New online film & analog camera shop

[postalman]

you've got a really cool website, but any chance of getting some developing gear in stock? paterson tanks, HC-110, all the other cool stuff no-one else wants to import into Aus (or sell at a reasonable price)? Or is that a bit too far removed from your typical lo-fi user target market?

 

[vcyoo]

Thanks for the feedback postalman! I totally understand what you're saying however we currently don't have any warehousing type capacities to support expanding that much further into the full on film development market.

It's not out of the question down the track however as we may expand later.

 

[Poisson Du Jour]

"Disappointed with the lack of Australian suppliers in film photography, lofico was established in late 2010 with an aim to make an impact in this scene."

You bet I'm very, very disappointed in Australian retailers! To the point where I no longer shop with my feet, but with my mouse.

A week or so back I suddenly found myself without a roll of ACROS 100 in 120 format in Melbourne. So detoured to Michaels Camera House in the city, and was horrified to be charged $13.95 for it — no kidding! Elsewhere a single roll is hovering around $11.00. Please tell me what is wrong here. And retailers whinge about the online buying revolution. Crocodile tears...

The front page of your website is a great wink in the right direction — everything up front where it's expected to be, rather than buried in tedious, cascading menu systems. I dips me lid.

My order being placed very shortly.

 

[wotalegend]

That's why Gerry Harvey and his followers just don't get it. Not only is the price difference way more than the 10% GST he is whingeing about, but 'bricks & mortar' stores often don't even stock what we want to buy.

 

[Poisson Du Jour]

Harvey Norman's markup is 220% on average. But there's worse. Rip Curl is 770%. Billabong 700% — all this, on Chinese-made clothing that is produced for $1.70 per hour in wages. It's disgusting. Got to love the suckers who cannot help themselves falling over these big retailers in name only.

 

[postalman]

Thanks for the feedback postalman! I totally understand what you're saying however we currently don't have any warehousing type capacities to support expanding that much further into the full on film development market.

It's not out of the question down the track however as we may expand later.

well, there are a few threads going around at the moment of "where can I buy x in Aus", and if x happens to be a developer it'll cost at least 200% more to ship than to buy, so I think you should start there. As a one-stop-shop for lofi photographers, you'd just need to stock some paterson tanks and an economical developer/fixer etc wouldn't you? start branching out later maybe. That's why I voted for hc-110 since noone else in the country has it, and only blanco negro has rodinal - if at all.

(I want me some hc-110! And a nice new paterson tank for less than $50 please!)

 

[polyglot]

Poisson: try $17 for a roll of 120 C-41 at our local lab, vs $5/roll including shipping from Freestyle (I usually get about 40 at a time) for the same stuff. Best deal I could get locally was $50 for a 5-pack - only twice the price it should have been.

As for developers, D-76 is not so badly overpriced here - once shipping is considered, it's maybe 20% cheaper to import. Perhaps lofico could do a little better but I suspect their market is largely non-technical types sending colour films to labs, so it's quite understandable to not stock dev gear. Those who want it can get it from eBay.

 

[hoffy]

What I want to know, is it the retailers or is it the manufacturers/importers/distributors? The globals want to play free market when it comes to making their products, but don't when it comes to sales

I know, a little off topic, but if Gerry Harvey ever goes bust, the only tears I will be shedding is for the floor staff who will find themselves unemployed

 

[Poisson Du Jour]

Poisson: try $17 for a roll of 120 C-41 at our local lab, vs $5/roll including shipping from Freestyle (I usually get about 40 at a time) for the same stuff. Best deal I could get locally was $50 for a 5-pack - only twice the price it should have been.

As for developers, D-76 is not so badly overpriced here - once shipping is considered, it's maybe 20% cheaper to import. Perhaps lofico could do a little better but I suspect their market is largely non-technical types sending colour films to labs, so it's quite understandable to not stock dev gear. Those who want it can get it from eBay.

I pay $9.40 for 120 E6 processing. C-41 is dirt cheap everywhere here averaging about $6.00.

 

[polyglot]

I think it's both retailers (like Harvey's) and the distributors. Basically, everyone takes as big a cut as they think they can get away with.

For computer/furniture/etc gear, GH is big enough to do its own importing so directly takes advantage of the lower overseas prices and keeps all the markup for themselves as they're vertically integrated. GH's whingeing about globalisation particularly sticks in my craw since they're the ones doing the importing and making the best of a global market; they just want to keep those margins for themselves instead of letting the consumer see the savings.

For analogue photo, no photo store seems to be large enough to do big imports. So we have the likes of CR Kennedy that ship stuff in by the containerload and sell to small retail shops at stupidly high prices. I asked L&P about colour-chem pricing a couple of times and their input costs from the distributor are higher than what I would pay from Ag including courier fees. So in that case, it's the distributor gouging. They claim there's no market for that stuff and I don't doubt the market is small, but with pricing like that it's hardly surprising they can't sell anything!

Poisson: that was film cost I was quoting! Yes, $17/roll just for blank film and up to $25 for Velvia in some stores. For development in ADL, C-41 is $6.50-$9.50 and E-6 is $9.50-$12.50 (120).

 

[Jeff Kubach]

The local camera shop here in Richmond, Va was charging a little over $7.00 for B&W 120 and I was complaining about that, seeing some of these other prices, I don't feel so bad.

