Use it or lose it.B&W film etc

dosilverhalide · Jul 22, 2014

I keep hearing people gnashing their teeth about the rising cost or soon to go away black and white film. Just curious, state here , how many rolls of BW film you have purchased in the past 30 days from a store or on the net. I have purchased none. So I guess I can't complain if it goes away any time soon. J.

jim appleyard · Jul 22, 2014

Haven't purchased any in the last 30 days because I usually by once a year; I go thru 200 rolls of 35 & 120 a year. I shoot everything from APX 25 [always a dwindling supply ] to Delta 3200

Ken Nadvornick · Jul 22, 2014

Black and white film is in pretty good shape right now. For the moment at least, so is color negative film.

Transparency film, however, is climbing up the ever-more-sloping deck toward the flagpole. The band is still playing, but it's not clear how much longer they can continue...

I purchased a 25-sheet box of Ilford HP5+ 4x5 film last week for my press camera. A few months ago I purchased 30 120 rolls of Ilford HP5+ and FP4+. And 60 rolls of Fujifilm Provia 400X, also in 120. I have 50 sheets of 8x10 Ilford black-and-white in the freezer right now.

I haven't used 35mm in quite a while, although I do have a 35mm b&w project in mind.

Ken

dosilverhalide · Jul 22, 2014

Thank you for your responce. If I go back a few months I have bought 15 rolls of 35mm of the net. I also have 2 or 3 hundred feet of black and white to be self rolled. One of the reasons I asked this was because a few months ago I went into a CVS just to buy a roll so the store would keep it on the shelf. A roll of Tri-x, 24 frame was $9.99, I left the store without any film. J.

Ken Nadvornick · Jul 22, 2014

If you truly want to keep it on the shelf, you need to give up something else and pay the $9.99. Then come back later for more. And talk your friends into coming back with you...

Ken

BetterSense · Jul 22, 2014

I have a system for gradual hoarding that more photographers should adopt. I budgeted to purchase about 1 year's supply of film every quarter and freeze it. At my modest use that is about $300, and consists of only a couple rolls of 35mm slide film, some pro packs of 120 color and slide film. Every quarter I buy another year supply. This way I am protected against sudden discontinuation and price hikes, while being easier on my budget than trying to predict what I will be shooting in 5 years, as I can re balance my purchases based on my usage. It also prevents the situation where the film company thinks there is no demand since everyone stocked their freezers 2 years ago and haven't bought any since.

ic-racer · Jul 22, 2014

I usually buy and use fresh film when I need it. Who is having trouble locating fresh film to purchase?

removed account4 · Jul 22, 2014

none, last i bought was maybe a year or 15 months ago, and it was all expired purchased from
an apug member to benefit her school, and to benefit my wallet.

summicron1 · Jul 22, 2014

200 feet of hp5, 20 rolls of 120 Acros.

Pioneer · Jul 22, 2014

I recently left the local (relatively speaking) camera store with two 35mm Pro Packs of Fuji Provia 100. 10 rolls of film cost me a bit more than a C-Note ($120 US with taxes paid).

The price is certainly higher but still very well worth it in my opinion. There is still nothing that really compares to the beauty of a well exposed color slide.

If color slide film does disappear, and it certainly could, we will all be poorer for it.

polyglot · Jul 22, 2014

B&W isn't in any real danger, IMHO. I expect to lose access to Kodak and/or Fuji films within 5 years because their production facilities are too large in comparison to current demand, but Ilford and a couple of EU producers will keep going as they're profitable at their current volumes. If/when Kodak goes, I expect Ilford to thrive. I'll be real sad about the loss of TMY2 and Portra, but I'll get over it and shoot Delta instead.

In the last thirty days? I, uh, just bought 100 rolls of Fuji B&W off Tri in another thread. But normally I only buy once or twice a year, about 50-100 rolls at a time. I realise I'm not the median user, but there are plenty like me.

I never buy from a local shop (Australia), because it costs 3x as much as buying from the USA and paying shipping. I don't expect my local shop to survive on film nor to keep carrying it, but I'll be sad if they stop stocking chemistry, and I do support them with regular purchases of the 5L Ilford concentrates.

Kyle M. · Jul 22, 2014

In the last 30 days none, but back last November when I got my holiday bonus at work I bought a boat load of Kodak T-Max 100. Right now I'm sitting on about 120 rolls of that, 42 rolls of Arista EDU Ultra 100, and 9 rolls of Ilford SFX 200 all 120. Yes I know I'm a hoarder, and it's about to get worse theres 3 pro packs of Ektar 100 (120) and some C41 chems in the mail now. It's time to try my hand at home soupig color, E6 is next on the list.

MattKing · Jul 22, 2014

400 feet of bulk 35mm - 200 each of TMax 100 and 400.

45 rolls of TMax 400 in 120.

5 rolls of Portra 160 in 120.

Some of it was ordered more than 30 days ago but delivered (I think) within that time frame.

And a couple of rolls of the TMax 400 in 120 have been back-ordered by Amazon.ca.

jp498 · Jul 22, 2014

I throw a propack of tmy2 into every amazon order I do. I've got enough for a couple years, but it's not going to be cheaper in two years, so I get it now. I like tmy2 and FP4+ in LF.

chriscrawfordphoto · Jul 22, 2014

I still shoot a lot of BW film. I shot ten rolls of Ilford Delta 3200 in my Mamiya 6 last week and I shoot 10-15 rolls of 120 size Ilford HP5 a month as well.

