The price of film

[jd callow]

The real rescue would be something like China. Get the Chinese to make it, they'll soon flood the world film at 50 cents per roll, so cheap that you can eat the stuff. In time they'll get quality control right. Most consumer goods including electronics and computer components are made in China these days. They should be able to do film no problem. China is very behind in digital camera use. May be they are willing to take up film just on that account. Then photographers around the world will benefit.

I wouldn't want to trust the Chinese Gov't to responsibly deal with the waste, and worker health of film production. I'm happy to pay a real cost for film.

 

[David A. Goldfarb]

I know there have been a few posts announcing an Ilford price increase. Here's one--

(there was a url link here which no longer exists)

 

[Nick Zentena]

Be a whopper of a bulk loader!

Sometimes there are good buys on ebay for film.

Smaller then a 70mm loader. Considering the price of used 70mm loaders might be cheaper to buy a film plant

 

[pgomena]

B&H lists Fuji Acros at $2.69/roll in 120. Last time I looked (about a month ago) it was $2.60. Still a bargain even if it's not FP4+.

Peter Gomena

 

[jackc]

I wouldn't want to trust the Chinese Gov't to responsibly deal with the waste, and worker health of film production. I'm happy to pay a real cost for film.

The problem is that what you are paying is not the real cost, it's probably way beyond that. Shrinking markets and lack of new investments mean high markup cost and out of date technology and inefficient production. China's pollution rate has little to do with what it makes. Instead it's limited only its industrial capacity and overall environmental policy (or lack thereof.) If it does not make film, that capacity is still there, and will simply make something else, which may pollute just as much.

$4 per roll is already driving me towards digital. That's 10 bucks a day for 2 rolls or so. On the other hand, digital has ZERO incremental cost.

You keep thinking like you do, we'll all die of starvation some day.

 

[David A. Goldfarb]

I'm more worried about the cost of gold chloride at the moment. Eventually, I'll run out of my $16/g stash purchased when gold was just under $400 from someone who bought it when gold was even lower. Meanwhile, any albumen printing sessions are carefully planned around the toner capacity.

 

[markbb]

I'll be silly and say that compared to your time invested film is relatively cheap.

Nothing silly about that, Thomas. 2 or even 3 rolls of film apparently only cost USD 12, surely even in the low-pay US that's good value for a day's fun?

 

[gr82bart]

The world is going digital and film sales have dropped like 90% making it very costly to manufacture film. Folks are just going to have to get used to more price increases.

Regards, Art.

 

[Thomas Bertilsson]

Well said, Art. I think that everything in the entire supply chain is more expensive. Shipping smaller batches is more expensive. Silver is hideously expensive. Finding base to coat on is more expensive. Stocking the shelves is more expensive because of turn-around being slower. People still have to get paid, and the incremental cost at each stage results in the hike in price. I think that if the price has to go up to keep companies like Ilford and Foma profitable, we're just going to have to swallow the pill and lay down the cash.

- Thomas

 

[middy]

My personal view... To me, it's a hobby. Hobbies cost money. That's all there is to it.

Indeed.

Compared to my friends whose hobbies include boats and airplanes, I think we're getting off pretty cheap in photography.

 

[Photo Engineer]

I'm more worried about the cost of gold chloride at the moment. Eventually, I'll run out of my $16/g stash purchased when gold was just under $400 from someone who bought it when gold was even lower. Meanwhile, any albumen printing sessions are carefully planned around the toner capacity.

David;

Expect Pt/Pd, Gold and Silver go out of sight as the trade deficit continues and oil prices rise. The only inexpensive light sensitive chemicial may end up being ferricyanide (cyanotype).

PE

 

[David A. Goldfarb]

David;

Expect Pt/Pd, Gold and Silver go out of sight as the trade deficit continues and oil prices rise. The only inexpensive light sensitive chemicial may end up being ferricyanide (cyanotype).

PE

Yup. That's why I stocked up when I did. I checked my notes, and see that I paid $17.40 a gram at the time for 25g. Current price at Artcraft is $35/g, but that's just for 1g quantities. Next I make friends with someone with an appropriate fume hood to handle aqua regia.

 

[Photo Engineer]

Going to dissolve the family heirlooms David?

It won't work, I'll bet. The impurities in common jewelry will make it close to useless. IDK for sure.



