Rising cost of transparency film

Roger Cole said:

I never send mine in the canisters or "film cans" as I always called them. Even 129 I just drop the rolls in a padded mailer. Never any problems, yet anyway.

Click to expand...

Er, typo for "even 120."

yeh i'm starting to think that the amazon gift cards i bought for x-mas gifts are gonna be spent to buy velvia before the 5 packs hit $40 each.

Rollei do a decent slide film (it's called Digibase I think) that costs £3.50 a roll. I'm trying it out at the moment whilst I look for something to replace Elitechrome, which some fool's gone and discontinued .

http://www.firstcall-photographic.co.uk/products/4282/rollei-digibase-cr-200-135-36-iso-200-twinpack
See, a twinpack for £6.99

wogster said:

Send 4 rolls at a time, ends up being just under 68p each

Click to expand...

Fine if you've got four rolls to send, but whilst that's often the case this time of the year my transparency use in the winter months (September to June in UK!) falls off a lot and I'd be waiting a long time to accumulate four rolls.
Steve

Brian C. Miller said:

I recently did a test of E100G and Ektar. While both are 100 speed films, here's the most important thing I noticed: the E6 film can really seperate out the scene with its smaller dynamic range. There's many instances where I like that, so a negative film just won't do.

Click to expand...

Great shots and posting. It really illustrates why tranny film has a quality all its own.

I'm always amused by these posts about the rising cost of film. I can still get a 36 exposure roll and processing (mounted) for about 20 bucks. That is just at $.50 a slide. It would be a bargain at twice the price.

Unfortunately things are just stacked against reversal - Whilst we see a lot of interest in film use, so many photographers just love using film as an origination medium and then scanning - they love this hybrid workflow and the irony is that the easy digitisation of film is what is/has saved it so far!

However the modern colour neg films scan so well there people just aren't buying the reversal films like they did as they are harder to process / get processed and harder to expose.

Saying that, the crazy thing I can't understand is the discontinuation of Fuji Sensia and the contract manufacture of Agfa Precisa for the people in Germany - Precisa seemingly identical to Sensia. Why not just sell it themselves as sensia and make more money? - it's not like they don't have a distribution network in place. And it's not like they are just making a master roll and waving bye to it at the quayside - Fuji confection and pack the film too.

I process e6 at home for super 8, I do not have a lot of money to blow away! I tend to spend maximum £6 to £7 a roll for film, I simply cannot afford higher prices, super 8 being a treat once n a while at £10 a roll minimum, £15 quid if I send it to a lab! Processing at home seems to work out at roughly £2 to £3 roll if I use the tetenal e6 1L kit, I plan to get the 5L next time. I do not like reusing chemicals to this extent 10 to 15 rolls per litre, I don't trust a blix and even if it is still working well I will also refix in fresh fixer, which is cheap. Super 8 I hand process and with extreme agitation I can get very few processing marks! I do on occasion buy a higher priced film,but with film one needs to know to only click the shutter if they are absolutely sure their shot will mean something to them. Recording events in super 8 likewise, don't film people eating at a party but only pull the trigger when the moment warrants it.shooting film disciplines one n a way digital does not. (remember family video tapes with hours of people eating or talking on them?)

I should be a bit better financially by the end of next month, having coeliac disease means the most basic of foods can cost an absolute fortune, hence why I am now starting to make my own bread and the likes! So I see both ends of the stick, some people cannot simply afford higher prices, if that is the case discipline while shooting is key!doesnt help that due to a mistake the job centre cut off my money without warning leaving me high and dry this month, my mate had to pay my college fee for this year and start me off with some more paper for my first assignment on photography, while ive been sorting things out with them, I have had plenty of 100 speed films and chemicals saved! If you can afford it, go for it! But shooting film means one always has to be careful with their shots. Some don't have money to blow away, I certainly don't especially at 17 and have to prioritise my money! I have never missed a rent payment or anything of the sort once since becoming estranged from home a year back. But if you can afford it, go for it!

Jacob

Matt5791 said:

Saying that, the crazy thing I can't understand is the discontinuation of Fuji Sensia and the contract manufacture of Agfa Precisa for the people in Germany - Precisa seemingly identical to Sensia. Why not just sell it themselves as sensia and make more money? - it's not like they don't have a distribution network in place. And it's not like they are just making a master roll and waving bye to it at the quayside - Fuji confection and pack the film too.

Click to expand...

Slide-film sales in Germany have remained quite strong compared to other EU countries I believe, this comparatively high sales volume, coupled with the fact that for the majority of the customer base Agfa has been the one and only (German) brand they like to buy, it makes sense. You can buy the Precisa in the big drugstore chains DM and Rossmann, which is most likely where the bulk of it gets sold, they are everywhere. For Fuji you have to seek out the few remaining specialist photo stores or order on the internet, this is neither convenient nor usual for the customer base of this film (I would assume mostly amateurs starting in the mid 40's and still loving home slide shows). Before I typed this I had a look at the price, at $21 for a five pack of 135-36 I think I am going to give it a try.

Recently I've focussed on Kodak Portra. I've used both 160 and 400 - for my normal use on a tripod I don't particularly need 400 and could just use 160. I'm very happy with Portra, but did just purchase a few rolls of 120 Velvia 50, which were near their expiry date, and a very reasonable price (£12 per 5 rolls I think). To a large extent the purchase was for sentimental reasons but I've put them in the freezer and will probably use some for autumn colours.

Trouble is, if you're developing your own colour film, it's hard to justify having two sets of chemistry in stock, unless you have a very high throughput. So the Portra will be developed at home but the the Velvia sent to a lab - which negates the saving from buying near-expiry date film.