The expense of shooting film

aparat · Mar 17, 2023

I just blew my photography budget for the year. Yes, I know, it's still March. I bought a box of Multitone paper (8 x 10", 100 Sheets) and six rolls of the current Bergger Pancro 400 in 120 size (I love this film for portraits). Fortunately, I found an old 100-sheet box of Oriental VCFB paper in 8x10, which I bought sometime around 2016 and stored in a relatively cool and dry cabinet, so it should be fine. That will let me print about 4 sheets per week, which should be plenty for my modest needs. I also have about twenty rolls of film left, which means I can shoot about 1 or 2 rolls per month, which I am very happy with. Chemicals are not a problem because I already have more than enough to last through the end of the year.

The most important consequence of the rising prices of film and paper for me is being a lot more selective about pressing the shutter release button. I don't see it as a limitation. I see it as a challenge to be a better photographer. I am curious to see how it goes.

pentaxuser · Mar 17, 2023

Huss said:
How much is a pint of decent beer where u are now? In LA craft beers are about $9. And the sneaky they thing they do if you order some fancy Belgium beers, is they pour them into glasses (labelled for that beer) that is a lot less than a pint. But still charge what you assume are the pint prices.

Some might say this is only profit maximisation. That way you are helping the business economy. Well it sounds better that way, in fact that's almost patriotic, isn't it?

pentaxuser

Patrick Robert James · Mar 17, 2023

I am glad I cut out the hooch a few years back. Hard to believe the cost of beer now.

I don't see how anyone would even want to blow $27 on a roll of slide film. Kodak is just shooting themselves in the foot. And $17 for a roll of ColorPlus?

It will be curious to see what happens but I'm not holding my breath. At least IIford has their sh#t together these days.

VinceInMT · Mar 17, 2023

Patrick Robert James said:
I am glad I cut out the hooch a few years back. Hard to believe the cost of beer now.

If I was having to pay big city prices for a pint, I’d go back to brewing my own like I used to before the craft breweries showed up here.

Sirius Glass · Mar 17, 2023

Patrick Robert James said:
I am glad I cut out the hooch a few years back. Hard to believe the cost of beer now.

I don't see how anyone would even want to blow $27 on a roll of slide film. Kodak is just shooting themselves in the foot. And $17 for a roll of ColorPlus?

It will be curious to see what happens but I'm not holding my breath. At least IIford has their sh#t together these days.

Just because you do not choose to bear the freight does not mean that others will not choose to.

pentaxuser · Mar 17, 2023

Patrick Robert James said:
I don't see how anyone would even want to blow $27 on a roll of slide film. Kodak is just shooting themselves in the foot. And $17 for a roll of ColorPlus?

Well there is a large body of opinion that suggests that those sorts of prices are here to stay because that reflects the genuine cost of making film. If they are right then the only options is : Get richer; Abandon colour film or cut down on its use

The light at the end of the tunnel is that if colour film's revival can stay on what is allegedly its current upward trend then maybe, according to some, the price relative to our incomes will fall - eventually

How many years of active film life do you have left to find out?

pentaxuser

Sirius Glass · Mar 17, 2023

pentaxuser said:
Well there is a large body of opinion that suggests that those sorts of prices are here to stay because that reflects the genuine cost of making film. If then are right then the only options is : Get richer; Abandon colour film or cut down on its use

The light at the end of the tunnel is that if colour film's revival can stay on what is allegedly its current upward trend then maybe, according to some, the price relative to our incomes will fall - eventually

How many years of active film life do you have left to find out?

pentaxuser

Use color film and live a more forfilled life!

Huss · Mar 17, 2023

VinceInMT said:
If I was having to pay big city prices for a pint, I’d go back to brewing my own like I used to before the craft breweries showed up here.

I'm happy with Trader Joe's 6 pack of Topsail Hazy Ale for $5.99. Lasts me at least a week or two, as I really am not much of a drinker.

But yeah, I see people complaining about the price of film, as they head to their local bar..