PE

 

[RoBBo]

Just ordered some Acros, man, I did not realize how damn cheap that stuff was!
That was the main thing putting me off from buying it, was that for some reason I had it in my head that it cost about the same as TMax.
Even went so far as to order some in 4x5 from Megaperls, planning on getting some Rodinal on that...
Man, this is a good day, now that I've come to that realization.
If only the 8x10 was equally cheap, at 6$ a sheet it's more than the 11x14 I've been using!

 

[Simon R Galley]

Dear All,

We put our ILFORD Photo prices up to our USA distributor by 3.5% on March 1st 2008, this is 13 months since our previous increase on February 1st 2007.

When HARMAN technology was founded in February 2005 the USD $ was 1.61 to the £ Sterling and silver was a little over $ 6.00 a troy ounce.

We now have $ 2.01 to the pound and silver at the beginning of this week was over $ 22.00 per troy ounce, today its about $ 18.50....

Regards

Simon ILFORD Photo / HARMAN technology Limited :

 

[ntenny]

The real rescue would be something like China.

Am I weird for having a vague feeling that it's desirable for the film and the camera to speak the same language? I find myself preferentially using the German and Eastern European films in German cameras, Kodak in American ones, and so on...if I depended on China for film, I'd have to run out and buy a Seagull or something!

Hmmm, you know, now that I write down the question, I think maybe I *am* weird.

-NT

 

[Photo Engineer]

Simon;

I'm glad I bought a 1 pound bottle of silver nitrate last year or I would not be able to afford to experiment. As it is, I can barely afford to do the work. So, I understand the problem.

PE

 

[David A. Goldfarb]

Going to dissolve the family heirlooms David?

It won't work, I'll bet. The impurities in common jewelry will make it close to useless. IDK for sure.



PE

Nah, just odd gifts that I've never really worn. I'd much rather have albumen prints than bling (and the potential value of the gold chloride will probably be greater than what I could get on 48th St. for the gold)!

There are some alt-printers out there making gold chloride from scrap gold. There was an article on this in _The Journal of Post-Factory Photography_ a few years ago, raising some controversy due to the danger associated with the process.

 

[johnnywalker]

Film is still a bargain, and photography as a hobby doesn't have to be expensive.

 

[Photo Engineer]

Nah, just odd gifts that I've never really worn. I'd much rather have albumen prints than bling (and the potential value of the gold chloride will probably be greater than what I could get on 48th St. for the gold)!

There are some alt-printers out there making gold chloride from scrap gold. There was an article on this in _The Journal of Post-Factory Photography_ a few years ago, raising some controversy due to the danger associated with the process.

Aqua Regia is one of the most dangerous chemicals one can have around the house, ranking with Ether, Cyanide, Hydrofluoric Acid and Nitroglycerine among others. Of course t-Butyl Lithium is nasty too, but is not storable. It is kinda like Aqua Regia though. If a drop of either touches clothing, the clothing will vanish in a puff of smoke, and the skin underneath will instantly blacken and blister. I saw it the effects of both once. The difference is that t-Butyl Lithium bursts into flame at the same time it is exposed to air. Luckily, Aqua Regia is not flammable but will dissolve most all containers but glass.

PE

 

[zenrhino]

Film is still a bargain, and photography as a hobby doesn't have to be expensive.

It's the only art medium I've ever been any good at (and it's highly questionable at that ). The price can rise to where a roll of Tri-X costs a kidney and I'll still seriously consider paying it.

Note that I didn't say I'd pay one of MY kidneys.

 

[jim appleyard]

Aqua Regia is one of the most dangerous chemicals one can have around the house, ranking with Ether, Cyanide, Hydrofluoric Acid and Nitroglycerine among others. Of course t-Butyl Lithium is nasty too, but is not storable. It is kinda like Aqua Regia though. If a drop of either touches clothing, the clothing will vanish in a puff of smoke...
PE

I need some of this stuff! There are a few things I'd like to see go up in a puff of smake. Any ideas where I can get some? West Virginia?

 

[Photo Engineer]

Jim;

You have to make it just before use usually.



PE

 

[kraker]

When HARMAN technology was founded in February 2005 the USD $ was 1.61 to the £ Sterling and silver was a little over $ 6.00 a troy ounce.

We now have $ 2.01 to the pound and silver at the beginning of this week was over $ 22.00 per troy ounce, today its about $ 18.50....

+1 insightful . Currency exchange rates don't change that much over time when compared to the silver price. I never really realised, but I suppose buying silver at the right moment can make a huge difference in costs for HARMAN...

 

[David Brown]

$4 per roll is already driving me towards digital. ... On the other hand, digital has ZERO incremental cost.

You're hilarious ...