Taking film / cameras to Peru

[apkujeong]

I'm planning a trip to Peru soon, I've noticed that there's a limit on how many rolls of film and cameras can be taken into the country:

m)One (01) film or digital camera....

q) Up to ten (10) rolls of photographic film, one (01) external hard
drive, two (02) memory cards for digital cameras...

p.28 of this document: http://www.mincetur.gob.pe/Turismo/guia_facilitacion/en/Guia_Ingles.pdf

Can anyone confirm if this is checked, and if excess fees are levied? I like Velvia 50, but it's crazily expensive in Korea, I don't want to get hit with an additional tax on top. I had been thinking of taking a 9x12 plate camera and a couple of boxes of sheet film too, but I'm wondering what's the best to do now.

There's an old thread on photo.net with a bit more info http://photo.net/travel-photography-forum/00ZB8o

Any advice or information would be gratefully received. I'm still planning where to go, I'll be there about three weeks.

 

[Thomas Bertilsson]

My friend Cinthya Soto has photographed in Peru. I will ask her about it. Might take a while.

 

[apkujeong]

Thanks, I won't be going for a few weeks yet so there's plenty of time, any info is appreciated.

 

[flavio81]

I'm planning a trip to Peru soon, I've noticed that there's a limit on how many rolls of film and cameras can be taken into the country:

m)One (01) film or digital camera....

q) Up to ten (10) rolls of photographic film, one (01) external hard
drive, two (02) memory cards for digital cameras...

p.28 of this document: http://www.mincetur.gob.pe/Turismo/guia_facilitacion/en/Guia_Ingles.pdf

Can anyone confirm if this is checked, and if excess fees are levied? I like Velvia 50, but it's crazily expensive in Korea, I don't want to get hit with an additional tax on top. I had been thinking of taking a 9x12 plate camera and a couple of boxes of sheet film too, but I'm wondering what's the best to do now.

There's an old thread on photo.net with a bit more info http://photo.net/travel-photography-forum/00ZB8o

Any advice or information would be gratefully received. I'm still planning where to go, I'll be there about three weeks.

I'm Peruvian and live in Peru. You can PM me if you like.

Basically, you can buy Provia 100F here if you like, there is a pro store that carries it in 35mm, 120, and I think perhaps in 4x5" format.

As for the checks, what it means is that if you bring more than 10 rolls, you need to declare them at customs, so you pay the corresponding import duties. Do they check this? They use a system at random --- you get on a line, for each incoming tourist there is a semaphore (red light vs green light), it turns on at random. If you get the RED signal you need to step aside so Customs opens up all your baggage and check what is inside.

 

[Thomas Bertilsson]

Thanks, I won't be going for a few weeks yet so there's plenty of time, any info is appreciated.

Turns out she had not been in Peru, but in Bolivia at the salt lakes close to Peru.

Good luck with your adventure!

I thought that maybe you could bring more film than was allowed and play ignorant if they check.
Then mail film to a lab while you are still in Peru, and ask them to send it home to you. I would advise to mail only one or two rolls at a time to spread out the risk of losing any film.

Just thinking out loud.

 

[jbridges]

Really glad this was posted as I am also going to Peru in the fall. I ususlly take at least 20 - 120 rolls with me. Flavio81 what if I carried 10 on me and had my wife carry the other 20? If it is just a matter of paying a customs fee I am cool with that. Worries me too as I want to bring my Hasselblad and a Holga.

 

[Ian Grant]

I went to Chile and then Peru about 7 years ago, I carried about 20 rolls of film and a 617 camera as well as a digital camera, I think I also had my wife's 35mm films.

The issue is to prevent illegal imports for re-sale to evading tax rather than preventing serious photographers making images. I had serious problems in Chile getting 120 Tmax 100 in Santiago the capital, there just wasn't nay plenty of Ilford & Foma though and some Fuji.

If I went again I'd ask Flavio to check what is available in Lima and make decisions based on that. I went to Chile expecting to be able to get more Tmax film and found Kodak had abandoned the market except for consumer C41 through minilabs.