Colin Corneau · Jul 22, 2014

People always talk about customer demand when it comes to film supply -- that's certainly important but I'd argue the flipside (and perhaps even more important) is the desire of the company to keep up its end of the bargain and continue making it.

Fuji made some pretty terrific film, but it didn't put much resources into marketing its film products...fair enough that it wanted to focus on its successful X-series camera line, but it's not either/or. They simply didn't feel like making an effort anymore and now it's gone.

As for film, I buy lots in bulk - I still buy a half dozen or so individual rolls a month and a lot of that is from an actual free-standing physical store location!

Two23 · Jul 22, 2014

I'm shooting more film now than at any time in the past ten years. I'm only shooting b&w though, mostly FP4, HP5, and my stash of Efke 25 (4x5.) I love shooting my Leica IIIc, 6x9 folders, a few box camreras including a Panoram No. 1, and now own & use three 4x5 cameras of vintage 1905, 1926, 2012. I order film as I need it, usually ten rolls at a time or a box of 4x5. I don't shoot any of the more esoteric films so I'm not nervous about supply. When the Efke 25 is gone, not sure what I'll do. I use it for the low ISO when shooting my pre-Civil War Petzvals in daylight. They have no shutter so I try to slow exposure to 1/2s and use my hand to start/stop exposure. The Adox 20 comes in 4x5 and can be shot at ISO 12, so that's probably what I'll go with.

Kent in SD

Jeff Kubach · Jul 22, 2014

I just bought Tri-x 120 recently.

Jeff

drkhalsa · Jul 22, 2014

I bought 50 rolls of HP5+ from Adorama last month, plus 2 more rolls locally.

I bought a 5 pack of TMax 400 120 from Adorama in June and 2 rolls of TMax 100 120 locally 2 weeks ago.

Nuff · Jul 23, 2014

polyglot said:
B&W isn't in any real danger, IMHO. I expect to lose access to Kodak and/or Fuji films within 5 years because their production facilities are too large in comparison to current demand, but Ilford and a couple of EU producers will keep going as they're profitable at their current volumes. If/when Kodak goes, I expect Ilford to thrive. I'll be real sad about the loss of TMY2 and Portra, but I'll get over it and shoot Delta instead.

In the last thirty days? I, uh, just bought 100 rolls of Fuji B&W off Tri in another thread. But normally I only buy once or twice a year, about 50-100 rolls at a time. I realise I'm not the median user, but there are plenty like me.

I never buy from a local shop (Australia), because it costs 3x as much as buying from the USA and paying shipping. I don't expect my local shop to survive on film nor to keep carrying it, but I'll be sad if they stop stocking chemistry, and I do support them with regular purchases of the 5L Ilford concentrates.

I'm the same, or buy film when I'm overseas.

last Feb while in Japan I bought:
30 x 120 provia 400x
40 x 120 pro 400h
20 x 120 pro 160ns
40 x 120 Acros
10 x 120 Portra 800
20 x 35mm Neopan 400
+ TriX, TmaX, Delta 3200 etc...

And the above was just what I took back to Australia, not what I bought and shot over there.

In the last 60 days I bought from ebay/freestyle/keh(while getting a lens):

15 x 120 Trix
13 x 35mm TriX
9 x 35mm Delta 3200
20 x 35mm Neopan
25 x 120 PlusX
30 x 135 PlusX

I'm hoarding a bit, but I'm fine with it...

mooseontheloose · Jul 23, 2014

I've gotten used to hoarding because generally I've lived in places that has made it difficult, if not impossible, to buy film locally (especially the films I want). Now that I've got a really nice camera store in town (Yodobashi Camera) I don't have to worry about it, but I still have about 150 rolls of film in my fridge and freezer, waiting to be used. I imagine that I'll shoot about have of that over the next two months since I'll be travelling quite a bit.

So to answer your question, I have not bought any film in the last 30 days, as I tend to buy film 2-3 times a year in larger amounts.

RattyMouse · Jul 23, 2014

dosilverhalide said:
I keep hearing people gnashing their teeth about the rising cost or soon to go away black and white film. Just curious, state here , how many rolls of BW film you have purchased in the past 30 days from a store or on the net. I have purchased none. So I guess I can't complain if it goes away any time soon. J.

In the last 30 days I have bought 40 rolls of black and white film and shot 24 of them. I also, by the end of this week, will have developed at home all 24 of these rolls.

I'm doing my part.

Andrew O'Neill · Jul 23, 2014

I haven't purchased any in years as I mainly shoot large format. I do purchase a few rolls of 120 each month as I like SFX.

Ko.Fe. · Jul 23, 2014

I have about ten different b/w films in bulk rolls to choose from where I buy. At reasonable price. I didn't count Kodak TriX in.
Don't need it every 30 days

Xmas · Jul 23, 2014

Kentmere400 100 foot bulk from local brick shop.

Use it or lose it.B&W film etc

dosilverhalide

jim appleyard

Ken Nadvornick

dosilverhalide

Ken Nadvornick

BetterSense

ic-racer

removed account4

summicron1

Pioneer

polyglot

Kyle M.

MattKing

Moderator

jp498

chriscrawfordphoto

Colin Corneau

Two23

Jeff Kubach

drkhalsa

Nuff

mooseontheloose

RattyMouse

Andrew O'Neill

Moderator

Ko.Fe.

Xmas

Use it or lose it.B&W film etc

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Moderator

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