Film and processing availability in France

[Chan Tran]

I plan to visit France, especially Paris, this coming April. I wonder where is the best place to buy film and get it processed there? I know that I can ask the TSA to inspect my film by hand but they are likely to refuse and I really don't want to argue with them. So I would like to buy film and process them locally.

 

[mooseontheloose]

I don't think the TSA is a problem -- as far as I know they'll inspect your film, but in France they absolutely will not. Everything goes through the scanner, even if you have high speed film.

Buying film shouldn't be a problem, but it will probably be twice the price you're used to paying in the US. When I lived in France I used to buy most of my stuff from Prophot.

 

[chuck94022]

I have not had a problem with hand inspection requests in any country. I put the film in a separate, transparent bag, so it is a quick request. I always say "professional photographic film". I have never been refused, anywhere, including China.

I should add that the TSA will definitely NOT refuse, as long as your film is accessible. Use a separate bag that you can quickly pull out of your carry on to simplify things.

Everything that you check in will get xrayed, with a more powerful machine.

 

[Chan Tran]

Thank you all. I have had problem with the TSA in O'Hare and DFW. I had a couple rolls of film in my hand and ask them the check it. They refused. I wasn't about to cite the law with them.

 

[mooseontheloose]

Well, I lived in France for two years (2006-2008) and was denied film inspection everytime I flew out of CDG and Orly -- no matter of niceties, rational arguments, or tears could persuade them otherwise. Things may have changed since then, but be prepared (to be fair, my film was fine, even the high speed stuff).

 

[Felinik]

Up to 3200 they say they scanner do no harm, I've been flying with 3200 and they actually did manual inspection on it (Marseille airport).

Buying and developing film in Paris will not be a problem, I don't live there so I have no address for you, but I live in a smaller town down south, and here we have 4-5 labs, and 2 shops selling film...

 

[Brac]

When I was there a few months ago, the large Carrefour supermarket in the City of Europe at Calais, still had quite a wide range of 35mm film (Fuji & Kodak). Presumably other large branches do too. Whether they offer processing I don't know.

 

[Guillaume Zuili]

In Paris you have this for film :

http://www.materiel-photo-pro.com/

And for processing :

http://www.processusphoto.com/

Dead Link Removed

Remember that price is much more expensive than in US and then add the exchange rate for the Euro....
I do bring my film to Paris, fly back with it and never had any issue with that.

Best,
Guillaume

 

[Philippe Grunchec]

For buying films:

http://www.selsdargent.com/ (hoping that Damien Féau is in a good mood!);

For having the films processed:

http://stephane-cormier.fr/fr/index.php (Stéph is always in a good mood!).

both guys are located at the same address, 7 rue Taylor Paris 10° (Metro station: République or Strasbourg-Saint-Denis)

You can also have a look at the books and prints sold by Argentic (http://www.argentic.fr/)