Edmonton .. I wil be there for 24 dayes in ocotber

[Erik Hartmann]

I am going to visit Edmonton form the first of october.... First time in Canada !!! Where to have my S/H films developed (Foma-film) or shall I get Kodak there ???
And any suggestions of where to go ???

 

[Eric Rose]

What the heck are S/H films? You would be better off visiting Calgary, 200 miles, 300 KM's south of Edmonton. Much closer to mountains, badlands and foothills. One of the bigger camera stores in Edmonton is McBains. Go to the old store at least there they can still speak film.

 

[copake_ham]

I have some very good friends in Edmonton. They tell me that October is just about when the snow begins to fly!

And, like Eric points out, it's nowhere near the Rockies etc. to enjoy skiing etc.

BTW, in early October, my friends will be down in Tucson, AZ closing on their new condo so as to avoid Edmonton winters!

I have to presume it is business that takes you to Edmonton on the cusp of winter? Certainly not a pleasure trip!

 

[MartinB]

I am going to visit Edmonton form the first of october.... First time in Canada !!! Where to have my S/H films developed (Foma-film) or shall I get Kodak there ???
And any suggestions of where to go ???

Erik,
As you can see from Eric's reply, there is a little bit of rivalry between Calgary and Edmonton. Hopefully some of the Edm APUG members will join in to defend their city. Not sure what you mean by S/H - if you mean sheet film (4x5) there is not much c-41 and black and white processing available - there are still a few good labs for E-6. If you get down to Calgary I am sure one of the Calgary APUG members could help you with B&W processing. I am not sure about film selection in the Edm stores, but there is a good store in Calgary called the Camera Store with a reasonable selection of Fuji, Ilford and Kodak film in 35, 120 and 4x5 . website http://www.thecamerastore.com The website is not always current on stock but if you tell us what you are looking for I can look the next time I'm there.
What to see while you are in Edm depends on what interests you. Are you interested in the mountains, the prairies, speed skating ...

George is correct that it can be cool in Oct but it is not as bad as he implies. You need to be here in January to see cold weather! Hope you have a good trip.

 

[Erik Hartmann]

Sorry about the S/H film... it is danish for B/W film.....
I have to go to Edmonton. I am going to visit a newly found sister......on my fathers side.....
and thanks

erik

 

[MartinB]

Erik,

The last B&W processing service in Calgary shut down June 30 - I looked on the McBain Camera (Edm) website and was surprised to see that they list 35mm B&W film processing as a service but the cost is high.

Do you process your own films or are you looking for a lab? What size film (35/120/sheet) If you can't find someone to help you process, an alternative is to buy a used tank for roll film in Edm. There is an Edm store Classic Camera Exchange with used equipment that may have a used tank. At the $22 McBain charge to process a roll of 36 exp, it would not take long to pay for a tank even if you leave it behind when you leave Edm. I was in Classic Camera a year ago and they had all kinds of used gear.

You can easily pick up Ilford (DDX, Ilfotec, ID11) and Kodak (Xtol, D76) developers in this area and there is still a store in Calgary with Rodinal. As Eric mentioned, McBain's is the best bet in Edm although recently they have a lot less stock.

Foma film is not found in this area but if you want Foma you can mail order from Freestyle in Los Angeles. It takes about 2 weeks by mail so best to order before you leave Denmark and have it mailed to your sister. The post office charges $5 + 7% tax for customs fees for parcels from USA to Canada. If you mail order, DO NOT use UPS - UPS standard/ground service has very high ($50-70) fees for customs handling - the only way to avoid their high customs fees is to pay for the expensive express service.

Ilford, Kodak and Fuji B&W in roll and sheet film is easily available in Calgary if you cannot locate any in Edm.

Let us know what types of things you like to see and I sure others will jump in with suggestions. There are the obvious things like the trip from Jasper to Banff through the Rocky Mountains on the Icefields Parkway Parks Canada brochure If you explore the Parks Canada website you can find all sorts of information on Banff and Jasper parks. In October, there is a pretty good chance there is some snow on the ground in the mountains making it difficult to hike the trails up high but the trails in the valley can still be walked. You will want sturdy footwear if you plan to walk very far from the road.

Martin

 

[Erik Hartmann]

Thanks Martin (and others)

Film: I will take my usual film (120 - FOMA 200) with me... and develop them when I get home....or bye a used tank and develop in EDMONTON....

erik

 

[Eric Rose]

Thanks Martin (and others)

Film: I will take my usual film (120 - FOMA 200) with me... and develop them when I get home....or bye a used tank and develop in EDMONTON....

erik

Hey come on down to Calgary for a weekend, we'll show you around and during the evening we can pop down to my darkroom and soup your film. I have HC110, Rodinal, Xtol, D-76 and my favorite PyroCat-HD for developers. You could even do some contact sheets.

Eric

 

[PhotoJim]

Make sure to get to Jasper National Park. It's a couple of hours by car west of Edmonton. Gorgeous place. (I like it better than Banff. Shh.)

Edmonton is a lot like Calgary (despite Calgarians' protestations). In fact, because of Calgary's insane population growth, it's actually easier to get around Edmonton. (Edmonton is growing very fast too but somehow the infrastructure seems to be keeping up with the growth better.) I don't find driving in Edmonton to be the same white-knuckle experience that it is in Calgary.

Still, I like both cities. I tend to get to Edmonton more because I have friends there.