Signs of life at the New 55 project

Xmas · Apr 23, 2014

Ok I live in London if I run out of 120 or 135 on Sunday street vendors and second hand shops have expired Trix, Plusx, etc. cheap in cool bags, pharmacy (Boots) has fresh HP5+, XP2, CN400,... 135 and Lomo has fresh rebadged Lomo film 120, 135, and a c41 mini lab... haggle on turnaround, till 19:00 local.

I know there is an impossible shop somewhere nearby.

Vinyl might be available on Sunday but never run out yet.

If you live in death valley things may be dry.

Xmas · Apr 23, 2014

forgot the Panatomicx x and HIE...

StoneNYC · Apr 23, 2014

Xmas said:
Ok I live in London if I run out of 120 or 135 on Sunday street vendors and second hand shops have expired Trix, Plusx, etc. cheap in cool bags, pharmacy (Boots) has fresh HP5+, XP2, CN400,... 135 and Lomo has fresh rebadged Lomo film 120, 135, and a c41 mini lab... haggle on turnaround, till 19:00 local.

I know there is an impossible shop somewhere nearby.

Vinyl might be available on Sunday but never run out yet.

If you live in death valley things may be dry.

Lomography have actual stores?

Roger Cole · Apr 23, 2014

Vinyl records are easy to find in Atlanta and area, and even in my small town area back home in TN. Film is limited to 35mm consumer C41 without a massive search. Certainly no Inpossible.

Sent from my iPhone via Tapatalk using 100% recycled electrons. Because I care.

Xmas · Apr 23, 2014

StoneNYC said:
Lomography have actual stores?

Yes stores, lots of stock, mini lab and friendly efficient staff. With rebadged Kodak and Ch film, 135, 120, 110.

11:00-19:00 Mon-Sun for my local.

They did not have a demonstrator Russar 20mm last week, but thought one was in/would be in, post.

rbrigham · Apr 23, 2014

Hi xmas

where do you find street venders and 2nd hand shops in london that have 120 films ?

thanks

robin

kb3lms · Apr 23, 2014

I run out of 120 or 135 on Sunday street vendors and second hand shops have expired Trix, Plusx, etc.

...Film is limited to 35mm consumer C41 without a massive search. Certainly no Inpossible.

You'd all be lucky, then. On a really good day where I live, Walmart will put out a few boxes of Superia if they can be bothered to remember. What speed you can get is a pure crapshoot. Someone buys the stuff even though they don't seem to want to sell it. The stock is always fresh (currently late 2016 expirations) and the film processing bin always has a dozen or so bags in it. CVS gave up as far as I can tell. They don't even have the mini-lab any longer. My area is hardly "out in the sticks."

It would be absolutely wonderful to be able to walk into something resembling a camera shop (remember those!) and buy some film of any sort but, that hasn't been possible for the last 10 years or so. When I grew up in the same small town back in the 60's, 70's and 80's, there were 3 camera shops and one even carried a passable selection of professional materials, paper and chemistry. And that's not counting all the drug stores and grocery stores with film and processing.

I recall on my last trip to England 3 or 4 years ago seeing stocks of film in a Boots store in Darby. This is one of the many reasons why I said in one of the other threads that business in Europe is far more long term / forward thinking. There are still customers to serve and money to be made. Business in the US just agonizes about inventory.

I wish these New 55 guys nothing but the best. Unfortunately it is something that I don't have the gear to use.

Xmas · Apr 23, 2014

In the East London Mkt areas

Sat & Sun
Brick Lane, Filmsnotdead have variety of out dated and current film 135 and 120 normally
lots of 2nd hand cameras

Retitled in Cheshire Street just off Brick Lane
ditto wider range including PlusX, HIE, PanatomicX, APX400, Fuji ECN, Agfa Vista
lots of 2nd hand cameras

Mon - Sun
Lomo Commercial Street 135, 120, 110 rebadged Lomo
some refurbished cameras

Boots in Liverpool St only do 135 including HP5+, BW400CN, XP2 film only

Mon-Fri

KVJ beside Algate East tube film only

Elephant &Castle
Mon-Sat

Silverprint do all film formats including a ULF 16x20! & a few second hand cameras

Aside from the pro/specialist shops like aperture, RedDot, Camera World, KGLewis ...

Don't really understand question...

vpwphoto · Apr 23, 2014

London sounds a lot like NYC. Chicago, doesn't even have what you describe available in London. One photo-specialty shop in Chicago now, (Central). I'd bet money I can't get real BW film in any drugstore in Chicago anymore. Perhaps c-41/// perhaps?

