• Welcome to Photrio!
    Registration is fast and free. Join today to unlock search, see fewer ads, and access all forum features.
    Click here to sign up

Sheet film in Washinton D.C. ???

BradS

Member
Allowing Ads
Joined
Sep 28, 2004
Messages
8,129
Location
Soulsbyville, California
Format
35mm
Any suggestions on where to buy sheet film (Kodak 320TXP and E100G) in our nation's capitol?

Also interested in places to have same developed while there?


Thx.
 
To buy, Penn Camera. Best bet for a location is the E Street store, 701 E Street NW (www.penncamera.com). For developing, Chrome is the best bet (http://www.chromeimaging.com/home.html). They have after-hours lobby services, and they work weekends too. Although their website may not look it, they do provide a full range of film services, including processing for just about any size/format you can bring them.
 
TheFlyingCamera said:
When are you coming to town? I can try and haul out the welcome wagon and get some of our local guys to come out and meet you, if not for a shoot, at least for a beer and a portfolio show-n-tell.
Click to expand...

Hey Scott,
The plan right now is to be there the third week of June (14-21 June). It's a family sight seeing and educational trip so, I'm not sure I'll lug the LF gear along but, I am seriously considering it - especially if I can get the new Crown Graphic into street fighting condition.

I kinda worry about hauling film through security check points at the various federal buildings and such. I know that the x-ray machines at the airports are film safe but, I have this horrible memory of film being destroyed by the x-ray machine at the Liberty bell a few years back.

And what about tripods? Are they gonna hassle me and treat me like a criminal if I set up a tripod on the Mall?

It would be fun to meet with some of the locals...
 
Tripod-wise, about the only place they'll give you grief is on the actual grounds of the US Capitol itself. Inside some of the monuments, maybe as well - I've heard they can be persnickety inside the Lincoln memorial because of the marble floors getting chewed up by tripod feet. I do know I was told by the park rangers at the WW II that tripods were AOK, as long as you're not blocking traffic. As to xrays for government buildings, one way to deal with that is to plan any federal office visits for one day or two, so you can pre-arrange not to bring the film with you on those days. I don't know about government offices (and which ones you're planning to visit), but all the Smithsonian museums just do visual inspection of bags, and if the bag is bulky enough they may make you check it.
 
Pinholemaster said:
For the B&W film, you can also have the lab Black & White, in Arlington, VA (across the river from Georgetown), process it.

Dead Link Removed
Click to expand...

I haven't lived in that area for about ten years, but as I recall... they were a little slow with turn around. Could be different now, but I always remember having to plan for a few days wait.
 

The Park Police have run me off at the Vietnam Memorial for the terrorist act of using a tripod. Union Station is uber off limits, a fact which makes me just about weep every morning when I walk through it. Since you'll be here in June, both the National Arboretum and the Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens will be in full regalia. I consider the latter to be one of Washington's great undiscovered treasures for photographers. You'll be ignored there by everyone no matter how much equipment you haul out.
 

About that Chrome website:

Click on Services in the Navigator bar at the top, then scroll down (two beensie weensie little arrows at the bottom of the window) a little. Underneath the Digital Service listings will be the film services. You just can't see them when you originally open that page. Abysmal web design.

BTW, they do wonderful film processing. I'm not keen on their custom printing, but you'll want to do that back home anyway, right?
 
BradS said:
Any suggestions on where to buy sheet film (Kodak 320TXP and E100G) in our nation's capitol?

Also interested in places to have same developed while there?


Thx.
Click to expand...

One caveat about Penn Camera: their selection is poor. If you shoot Ilford, Efke or Foma film you might want to buy from your usual source and ship it to one of us so that it will be here when you arrive. Penn doesn't stock 8x10 film at all, though they will special order anything you want.

I'll be stopping by the Rockville store today. I'll look and see what they stock.
 
Ok, so I just realized that we leave in ten days....and, as usual, I am still wondering what kit to take. I'm vacillating between the Nikon and the Crown Graphic. Today, I'm leaning toward the Crown. This new one still has the range finder and, bizarre as this may sound, it (the R.F.) is not completely worthless!

I'm thinking the Crown, a box of film, ten or so film holders and a pocketable light meter...a small notebook and a changing bag, maybe even the monopod?

Thanks everybody for all the fantastic info. Penn Camera appears to have both HP-5+ and 320TXP in stock so, I should have no problem with film stock.
 
Let me know when you're in the DC area, maybe I could meet up with you and Scott and the rest. I am down in Charlottesville. We have a same day LF developing service for everything here... b&w, c41 and E6. As for sheet film, well, got some of that too.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Menu
Log in
Register