Ian

 

[flavio81]

Really glad this was posted as I am also going to Peru in the fall. I ususlly take at least 20 - 120 rolls with me. Flavio81 what if I carried 10 on me and had my wife carry the other 20? If it is just a matter of paying a customs fee I am cool with that. Worries me too as I want to bring my Hasselblad and a Holga.

As suggested above, just tell me what do you need to use, so I can tell you if it's available for buying here.

Note that if you have such bad luck that Customs want to review your baggage, the inspector can be as dumb as to request you to open your 4x5" sheet film boxes!! So for 4x5 be careful, or bring sealed boxes.

 

[jbridges]

That would be tragically funny. I shoot Illford 120 Delta 100 and 400. Thanks flavio81.

 

[flavio81]

That would be tragically funny. I shoot Illford 120 Delta 100 and 400. Thanks flavio81.

We do have both films but sometimes it runs out of stock. I'll visit the dtores next week to find out. How many rolls do you need?

 

[Ian Grant]

My experience is it's relatively easy to find Ilford film in most countries I've visited recently, surprisingly Foma as well, plus some Fuji, You may need to order film a day or two in advance if you want 10 or more rolls. In quite a few countries Kodak's distributors have mainly concentrated on the Minilab market and 35mm consumer films and it's hard to find much else.

It does pay to do some research first before you travel, as the OP has here, there's active APUG members from many countries now.

It would be a good idea to start a thread listing the "Stores" selling film etc in "Major Cities" around the world.

Ian

 

[apkujeong]

It's great to be able to get local information like this, so useful. Also a good idea from Ian Grant to have an info thread about film stores around the world. Some pricing information would be good to share too.

My trip to Peru got firmed up a little, it seems I'll stop in LA (just for a few hours, don't think I'll be able to get out to buy film). Maybe a few days in New York on the return trip, in which case I'll be tempted to buy some film in New York, which film shop is recommended in NY? That could be another thread!

 

[Peter Rockstroh01]

It does pay to do some research first before you travel, as the OP has here, there's active APUG members from many countries now.

It would be a good idea to start a thread listing the "Stores" selling film etc in "Major Cities" around the world.

Ian

David Allen started a thread recently. It would be great to add your suggestion to his thread/database.

 

[Ian Grant]

David Allen started a thread recently. It would be great to add your suggestion to his thread/database.

It's a separate subject really so better kept apart.

Ian

 

[apkujeong]

Does anyone have any suggestions about places to visit other than what's generally recommended in travel guides? I should have about four weeks in Peru, so I'll have a fair bit of time to explore.

Still not too sure about what film is available, or how much it costs.

 

[BradS]

I have been to Peru twice. The first time, I took a Crown Graphic, 12 film holders, four boxes of Provia 100f and a spotmatic and about twenty rolls of Tri-X. My wife also carried a 35mm outfit and film. The second time, I brought two Nikon FE a few lenses and about 30 rolls of FP4+ and Tri-x. Nobody ever paid any interest in the film...neither here (Airports: Oakland, Los Angeles, Miami) nor in Peru (Lima, Arequipa). That was back in 2006 and 2008. Actually, on the first trip, I flew into Quito and arrived in peru by boat...so, they really didn't care about the film. The tripod however, raised much attention...which is why I left the LF gear at home on the second trip.

I will also note that at the time, and it may still be the case, Peru was rife with official corruption. Rules are made up by the police and other people in power and enforced in proportion to their desire for a little extra cash. It is/was not at all uncommon, for example, to see the police set up along a street pulling people over and, essentially extoring bribes from passing drivers. The "fees" charged to enter a place may be highly variable and roughly in proportion to what the person doing the collecting thinks he can get away with. At machu picchu, they wanted me to pay an extra $300 tripod fee for example.

As for where to go...it really depends upon who you are and what you wan to do. I personally prefer to stay out of the big cities...although I enjoyed Arequipa and would probably go back there. If ever I do go back to Peru, I personally will probably return to the rivers and jungle in the north - central region.

There is a very well supplied Photo store in Lima...when I was there, they were still carrying plenty of 4x5 film and were quite happy to process my films prior to my departure. There were, at that time, also many photo finishing places in the cities...even in the smaller cities (like Ica along the coast). These all seemed to do decent work at reasonable prices...