Xmas · Apr 23, 2014

http://www.silverprint.co.uk/ProductByGroup.asp?PrGrp=2234

few packs of 16x20...

vdonovan · Apr 23, 2014

As a former photo retailer, I can tell you that there is *barely* enough film business to keep a film camera specialty shop open in a large city. I believe it's difficult to have ANY camera shop in a small city. With the growth of online retail, the margins on digital cameras, film, and accessories have become tiny. Lomography had a bunch of stores but in the last two years have closed all but 8 worldwide.

Re: film vs. vinyl, both markets are tiny, shadows of their former selves, but growing. Despite the growth, I doubt either will ever be anything but niche markets.

Vinyl sold 6 million records in the US in 2013, with steady growth. http://mashable.com/2014/01/07/vinyl-comeback/

35 million rolls of film were sold in the US in 2012, also growing, but down from a peak of 800 MILLION http://www.pdexposures.com/americans-buy-35-million-rolls-of-film-in-2012/

Impossible Project seems to be selling about 2 million packs per year. Remember that at its peak, Polaroid was selling 15 million CAMERAS per year, probably ten times that number in packs of film. http://www.thephoblographer.com/2010/12/13/impossible-project-hopes-to-ramp-up-px-680-color-shade-production-8x10-inch-format/#.U1guA-ZdVWY

Fuji Instax sales continue to grow, mostly in Asia, I'm not sure how many actual units.

No moral to the story here, just some facts. The film business is tiny. Instant film is tinier. Both are growing, which will make them slightly less tiny. It's hard for anyone (except Fujifilm!) to make money in this business.

Xmas · Apr 23, 2014

vdonovan said:
As a former photo retailer, I can tell you that there is *barely* enough film business to keep a film camera specialty shop open in a large city. I believe it's difficult to have ANY camera shop in a small city. With the growth of online retail, the margins on digital cameras, film, and accessories have become tiny...

Some if the camera stores buy analogue kit in eg estate sales sell on at high margins. They don't bother with new digital or new analogue
Film is only an aside for them.
Some of the stores are web based film/RC/chemicals with locations near to art colleges and operate 2nd hand cameras as a side line as above for the high margins.
Street market sellers sell analogue cameras and film similarly.

Ken Nadvornick · Apr 23, 2014

vdonovan said:
No moral to the story here, just some facts. The film business is tiny. Instant film is tinier. Both are growing, which will make them slightly less tiny. It's hard for anyone (except Fujifilm!) to make money in this business.

It's only a question of perception.

For some, a niche-level demand is an excellent opportunity just waiting to be tapped. Think Harman, Adox, TIP, FILM Ferrania. And still hopefully at some point in the future, New55. A still sustainable, albeit much reduced, source of potential profits.

For others, a niche market is the absolute confirmation that no market exists at all. It's dead, Jim. Extinct. And anyone who thinks differently is simply a fool. Think Eastman Kodak, Fujifilm, and any other behemoth corporation. Including a not-insignificant number of members here.

And Kodak Alaris? Being behemoth-dependent, at least as far as Kodak-brand film is concerned, certainly doesn't help. We'll see...

Since the topic of this thread is New55, I'm hopeful that at some point, even if this Kickstarter chapter doesn't work out, New55 will somehow find it's way to market. I do have the equipment to use it. And the funds. And most importantly, the desire.

Ken

vdonovan · Apr 23, 2014

Ken Nadvornick said:
For some, a niche-level demand is an excellent opportunity just waiting to be tapped. Think Harman, Adox, TIP, FILM Ferrania. And still hopefully at some point in the future, New55. A still sustainable, albeit much reduced, source of potential profits.
Ken

Thanks for the clarification, Ken. I didn't mean to sound so negative (oops!). I am a supporter of New55, and an avid user and flag-waver for Harman. I fully believe that small product companies can achieve reasonable success by finding small and dedicated markets and serving them.

I was just trying to add some info about storefront film sales. My experience, and my conversations with other retailers, have taught me that retail in the Amazon age is difficult for most everyone everywhere, no matter what they are selling.

Fortunately, in the internet age, a niche product like New55 can market directly to its community of users, without having to worry about retail distribution, shelf space, spoilage, returns, etc.

The neighborhood camera shop is not going to return anytime soon, but I believe the future is still bright for exciting film photography products.

kb3lms · Apr 23, 2014

It's only a question of perception.

