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Must be that time of the year....(Tri-X)

Harry Lime

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Dec 10, 2005
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495
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35mm RF
Has anyone else noticed how about once a year there is a Tri-X shortage? Both 135 and 120 seems to run low at all but the big suppliers.

Currently in Vancouver there isn't a roll of TX400 in 120 to be found anywhere and even 135 supplies are thin.

But there is plenty of the new Tmax-2 400 around.


I suppose it has to do with Kodak running the film in batches.
 
Well, there isn't a lot of light in the winter and I know that I tend to buy 400 speed films this time of year.
 
Harry,

Since the "big suppliers" have it, perhaps the blame lies with the Canadian distributor. Were it me, and I noticed an annual shortage, I'd pick up some extra film to have on hand when those shortages arise. Periodic shortages will likely be the least of an analog photographer's troubles going forward.

Best,
 
I'll know for sure in a couple of days, but I just minutes ago ordered PX and Tri-X from B&H where it's apparently in stock. Are there art schools or universities in your area? Maybe there's a new semester rush for photo classes.
 
B&H is never out of stock. The only Kodak film that I shoot that B&H has had problems sourcing was T-Max 3200 last year, when exactly what you describe happened - the factory ran out of stock and a run wasn't scheduled until the next month.
 
Last week I did a search for 8x10 and 5x7 Tri-x. B&H was out. I did a quick search on other sites and several others were out. One site stated they should receive a shipment in early February. So yeah, it's that time of year at least for some sheet film.
 
Regarding film, there is a substantial renaissance here in Germany, too, and it has a downside... Two weeks ago, I was in Berlin and ran out of film, so I visited a big shop that is well-known for a good choice of analog material, but they had run out of all 400 ASA films except HP5, and now I have to figure out how to process it to make it look like my other shots on Tri-X. In XTol 1:1 they look different. Dang...

Today shops do not have much in stock, they call that just-in-time ordering, e.g. you get swimming trunks in January though you need WindEx winter gloves, and in summer (and in Australia) it's probably vice versa.

There is an interesting parallel in my home town and other cities. Two years they 'forgot' to order a sufficient inventory of road salt. Winter came early, and it came in Minnesota style. Last autumn they ordered a huge amount to be on the safe side but the supplier did not deliver and they didn't call him to remind. For two years it wasn't just only cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey but there were dozens of additional car accidents for good measure.
 
I noticed the same pattern, when I was living in the UK. Once or twice a year there simply was a shortage, even at the big chains like Calumet or Jessops.

Over the years I've even seen B&H run out of Tri-X a few times. At one point they sent me a cardboard counter display of 100 rolls, because they ran out of bricks...

I'm thinking about ordering 100 or 200 rolls (135) of Arista Premium from Freestyle. By all accounts it really is Tri-X 400 and dirt cheap.

http://www.freestylephoto.biz/192364-Arista-Premium-BandW-400-ISO-35mm-x-36-exp.?cat_id=402

Too bad they don't sell Arista Premium in 120...

But I am a little worried about it getting x-rayed in transit...
 
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Over here in Aus, a lot of the kids might be buying up ready to start Uni in the next month or so? ...I doubt they would have bought out the whole of North America though!
 

I order Arista Premium from Freestyle all the time. Never had an X-Ray problem with shipments to Canada. I'm not even clear that X-Rays are a problem for 400 speed film. Isn't it mostly a 3200 issue?

Speaking of which...I also order my Delta 3200 from Freestyle. Never had a problem with it either.

And if there's a difference between Tri-X and Arista Premium, I can't see it. Though I use Tri-X for paid gigs.
 
Here's a thread about at least one Canadian who has had an X-Ray problem:

(there was a url link here which no longer exists)
 
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