Freestyle Photo

ronlamarsh · Jul 17, 2008

I cannot say enough good things about this vendor. I recently made a mistake in ordering some paper but didn't discover it until I went to have a darkroom session. I thought I had ordered glossy paper but found I had ordered semi-matt. I filled out their convinient return/exchg form and sent it off. They have processed it and my paper is on the way: no hassle, no questions.......no problem! These folks are GREAT to do business with. Yes they don't have everything but they have a very good selection of films, papers and chemicals. I have found that if they don't have it I don't need it so my hat is off to them and I can reccomend them without reservation.

jolefler · Jul 17, 2008

Seconded!

I haven't dealt with any other vendors who routinely make follow-up calls to see if their products and service are working out well for me. Nice!

I'm also not the next major art photographer on the horizon, so I make use of their house branded films, papers and chemistry. They are all great products that serve me well while shaving serious money off my photo habit.

Thanks, Freestyle!!

Jo

Frank Szabo · Jul 17, 2008

Thirded

Freestyle has had many odds and ends I've wanted to play with but never go the chance to do so until recently - by that time, Kodak had quit making most of it.

Granted, much of the film and paper is European, but to me that's preferable to supporting the Chinese - they've got WalMart; they don't need me.

Barry S · Jul 17, 2008

I like Freestyle a lot--who else has their collection of silver-based photography materials? I wish they were a little quicker with shipping, but that's a very minor gripe compared with the amazing selection and reasonable prices they have.

Colin Corneau · Jul 17, 2008

Add my kudos to this company. I've only made a few small orders, but they arrived very promptly, and they were terrific to deal with on the phone.

I'm pretty impressed by their catalogue, too. For a guy who's re-discovered analog photography it's great to see easy access to so many products. Why, with all these possibilities, one could even -- *gasp* -- let their creativity fly.

2F/2F · Jul 17, 2008

It's great being able to walk in to a retail store and buy E-6 chemicals off the shelf, and special order Ilfochrome chemicals with no shipping hassles. They always respond to e-mails in my experience. They have a great selection of stuff on hand at any given time. No worrying about whether something has to be ordered and what not. They just stock so much. They also know what the hell they are talking about! Good luck at Samy's or B and H finding people who know squat about film.

Barry S · Jul 17, 2008

It would be nice indeed if Freestyle had an east coast outlet, but on the rare occasions I've been able to shop at B&H in person, they had some very knowledgeable staff--if you can find the right person. It does hurt with the shipping charges on wet chems and there's nothing decent around DC anymore.

jeroldharter · Jul 17, 2008

Freestyle is great. I really like having a printed catalog. It is the only good one that I know of. Sometimes it is quicker for me to buy from Calumet or B&H. I have had very good service from Calumet also. B&H is cheap, has relatively weak service, and I always seem to want things on Saturday and get their annoying pop-up reminding me of their piety.

geoferrell · Jul 17, 2008

I like Freestyle's catalogue and website. Their selection of black and white film and enlarging paper and chemicals can meet any budget. I've enjoyed their catalogue for many years and keep returning to do business for their economy prices and the the specialty items they make available.

rcoda · Jul 17, 2008

On B&H... I recently received their catalog. Remember when it was chock full of photography stuff (back in the 1970s and 1980s)? I (used to live on the East Coast) have ordered and bought (at the counter) many things from them in the past. Even went there in person on a Saturday (the very first time - and never again) on a Saturday only to find they were closed and take the long walk & bus ride back to Jersey. I learned about religion quickly thanks to photography

Anyway, back to their recent catalog. I think it had 3 pages of analog items! And several hundred pages of digital and video! Things have certainly changed.

Curt · Jul 17, 2008

Freestyle is the one constant in a changing World, I've been doing business with them for well over thirty years and in all of that time not once did I get a wrong order, that's saying something. Thanks Freestyle!

Thomas Bertilsson · Jul 17, 2008

I love Freestyle too. A while back I had some problems with a package of Kentmere paper I was using for lith printing. All they asked for was a scan of the faulty prints, and they sent me a new package without having me send the bad one back. I could still use it for regular printing (still do actually), and it was as easy as 1-2-3 to get it done.
They are very service minded, and they treat their customers very well. I'll continue to use them as long as I can.

srs5694 · Jul 17, 2008

I believe B&H has multiple catalogs. I've received catalogs from them with different "themes" over the past few years. Some of these have had multiple pages of analog photography items, but I've not paid a lot of attention to them.

FWIW, as somebody who lives in Rhode Island, B&H has a big advantage for me because I can get stuff from them much quicker, while still paying ground shipping charges, than is true of Freestyle. If I order early enough in the day, an order to B&H usually results in a package arriving the next day. I'm sure this would be reversed if I lived in California or neighboring states. Still, because of this advantage of B&H, I usually order from them unless I want something they don't stock, like Slavich paper, or something they won't ship, like certain color chemicals. (In the case of color chemicals, though, I usually buy from Adorama or Unique Photo rather than pay for cross-continental shipping of liquids.)

thebanana · Jul 17, 2008

Well, the closest photo shop to me that actually sells chems, paper etc. is 2.5 hours away, and I do support them as much as possible, but without Freestyle I would be screwed as far as getting harder to obtain items. I just received 2 new IR filters from them within 7 days, and trust me, I'm a long ways away from LA.

