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From the number of complaints about Kodak film vs other films (Ilford excluded), I would say that those $ are well spent. You have obviously not read some of the other posts about cost vs defect.
PE
First I've no vesting interest in Kodak, Adox, Efke, Foma or Harman
There is a x3 price difference is between 100 foot of Kentmere 400 and 100 foot of Tx, I shoot a lotta film in IXMOO, FILCA, Contax, and Canon concentric cassettes loaded from bulk, so it rare that I buy factory cassettes.
Would you pay x3 times the price for the 'benefits' of a yellow box? Kentmere in Rodinal is grainy, but that is the signature I want for my 60s style period mono shots. The 3x is either KA being silly or EK being silly?
It was different in fall of 2013 when 400 foot of 5222 was cheaper then 100 foot of Tx (with special delivery) , when group of us bought a large enough number of cans to get a 5222 discount.
Id be reluctant to blame film on a few faults but Ive not have any faults with Foma, Adox, Efke or Harman.
Yes Ive read the web gossip on various films failing, and I understand that films are coated in a batch. So maybe Ive been lucky.
Or cause I process with strict temperature tolerance and a water stop bath I do not stress test non prehardened film. That was how I was taught to process film in 1958.