How to buy film in this economy?

youngphotofreak94 · Jan 25, 2009

i have a question...how does one buy black and white film in this economy??
is it cheaper to buy in bulk? from who?
when i went to the local drug store it was $6 for a 400 roll!
any suggestions??
thanks!
anna

keithwms · Jan 25, 2009

Go to freestyle and buy arista or foma or such...

jmcd · Jan 25, 2009

One option I like is bulk Arista Edu Ultra 400 from Freestyle Sales. I think it looks great rated at 320 and developed in Xtol 1:1 for 12-1/2 minutes at 68 degrees. Any of the Arista films are great, for that matter.

The Bobinquick Jr. loader is fantastic and worth the money—no frame lost at the end of the roll. I do find it trick, however, to get the initial leader fed properly when starting a new bulk roll.

Ian Grant · Jan 25, 2009

Many retailers will give discounts on larger quantities, so buying a brick of 20 rolls can often save a bit, or if using 35mm buy bulk 30m (100ft) lengths and roll your own.

There are banner adverts here on APUG for Foma - one's in the EU, the other is actually Freestyle the US importer. You might also look at the Ilford manufactured Kentmere 100 & 400 films that are just introduced in the US.

Ian

manfromh · Jan 25, 2009

Or you could order some Era 100 from ebay. Cheap and nice, but only in ISO 100.

Ian Grant · Jan 25, 2009

Also buy short dated film, gain there'soften a better discount, or even very slightly out-dated film. My last brick of Fomapan 100 was 4 month out of date, it's fine.

Ian

David A. Goldfarb · Jan 25, 2009

Arista Premium, by all accounts most likely to be repackaged Tri-X 400--

http://www.freestylephoto.biz/sc_search.php?rfnc=402

David A. Goldfarb · Jan 25, 2009

Arista Premium, by all accounts most likely to be repackaged Tri-X 400, $1.99 for 36 exp., 35mm--

http://www.freestylephoto.biz/sc_search.php?rfnc=402

pgomena · Jan 25, 2009

I use a dollar-cost-averaging approach. When I have a bit of cash, I buy a brick or two of film and stick it in the freezer. Over time, I accumulate enough film to keep me going in times when I don't have cash.

Peter Gomena

Mark Fisher · Jan 25, 2009

David is square on....Arista Premium. I don't see much point in bulk loading given the price they are offering.

David A. Goldfarb · Jan 25, 2009

Sorry my link doesn't seem to work, so just search on "arista premium" at www.freestylephoto.biz, and click on the link for black and white film.

Bulk loading would bring it to about $1.61/roll, plus the cost of reusable cartridges and the bulk loader, which would average out over time. I've had my bulk loader for over 25 years, so it's paid for itself many times over.

BetterSense · Jan 25, 2009

Last time I did the math it was only 81 cents a roll, plus equipment. If it really is 1.60 that kills my plans to bulk load in the future, since the rolls are only $2

edtbjon · Jan 25, 2009

I just checked at Freestyle and apart from the Arista Premium films there seem to be some other interesting films there too, like the Legacy Pro films which are manufactured in Japan and also comes in 100 and 400 versions at just a few $$ more for 100'. Checking the dev.times which Freestyle collects from Digitaltruth anyhow, the dev.times matches the ones for Fuji Acros and Neopan 400. Those films arn't too bad either. Now, if someone could give us the same deal with 120 and sheet film this world would be a better place.
I just wish shipping to Sweden would be a bit less and the $$ to take a dive again...

//Björn

declark · Jan 25, 2009

Does it really save to buy bulk rolls? The math doesn't seem to work unless I am missing something. Take the Arista Premium line for example: $1.99/roll for 36 exp or $29.99 for a 100ft roll (which if a 36 exp roll is around 5 ft) yields 20 rolls. Plus the cost of cassettes, the loader, the damage learning how to use it, to save maybe $.25 a roll. What am I missing when it comes to bulk loading?

jim appleyard · Jan 25, 2009

Bulk loading does save $. How much depends on how many exposures you want to load in the cassettes. If you like to load 8 exposures, you're not saving much. If you go to 36 exp., you'll save. If you shoot a lot of film, you pay for your bulk loader in no time.

You can also save by getting the used cassettes from you local mini-lab; they've only been used once and the labs are glad to give them away. Just tape the butt end coming out of the cassette onto the butt end of the bulk film and roll away. Just good GOOD tape; lots of threads discuss that here already.

youngphotofreak94 · Jan 25, 2009

thanks guys!!
also does anyone know where i could get a dark bag for loading negetives?? just wondering...

Alex Bishop-Thorpe · Jan 25, 2009

Dark bags can be had on ebay, or from any decent photo shop. Freestyle sell them. They're also known as film changing bags...I've owned a few, and they're pretty much an essential accessory to me.
Bulk loading is worth it I've found, I've gotten 3 bulk loaders from eBay and they're all loaded with film. HP5+, Pan F+, and some Kodak Hawkeye Surveillance film. As suggested earlier, ERA Pan is a wonderful emulsion from china, available from eBay...just don't buy all of it before I get to it.