You pick your priorities. And you choose your nose. Wait, no, I think that's the other way round.

Sirius Glass · Mar 17, 2023

Huss said:
I'm happy with Trader Joe's 6 pack of Topsail Hazy Ale for $5.99. Lasts me at least a week or two, as I really am not much of a drinker.

But yeah, I see people complaining about the price of film, as they head to their local bar..

Or $tarBuck$

Huss said:
You pick your priorities. And you choose your nose. Wait, no, I think that's the other way round.

You can pick your friends.
You can pick your nose.
But you cannot pick your friend's nose.

VinceInMT · Mar 17, 2023

Huss said:
I'm happy with Trader Joe's 6 pack of Topsail Hazy Ale for $5.99. Lasts me at least a week or two, as I really am not much of a drinker.

But yeah, I see people complaining about the price of film, as they head to their local bar..

You pick your priorities. And you choose your nose. Wait, no, I think that's the other way round.

Ha! My vintage car club meets up at a local coffee place. While I don’t drink coffee (I opt for herbal tea to be sociable) I see people paying $6-8 for a coffee that has more calories than a pint of ale.

BTW, I miss Trader Joe’s. There isn’t one in this state. I’m originally from Long Beach, CA so I know what we are missing.

CMoore · Mar 18, 2023

pentaxuser said:
Some might say this is only profit maximisation. That way you are helping the business economy. Well it sounds better that way, in fact that's almost patriotic, isn't it?

pentaxuser

You have a true talent for putting a curiously positive spin on things

Agulliver · Mar 18, 2023

Where the hell are you buying Color Plus for $17 ?

As for Ektachrome and Velvia prices.....those prices now reflect what it costs to manufacture and distribute the film plus a small profit margin. And believe me, that margin *is* small. It's not like anyone else is able to produce E6 film significantly cheaper. So you either swallow those prices or don't shoot E6.

mshchem · Mar 18, 2023

Kodak Reports Fourth-Quarter and Full-Year 2022 Financial Results

ROCHESTER, N.Y., March 16, 2023--Kodak Reports Fourth-Quarter and Full-Year 2022 Financial Results

finance.yahoo.com

Beverly Hills · Mar 18, 2023

pentaxuser said:
The light at the end of the tunnel is that if colour film's revival can stay on what is allegedly its current upward trend then .

How many years of active film life do you have left to find out?

pentaxuser

Perhaps a color film's revival isn't enough to see nice pricing.
Therefore the revival has to be much bigger.
How many people shot film again ?
10.000 ? 100.000? 1.000.000? 10.000.000 ??

How many films per year would be necessary to come back to significantly cheaper prices? (worldwide)
Keyword : mass production.

I remember a number of (estimated) 4 billion sold films in 2002

.....have a nice day

pentaxuser · Mar 18, 2023

CMoore said:
You have a true talent for putting a curiously positive spin on things

Yes, my time with the MAD men was well spent

pentaxuser

pentaxuser · Mar 18, 2023

Beverly Hills said:
Perhaps a color film's revival isn't enough to see nice pricing.
Therefore the revival has to be much bigger.
How many people shot film again ?
10.000 ? 100.000? 1.000.000? 10.000.000 ??

How many films per year would be necessary to come back to significantly cheaper prices? (worldwide)
Keyword : mass production.

I remember a number of (estimated) 4 billion sold films in 2002

.....have a nice day

Mmm... sounds like it might be as well to have some of those bitter almond pills just in case the light at the end of the tunnel postulated by some is the express train heading straight for us

pentaxuser

Beverly Hills · Mar 18, 2023

Agulliver said:
Where the hell are you buying Color Plus for $17 ?

As for Ektachrome and Velvia prices.....those prices now reflect what it costs to manufacture and distribute the film plus a small profit margin. And believe me, that margin *is* small. It's not like anyone else is able to produce E6 film significantly cheaper. So you either swallow those prices or don't shoot E6.

+1.