 

[flavio81]

Does anyone have any suggestions about places to visit other than what's generally recommended in travel guides? I should have about four weeks in Peru, so I'll have a fair bit of time to explore.

Still not too sure about what film is available, or how much it costs.

Sorry, forgot to give you a report. Currently in 120 i've seen in stock:

FP4
HP5
D100
D400
D3200
also Fomapan 100 and 400.

As for suggestions for places to visit, tell me where are you planning to go and then i'll add suggestions!!

Greetings from Lima,
Flavio.

 

[Ian Grant]

Sorry, forgot to give you a report. Currently in 120 i've seen in stock:

FP4
HP5
D100
D400
D3200
also Fomapan 100 and 400.

As for suggestions for places to visit, tell me where are you planning to go and then i'll add suggestions!!

Greetings from Lima,
Flavio.

Thanks Flavio, you've backed up my premise that the easiest films to get outside North America and Europe are Ilford and Foma.

Ian

 

[flavio81]

Thanks Flavio, you've backed up my premise that the easiest films to get outside North America and Europe are Ilford and Foma.

Ian

For color, we also get Provia 100F and Fuji Acros here, mainly in 120. Also Fuji "Proplus II 200" which is a nice C41 film.
From Kodak we only have Portra 400 in 120 format (no 35mm!!)

Asides from that, we also have consumer film: Kodak ULTRA 400, Colorplus 200, and Fuji "C200". Fuji C200 is good.

 

[Ian Grant]

For color, we also get Provia 100F and Fuji Acros here, mainly in 120. Also Fuji "Proplus II 200" which is a nice C41 film.
From Kodak we only have Portra 400 in 120 format (no 35mm!!)

Asides from that, we also have consumer film: Kodak ULTRA 400, Colorplus 200, and Fuji "C200". Fuji C200 is good.

Yes I'd agree Kodak do well in the consumer market through Minilabs etc as do Fuji. Kodak have almost zero presence in the more serious film/paper analog shops unless they have a Kodak minilabs and even then it's only consumer films.

Ian

 

[apkujeong]

Some good information here, many thanks. We are mainly interested in trekking trips. A request for a $300 tripod fee? Good grief. The itinerary is up in the air, my wife has decided she also wants us to visit Chile, Patagonia, maybe Argentina. She wanted to go on the Inca trail trek, but permits were already sold out a few weeks back when we first thought about this trip. It seems there are other treks available that will be available. Salkantay and Lares trails were mentioned by trekking agents I emailed.

So not much 35mm film? Hmm. I'd been planning on taking an F100 with a little Gitzo tripod and maybe a 9x12 plate camera. I've got plenty of 9x12 film, but I'm not sure about taking that camera or not (I once felt like hurling a 9x12 camera into a glacier while trekking at altitude, but regret not having taken it on my last trip to Mongolia because we spent most of the time transported by a Soviet era van).

How much is a roll of Provia 35mm Flavio? I hope it's a bit cheaper in Peru than in Seoul (Velvia 50 and Provia 100F cost about $20 for a roll of 35mm here). I'll have a stopover in LA for a few hours en route but don't think it'll be enough time to go out and buy film. I do have 120 rollbacks for my plate camera but don't use them much.

 

[flavio81]

How much is a roll of Provia 35mm Flavio? I hope it's a bit cheaper in Peru than in Seoul (Velvia 50 and Provia 100F cost about $20 for a roll of 35mm here). I'll have a stopover in LA for a few hours en route but don't think it'll be enough time to go out and buy film. I do have 120 rollbacks for my plate camera but don't use them much.

Provia 100F : PEN 50 which is USD 15.77

Apkujeong,

I just went to one of the pro photo stores today to give you a survey of what they have in stock:

C41

In 35mm:
Kodak Colorplus 200
Fuji Proplus II 200 (my recommendation)

Black and white
In 35mm
Fuji Acros 100
Fuji Neopan 400
D100 = 36 PEN which is USD 11.45
D400
Kodak 400TX = USD 11.45
Fomapan 100, 400 (very cheap, about half of D100)
Hp5+, FP4
Ilford Pan 100, Pan 400

In 120
Same as above except for Ilford PAN 100 and 400, and Neopan 400. Sometimes HP5 (120 format) runs out of stock as well.