David A. Goldfarb · Jan 25, 2009

You used to be able to save about 50% reliably by bulk loading 36-exp rolls, but nowadays, there are so many pricing schemes, with grey market, rebranded, USA domestic market, and USA world market film out there, that you have to shop around, see what you can actually get and how much it actually costs, and price it out. I usually figure 18 rolls of 36 exp. per hundred feet.

Personally, I wouldn't bulk load Arista Premium at $30/100 ft. when it's $2 a roll pre-rolled.

If I just need a few exposures, I usually shoot medium or large format.

jmcd · Jan 25, 2009

"Does it really save to buy bulk rolls? The math doesn't seem to work unless I am missing something."

It saves, especially for me because I like short rolls which I can expose all in one similar lighting condition and develop accordingly. Most of the time I would not know what to do with a roll of 36.

But really it is only recently that there is a wide selection of repackaged premium film available at very inexpensive prices. This has lowered prices overall, but greatly reduced the cost benefits of bulk loading.

wogster · Jan 25, 2009

declark said:
Does it really save to buy bulk rolls? The math doesn't seem to work unless I am missing something. Take the Arista Premium line for example: $1.99/roll for 36 exp or $29.99 for a 100ft roll (which if a 36 exp roll is around 5 ft) yields 20 rolls. Plus the cost of cassettes, the loader, the damage learning how to use it, to save maybe $.25 a roll. What am I missing when it comes to bulk loading?

Cost wise you save a little, it really depends on the film, some films are dirt cheap pre-loaded, other films are hideously expensive pre-loaded so gets considerably cheaper to bulk load.

However bulk loading has other advantages. For example you can load anything from a single exposure to a 40 exposure roll. If you like using the zone system you can load 4, 8 or 12 exposure rolls for more individual processing. Film takes a lot less space, and may be cheaper to get shipped from further away.

mikebarger · Jan 25, 2009

When I want to shoot a few frames per roll, I drag the Koni Omega 100 out from behind the seat of the truck and shoot 10 frames per roll film (6X7).

The Koni cost about what three bulk rolls of 35mm cost.

Mike

clayne · Jan 25, 2009

declark said:
Does it really save to buy bulk rolls? The math doesn't seem to work unless I am missing something. Take the Arista Premium line for example: $1.99/roll for 36 exp or $29.99 for a 100ft roll (which if a 36 exp roll is around 5 ft) yields 20 rolls. Plus the cost of cassettes, the loader, the damage learning how to use it, to save maybe $.25 a roll. What am I missing when it comes to bulk loading?

Look at it this way, 30$ is 15 rolls when bought per roll.

2F/2F · Jan 25, 2009

For the economy part of your question, the economy has been bad for years; only difference now is lots of people "know" it. Just buy it with money from your bank account, not with borrowed money. Arista Premium 100 and 400 are Kodak Plus-X and Tri-X for half the price. For larger formats, Efke/Adox is nice and cheap, although I think it has gone up since I last bought it ($30 for 50 sheets of 4x5 last time I bought it). Freestyle also has another type of Arista, which is Foma film, I believe.

wogster · Jan 25, 2009

mikebarger said:
When I want to shoot a few frames per roll, I drag the Koni Omega 100 out from behind the seat of the truck and shoot 10 frames per roll film (6X7).

The Koni cost about what three bulk rolls of 35mm cost.

Mike

If you ever decide to sell that camera, let me know!!!!!

fschifano · Jan 25, 2009

2F/2F said:
For the economy part of your question, the economy has been bad for years; only difference now is lots of people "know" it. Just buy it with money from your bank account, not with borrowed money. Arista Premium 100 and 400 and Kodak Plus-X and Tri-X for half the price. For larger formats, Efke/Adox is nice and cheap, although I think it has gone up since I last bought it ($30 for 50 sheets of 4x5 last time I bought it). Freestyle also has another type of Arista, which is Foma film, I believe.

Ain't that the truth! Don't know about Efke/Adox 'cause I haven't used it. Freestyle's Arista.EDU Ultra films are rebranded Foma. They're pretty good, and certainly something I'll use in 4x5 when the need arises. I've been using those films in 35 mm. and 120 for a while now and they are perfectly satisfactory for most applications.

How to buy film in this economy?

youngphotofreak94

keithwms

jmcd

Ian Grant

manfromh

Ian Grant

David A. Goldfarb

Moderator

David A. Goldfarb

Moderator

pgomena

Mark Fisher

David A. Goldfarb

Moderator

BetterSense

edtbjon

declark

jim appleyard

youngphotofreak94

Alex Bishop-Thorpe

David A. Goldfarb

Moderator

jmcd

wogster

mikebarger

clayne

2F/2F

wogster

fschifano

How to buy film in this economy?

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