Beverly Hills · Mar 18, 2023

pentaxuser said:
Mmm... sounds like it might be as well to have some of those bitter almond pills just in case the light at the end of the tunnel postulated by some is the express train heading straight for us

pentaxuser

May be you change to b&w film? ....if you compare pricing, a Polypan F is still not much expensive

Sirius Glass · Mar 18, 2023

mshchem said:
Kodak Reports Fourth-Quarter and Full-Year 2022 Financial Results

ROCHESTER, N.Y., March 16, 2023--Kodak Reports Fourth-Quarter and Full-Year 2022 Financial Results

finance.yahoo.com

It is good to see that the Kodak is in the black and doing well.

Sirius Glass · Mar 18, 2023

Agulliver said:
Where the hell are you buying Color Plus for $17 ?

As for Ektachrome and Velvia prices.....those prices now reflect what it costs to manufacture and distribute the film plus a small profit margin. And believe me, that margin *is* small. It's not like anyone else is able to produce E6 film significantly cheaper. So you either swallow those prices or don't shoot E6.

Shoot a lot more film so that manufacturing expands, the market expands and the price will drop.

Ivo Stunga · Mar 19, 2023

Sirius Glass said:
Shoot a lot more film

I don't think that the existing user base can do this. Kodak needs new customers and they're out there. But will the young enthusiasts buy the much more expensive Kodak product or choose competition, or even those funky lomo films - time will tell.
My hunch is that coming from digital perfection they're probably into the funky side of things.

Sirius Glass said:
It is good to see that the Kodak is in the black and doing well.

I like this quote:
"Our priorities for 2022 included providing our customers with uninterrupted supplies, reducing costs by improving operational efficiency and implementing pricing actions to realize the value of our offerings, which contributed to a year-over-year increase in gross profit for the fourth quarter."
So they 1) streamlined the production, made it cheaper to make film; 2) had problems keeping stock in stores; 3) experienced nice profit; 4) are looking for the max price customer is wanting to pay for Kodak film.
I, however, don't see Kodak sharing these savings with customer. Price increase for existing products is what we got instead.

So I truly don't know if growing market can make prices cheaper in this reality.

BMbikerider · Mar 19, 2023

mshchem said:
I bought a Nikon D200 new, $1600.00, when I sold it on Ebay through my local camera store, the fellow that listed it called me because it had only 700 shots, I remember telling him every time I went to use it the silly rechargeable battery was drained.
So, subtract the $200 bucks I got back from selling it that's about $2 a shot.

IK know the D200 had a bigger than usual battery drain but I never had a problem with it.

BMbikerider · Mar 19, 2023

AnselMortensen said:
Anybody check the price of Velvia or Provia 8x10 film recently?

Not really because I don't use any. If you are not a Pro then 8x10 seems to be a bit of an overkill, don't you think so?

BMbikerider · Mar 19, 2023

foc said:
+1

A bit like a fish that lays millions of eggs in the hope that one will survive to maturity.

BMbikerider · Mar 19, 2023

Agulliver said:
Without wishing to go too far down this alleyway, British pubs are only permitted to sell beer in pints, half pints and third pints. So any chalice of Belgian beer will be one of those measures. If I ask for a "pint" and get any less, the pub is breaking the law. Unless serving from a bottle, that is....then it's stated what the capacity of the bottle is. And that often is less than a pint. Cost of a good pint is typically £6.50 in London now, sometimes more. Up in the rarefied atmosphere of Luton where I live, more like £5. Unless i go somewhere specifically known for cheap beer (Wetherspoons).

That's often more than I pay for a roll of HP5+ since I roll from bulk, and definitely more than Fomapan. It's not much less than I paid for my last bunch of Fuji Superia 400. Is film really expensive when I consider that a couple of pints with friends can cost as much as shooting and developing two or three rolls of film?

As the saying goes....you pays your money, and takes your choice.

Or brew your own - it isn't that difficult. Vary the recipe and the strength can vary too, I once substituted the sugar for honey now that was something else! One pint of that home brew and you were anybody's.

The expense of shooting film

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