe how much money they're losing by not doing so. The best pro shops in Montréal barely have online listings of what brands they sell!

With respect to Quebec online photo stores, you can check http://www.photococan.com/index.htm

They also have an ebay store:
http://stores.ebay.ca/photococan_W0QQcolZ4QQdirZ1QQfsubZQ2d999QQftidZ2QQtZkm

I have never ordered from them, but some of their prices seem extraordinairy.. Once my batch of film is gone, I will definately try them..

 

[thebanana]

Photo Central in Winnipeg is one of the best shops I've been to anywhere. Lots of stock, very knowledgeable staff, a gallery featuring local photographers and a great collection of classic cameras. I don't know if they do much on-line business. I haven't had the same experience at Don's. Way too much emphasis on digital in their stores. The Don's in Brandon stopped carrying any film supplies, so my business goes elsewhere.
I used Photoco recently and was very impressed with the speed in which they get their goods to you. My online order went in Tuesday, and was at my door Friday (from Quebec to Manitoba).

 

[Markok765]

Henrey's in ontario is very good

 

[CRhymer]

Photo Central had Rodinal (and other Agfa products) for sale all the while that the $80.00/bottle thing was going on. They never raised their price or tried to make a killing on Ebay (although I wouldn't have blamed them). I bought about 5 litres there while visiting family last January. They still had lots of stock in the back. I must say I have had good value and service from Don's online for 120 Kodak film and 35mm Kodachrome. For instore, Photo Central is tops.

Cheers,
Clarence

 

[Jordan]

I bought a 100' roll of Tri-X from Photoco a few weeks ago. It was significantly cheaper than I can get it from Henry's or Downtown Camera (Toronto), even after shipping. They got confused with my order at first but quickly rectified the problem.

 

[Kilgallb]

In Calgary I can always get 120 film from the Camera Store. Prices are OK.

Suneal Cameras downtown have good stock but forget the store in the Sunridge Mall. I asked once and the guy said and I quote" why would you want film, go digital, it is better". (They do have a box of Verichrome 120 rolls in the fridge though)

Vistek can usually source LF film and 120 film in a few days from the Toronto store and they do have a decent stock on hand in most stores.

 

[Thorney]

I used to use a lot of 100' rolls of tri-x when I was a photo student at Emily Carr in Vancouver. What I noticed is that the bulk film was essentially movie film and had a base that was denser than the individual rolls of tri-x available at the same time (this was in the late 1980s). This meant that the bulk film required more enlarger exposure than the single rolls. If you are very finicky about this, you may wish to compare and see if this is still the case now.

I loved the old Tri-X and used to make 30x40" and 40x50" mural portraits - but I found that the denser base of Tri-X was giving me really long exposure times ( well over 5 minutes ). This was a drag as for dodging and edge-burning I was using large pieces of black cardstock. Imagine holding a 16 x 20" piece of matte board at arm's length for a couple minutes to burn each of the four edges. So I switched to Plus-X which had a much clearer base and it allowed for at least a 1/2 reduction in enlarger times.

I agree, it is becoming a drag to find stuff for LF and analog in Vancouver. I pretty much stick to eBay, Calumet, and other online sources.

Best thing to do is get a lifetime supply once you know what you like. I fear it won't be getting any better for LF folks.

Thorney

 

[Thorney]

Those 40x50" portraits were done with 4x5 film.
http://www.sfu.ca/~thorne for a sample portrait of Garth Butcher!

 

[Mike Kennedy]

Thanks for the tip Matt.The availability of 120 "down east" is fading.Carson Mosher in Moncton,N.B closed last year.I'll give Don's a shot.

Mike

 

[PhotoJim]

Don's is good. They have a store here in Regina and while they often don't have what I need in stock, they can get it from their Winnipeg warehouse in just a couple of days. The prices are always fair. Their prices on Ilford stuff seem particularly reasonable.

They have gone pretty heavily digital but they still support film so I still support them. I mail order what they can't get.

 

[MattKing]

Thought I'd revive my own thread on this.

I was in ABC Photocolour on Monday and enquired about their 120 film stocks. Sadly, no Plus-X (one can hope) but they did have new TMY. They indicated that with their new ownership the markup on film had been reduced a bit. I was able to buy TMY at $5.09 per roll, after they applied their 10% discount for purchases of 10+ quantity - not bad for in-store prices in Canada.

 

[CGW]

In the Toronto area, there's still Silvano and FilmPlus, the former usually a bit cheaper but the latter often better stocked.

http://www.silvanoimaging.com/

http://www.filmplus.ca/

Henry's and Vistek have really dried up as film sources. TIW's film selection fits comfortably inside a small bar fridge now. Off to B&H when/if the buck gets healthier this winter.

 

[jk0592]

In late June, early July, bought some TriX 120 from Henry's website, good experience. Then, mid August, no longer in stock ??? So, I bought what I needed from B&H, fast and efficient delivery to Montreal. The stores in Montreal do not have webstores, and I will not drive downtown to get film. Perhaps I will try some of those that are mentioned in this thread.

 

[wogster]

In the Toronto area, there's still Silvano and FilmPlus, the former usually a bit cheaper but the latter often better stocked.

http://www.silvanoimaging.com/

http://www.filmplus.ca/

Henry's and Vistek have really dried up as film sources. TIW's film selection fits comfortably inside a small bar fridge now. Off to B&H when/if the buck gets healthier this winter.

Henry's main store in Toronto, on Church Street, used to have a huge selection of film, chemicals, papers, darkroom gear etc. Every time I get down there, it seems the selection is smaller and the prices are larger, eventually it will disappear all together. These days though, living in a rural area, everything needs to be ordered from somewhere, and whether it comes from Toronto, Montreal or Winnipeg is immaterial.

 

[Dennis S]

Henry's has a lot of different outlets to make up an order and the last time I ordered chemicals it took 4 working days to get to the west coast. I found that the $$ was quite reasonable. Great supply of used camera equipment as well.

whether it comes from Toronto, Montreal or Winnipeg is immaterial.

My sentiments exactly