Jeff

 

[vcyoo]

absolutely agree with all the comments here! Our experiences so far within the short 5-6 months we've had since we've started this business makes this issue even more evident to us.

For one.. Australian "distributors" hardly ever really do much "distribution" but look to protection of their markets and profits above everything else. It's great for the suppliers/distributors, but tragic for the consumers since they are practically left with no local choices.

Anyway thanks for the suggestions and comments As I said it's not out of the question for us to stock some darkroom stuff. Stock selection is a particular problem for us though as once we start stocking one thing we don't have to capacity to stock more and more variations

Always open to suggestions though.. what kind of darkroom things would you guys like to see the most available in Australia (at competitive prices)?

 

[Poisson Du Jour]

I noticed there is an $8.40 / variable postage cost. Do you have any pick up point?
I'd be happier paying for an Express Post 500g sachel...

 

[vcyoo]

We can't do pick up unfortunately. The postage calculation is something hard to get right, and unfortunately our shopping cart system isn't very versatile as it's product based, and not weight based for calculations. If you wish to express post, just leave a message on check out via Paypal and we can express post it instead of registered post.
Alternatively you can contact us directly: lofico.au@gmail.com and we can give you a quote with exact shipping

 

[Poisson Du Jour]

That's terrific — the "Wired Marker" in Firefox, I mean!
Highlight text, reference it and fly back to it just by poking at the menu. Marvellous.

Yes, Express Post is ideal. Registered Post puts a whole new spin on "SnailMail" and is definitely no-go. Just waiting for the ideal moment to pounce on the Family Trust Fund...

 

[polyglot]

Always open to suggestions though.. what kind of darkroom things would you guys like to see the most available in Australia (at competitive prices)?

That's your typical question-with-a-thousand-answers for APUG because everyone uses something different and thinks they have The One True Way. However, my guess is that you should sell:
- D76 (most basic and cheapest do-everything developer, been around forever and very hard to beat)
- Rodinal (huge unfulfilled demand for that in AU right now, see the various whinge threads on APUG; Vanbar have been backordered for months)
- maybe HC-110 or LC-29 (both are liquid and easy for beginners, you only need to stock one of them as they're so similar)
- maybe XTOL
- Rapid Fixer; brand is irrelevant as long as it's ammonium thiosulphate
- Photoflo

In terms of tools, I would suggest that you be minimal and carry only:
- Paterson System 4 tanks, probably just the 2x135/1x120 tank with spirals,
- dark bags
Nothing else is worth competing for because people can buy a $2 thermometer off eBay and a $2 measuring jug from KMart, etc.

If I were you and planning on stocking ANY equipment, I suggest an "all in one stuff you need to do film development" kit aimed at lofi (if that's really your market and not us APUG nerds) people looking to move into their own B&W. It'd need a tank+spirals, dark bag, thermometer, 500mL plastic kitchen jug, D76 or LC-29 (plus a 10mL syringe if supplying LC-29, make sure it's one that fits through the neck of the LC-29 bottle), rapid fixer and photoflo. And some good, simple written instructions - you'd be surprised how incompetent people are at looking this stuff up.

Of course, people can buy dev equipment off eBay too, so I wouldn't bother stocking any equipment for development at all, just some consumables. Likewise I wouldn't go into selling darkroom/printing stuff like paper either; in my imagination at least, people who do wet printing make big overseas orders every 6-12mo and only buy local if they need something TODAY, in which case your store will miss out anyway since it has no shopfront. Paper is also really heavy+bulky.

 

[postalman]

stuff

damnit polyglot! You beat me.

The people who are into lofi are likely the people who would like to experiment with their own b&w developing, so I really do think a paterson universal tank (maybe 2 sizes) and basic chemistry would sell. They are already available in Aus for around the $50 mark from b&m stores like foto riesel, b&h charge $20+$45s/h so you'd have to get your price point down near us prices + shipping. Hell, maybe you could even sell a "starter kit" for developing - tank, bag, chemistry and some $2 measuring cylinders?

LC-29 is available from vanbar for a fair chunk of cash, so maybe there's an opening there, but you'd have a monopoly on hc-110 in Aus since it costs $55+ delivered from the us.

Foto riesel want $42 for a film change bag which is also rather ridiculous, so you'd need to match ebay which may be challenging.

Speaking from experience (ironically), I'm just trying to get started into film and I've had a camera sitting on my desk for a month now waiting for things to ship from ebay, us, and refusing to pay $50+ for a paterson tank. I'm your target market for this stuff, I want to give you my money! Please let me give you my money!

 

[AgX]

At your lofico site you state

Rollei is a German manufacturer of cameras and specialty films founded in 1920. They are the makers of wonderful classic cameras like the Rolleiflex Twin Lens Reflex cameras and the Rollei 35 compact film cameras. We love their film range with impressive films like the Rollei Creative Edition Crossbird, Nightbird, and Redbird and of course their black and white films like the Retro, Pan and Ortho film range.

Keep in mind that the company marketing/manufacturing these films has nothing whatsoever to do with Rollei, the manufacturer of those wellknown cameras. They just bought the licence to use the Rollei brand from the current owner of that brand which is not even that camera manufacturer.