Absolutely agreed!

I believe the future is still bright for exciting film photography products.

The lomography folks say "The Future is Analog." There is something to that I think, but it will never be what it once was.

StoneNYC · Apr 23, 2014

Xmas said:
Yes stores, lots of stock, mini lab and friendly efficient staff. With rebadged Kodak and Ch film, 135, 120, 110.

11:00-19:00 Mon-Sun for my local.

They did not have a demonstrator Russar 20mm last week, but thought one was in/would be in, post.

What's rebadged Ch film? What brand is that?

How do you know it's re-badges kodak?

And how is the mini lab? As in, do they actually process well or is it sort of "Lomo" with issues like bad chemistry and fibers and specks and discoloration?

Thanks.

Xmas · Apr 24, 2014

In the UK suppliers are obliged to include

made in Japan
made in USA

etc.
so the box for 120 400 ISO says China
135 400 ISO says USA

the edge markings on 135 say lady grey but the film dye is pink like Kodaks...

The mini lab is in their basement and the staff were startled when I said they had not been trailing the film on the floor and jumping on it. They had asked why I came back... They have a tick box that says don't cut so they have long cellophane wrapper roll it up and a small card board box and paper bag...

I did not see an option for chips.

4GBP for c41 process only there is a cheaper lab 10 blocks away (800 yards) but...

They have a sofa that you can nap on while you wait for processing or watch the lab staff and fine art print exhibitions in basement as well.

You need a holiday in London. Most of our beer is Munich rules - micro brewery in USA... etc. girls in burkas or nothing much... Indian Hinhu food - makes Mexican seem bland... we put stop bath on French fries too.

swhiser · Apr 24, 2014

Folks -

Do any of you have the latest issue of "View Camera" magazine in hand? There's a piece in it about New55 FILM.

Also, check out the podcast on Film Photography Project - Episode 102 ...
http://filmphotographyproject.com/podcast/2014/04/film-photography-podcast-episode-102-–-may-01-2014

And the New55 FILM Backers' Gallery is filling up. David Burnett is the latest addition; see others ...
gallery.new55.net

David Burnett
Polly Chandler
John F Cooper
Jason Edwards
Tobias Feltus
Michael Kirchoff
Mark Mann
Stefan Milev
Rommel Pecson
John Reuter
Joshua Black Wilkins

11 days to go.
-Sam

Ken Nadvornick · Apr 24, 2014

OK Sam. I'll be straight. After today's update, you guys have really piqued my curiosity beyond just the project itself. I've not previously had anything to do with Kickstarter, so have no prior experience or expectations. This is my first pledge(s) for anything. And you have the KS metrics to compare to, I don't.

The last 5 days, eh? With $198,180 of $400,000 to go at this moment, midway through the 11th day to go?

My day job keeps me in front of development PCs all day long. So I watch this stuff almost continuously as short mental breaks. After reading that update I am going to be fascinated as hell to watch what happens over the next week-and-a-half.

(I do note that the last time I looked the $2,500 pledge count was, and had been for weeks, at one single backer. Now suddenly I see four. Hmm...)

If this actually happens, I may owe you guys a beer. And heck, I don't even drink beer...

Ken

CatLABS · Apr 24, 2014

vpwphoto said:
London sounds a lot like NYC. Chicago, doesn't even have what you describe available in London. One photo-specialty shop in Chicago now, (Central). I'd bet money I can't get real BW film in any drugstore in Chicago anymore. Perhaps c-41/// perhaps?

The lomo store in chicago is an awesome place to buy film, and has a super cool selection of all kinds of stuff including some T64 and other curiosities.
Its in wacker park.

rbrigham · Apr 26, 2014

thanks Xmas

off down to brick lane today to see what I can find
never thought to look in markets for film

robin

Ken Nadvornick · May 1, 2014

Just this moment passed $300,000. But only less than 3½ days to go...

Ken

Ken Nadvornick · May 2, 2014

And only 18 hours and 2 minutes later they have just this moment passed $350,000...

Ken

erikg · May 2, 2014

They have a very good shot at crossing the line. I did what I could.

Ken Nadvornick · May 2, 2014

Today is Friday. They have until Monday, May 5th at 8:59pm PDT. As of this moment, they only need $44,412. In the last 18 hours they raised $50,000.

I'm going to owe them those beers...

Ken

Signs of life at the New 55 project

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