Shipping charges to Canada from B&H and Adorama are ridiculously high, so they are not an option. KEH rules for gear though, and their shipping is semi-reasonable, but seem to be all over the map.

Fotoguy20d · Jul 17, 2008

I live just across the river from NYC so orders from B&H and Adorama get to me the next day. Just ordered from Freestyle for the first time last week. They had 3x4 film which B&H didn't, and their cost for a red bulb (my old one had peeled) was 1/3 of what B&H was charging. Spent $70 (two boxes of film, 2 bottles of chemicals and the aforementioned safelight), got my stuff within 3 or 4 days, and all is good with the world.

Dan

johnnywalker · Jul 17, 2008

I use Freestyle fairly frequently and have always been impressed by their service and products, and their orders arrive very quickly. I used to think their shipping costs to Canada were a bit on the high side until I had to send a package to the US.

Dennis S · Jul 17, 2008

Since I started dealing with Freestyle I am able to save 30 % of what I pay here. Even with the large shipping fees charged by USPS. In western Canada it is hard to find photography suppies. The people that use to do it are having to drop their prices. But not quite enough yet. They REALLY hated that when the NAFT started. Their monopoly of being the only ones to buy from is OVER.
The speed that I get from Freestyle order is fantastic. It is amost like receiving the product BEFORE I order it. (welllll maybe not that fast). Will be going alot more business with them.

Alex Bishop-Thorpe · Jul 18, 2008

They're quick, efficient, and have a brilliant catalogue, but I cant afford to make orders to regularly. $50-$80 in shipping to Australia means saving my money away for big orders.

Jim Fitzgerald · Jul 18, 2008

I have a love/hate relationship with Freestyle! I love everything about them! I just hate going in there because I never seem to have enough money for all of the stuff I want!! Great place and the only place I buy my film,paper etc.

Jim

WarEaglemtn · Jul 18, 2008

Freestyle needs to look at the reality of their shipping costs. A box of 5x7 film can be sent US Postal Priority mail for around $5 and the post office supplies the mailing envelope for flat rate shipping. Delivers the envelopes or boxes to you and picks them up. Yet Freestyle charges an extra $7 to use this service on top of their $6 or so charge to begin with. UPS and FedEx do not deliver everywhere in the US so at times they are not an option. Other times we need packages to sit safely in the Post Office until we can drive into town to get them so US Mail is the best delivery method.
They need to be more realistic in shipping costs. Making a profit is one thing but getting way out of hand on shipping costs is something else again. Charging more than double what it costs is too much.

Jersey Vic · Jul 18, 2008

I've had great experiences with Freestyle. Really great place. I'm doing my best to order all of my supplies from them to help keep them going especially since I seem to have more B&W paper than B&H and Adorama combined at this point.

ricksplace · Jul 18, 2008

I have dealt with freestyle for many years too. I agree with everything said above. Great place to shop for supplies.

arealitystudios · Jul 18, 2008

I have nothing but good things to say about Freestyle. They ship fast, always get my order right, and have very reasonable prices. The local Pro shop here in Portland sells 120 rolls of Ilford and Fuji film for $4.99 each! Freestyle does much better and as a results gets my hard earned money.

I very much appreciate the fact that they provide products for hobby photographers such as myself, such as the Arista.EDU line of papers and film. I'm continue to be shocked by how great this stuff is!! The old saying, "you get what you pay for" is usually quite true, but not so in this case. Some of my best quality photographs have been taken with Arista film.

2F/2F · Jul 18, 2008

"I very much appreciate the fact that they provide products for hobby photographers such as myself, such as the Arista.EDU line of papers and film. I'm continue to be shocked by how great this stuff is!! The old saying, "you get what you pay for" is usually quite true, but not so in this case. Some of my best quality photographs have been taken with Arista film."

I agree entirely. One note is that they will probably give best results if you buy them in large quantities, though. What they have told me is that the Arista stuff is relabeled stuff from various manufacturers; whatever happens to be a good deal at the time Freestyle is purchasing film. It could be Ilford, it could be Agfa, and it could be something else. So, the only problem with the stuff is not that it's bad quality; just that it's inconsistent, and can thus be unpredictable. So...buy a fridge full so you can test a bit, and then be set until you finish off that fridge full!

tbm · Jul 18, 2008

Yay, Freestyle!

I have been purchasing all my darkoom supplies as well as black and white film from them for more than a decade. Their staff is very knowledgeable about everything and I am so fortunate to only have to drive south on the Hollywood Freeway from the San Fernando Valley and then east on Sunset Boulevard a few miles to get to them. I also like the fact that if I need to be sure their store is not out of stock re something I need and find that it is, I can call them and they make sure their warehouse delivers it to them within 24 hours. They always have a wonderful variety of film and paper developers and fixers on their shelves as well as multiple manufacturers' darkroom papers.

Freestyle Photo

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