In 4x5 sheets:
Ilford Hp5+

E6
35mm, 120 and 4x5 sheet film:
Provia 100F

Aside from that, on my freezer i have some Velvia 50 or 100F, and some "Lomography XPRO 200" (Agfa aviphot 200), all in 120 format, that I would be glad to sell you if you want.

 

[apkujeong]

Flavio, thank you for getting so much information for me, that's great. Also thank you for your offer to sell some 120 film. I'm still not sure what camera(s) I'll bring, but the information you've provided will be really helpful.

 

[apkujeong]

I should follow up on my original post:

I didn't manage to find any slide film while in Lima, I was a bit unfortunate perhaps. I didn't have much time there and had trouble finding the shop I was looking for "D'arte". Anyway, when I found it, the shop wasn't open despite being within published opening hours. The next day I left for Cusco, the only film I saw there was colour negative 35mm (Fuji and Kodak).

Not having colour slide film didn't feel like much of a loss as it turned out. I did a trek to Salkantay and Machu Picchu which was quite fast paced and didn't leave much time for photography. My wife was the slowest trekker in the group and we were under more or less constant pressure to go faster to keep up. Machu Picchu itself was very crowded and furthermore I had a camera failure there (battery compartment of my F100 shorted out). I did take a tripod in without any problems. I managed to make running repairs to my F100, but maybe that's material for a different thread.

I did a few organized treks and day tours, generally these weren't so suitable for photography. Tours generally arrive at major points of interest around mid-day with ugly light. If I were to do a similar trip again soon I'd take a much lighter kit. I took an F100, lightweight Gitzo and 3 lenses and a backup 35mm zoom compact - I'd leave the tripod and 300mm zoom at home were I to go again (my trip went to Peru, Bolivia, Chile and finished with a week in New York).

I didn't have a great time in Bolivia, the food was absolutely terrible (to the point of making me sick) and locals often don't seem to like tourists. I asked a couple of guides about this, they shrugged and said that highlanders in Bolivia tend not to trust outsiders. I think US passport holders need to pay an entry fee of about $160 to enter Bolivia. It's a pity, Tiwanaku was an interesting place to visit while Salar de Uyuni is sort of cool if you want photos for Instagram.

 

[flavio81]

I should follow up on my original post:

I didn't manage to find any slide film while in Lima, I was a bit unfortunate perhaps. I didn't have much time there and had trouble finding the shop I was looking for "D'arte". Anyway, when I found it, the shop wasn't open despite being within published opening hours. The next day I left for Cusco, the only film I saw there was colour negative 35mm (Fuji and Kodak).

Not having colour slide film didn't feel like much of a loss as it turned out. I did a trek to Salkantay and Machu Picchu which was quite fast paced and didn't leave much time for photography. My wife was the slowest trekker in the group and we were under more or less constant pressure to go faster to keep up. Machu Picchu itself was very crowded and furthermore I had a camera failure there (battery compartment of my F100 shorted out). I did take a tripod in without any problems. I managed to make running repairs to my F100, but maybe that's material for a different thread.

I did a few organized treks and day tours, generally these weren't so suitable for photography. Tours generally arrive at major points of interest around mid-day with ugly light. If I were to do a similar trip again soon I'd take a much lighter kit. I took an F100, lightweight Gitzo and 3 lenses and a backup 35mm zoom compact - I'd leave the tripod and 300mm zoom at home were I to go again (my trip went to Peru, Bolivia, Chile and finished with a week in New York).

I didn't have a great time in Bolivia, the food was absolutely terrible (to the point of making me sick) and locals often don't seem to like tourists. I asked a couple of guides about this, they shrugged and said that highlanders in Bolivia tend not to trust outsiders. I think US passport holders need to pay an entry fee of about $160 to enter Bolivia. It's a pity, Tiwanaku was an interesting place to visit while Salar de Uyuni is sort of cool if you want photos for Instagram.

Well, you did not write me. Otherwise you could have had slide film and color film in 35mm and 120 directly from my freezer. Or tell you which stores to go.