Where do you buy your film?

Mick Fagan · Jun 7, 2007

All of my 135 Fuji Neopan 400 in bulk, was from Megaperls in Japan. Now that Fuji has stopped bulk 135, I'll revert back to Ilford when I re-order.

Ilford 4x5 sheet film just last month from Badger in 100 sheet boxes. This product is not available in Australia and I've been told it won't be in the future.

I have bought Ilford paper from a small Foto shop in Germany near Stuttgart, for Postcard paper that isn't available in Australia.

Mick.

gr82bart · Jun 7, 2007

jasonjoo said:
Where do you guys buy your film?

Depends. A lot of times when I travel for extended periods, I'll buy my film locally. For example in LA at A&I, Samy's or Simon's; in Chicago at Helix or Central Camera; in London at Metro; in Toronto at Elm, Henry's, TIW, Downtown Camera or Vistek's; and in in NYC at B&H or Adorama.

B&H and Adorama are great places to buy as they have frequent out of date, short date or other film specials.

Regards, Art.

DWThomas · Jun 7, 2007

My local stores, such as they are, don't have much, at least in 120. I have bought on-line happily at Freestyle and B&H. I generally go with B&H because being near Philadelphia, a Monday evening on-line order shipped normal UPS Ground is usually in my hands on Wednesday afternoon -- it's almost as good as going to a shop!

DaveT

Nick Zentena · Jun 7, 2007

Freestyle for B&W.
B&H for colour.
If I had to buy in Canada it would be PhotoCo.

kraker · Jun 7, 2007

Mick Fagan said:
All of my 135 Fuji Neopan 400 in bulk, was from Megaperls in Japan. Now that Fuji has stopped bulk 135, I'll revert back to Ilford when I re-order.

Just as a side note: Fuji has stopped bulk 135, but m e g a p e r l s is not out of stock yet, so if you still want some, go and order.

Moopheus · Jun 7, 2007

Another vote for Freestyle, B&H, Adorama online; the choice sometimes comes down to what else I am buying at the same time.

Locally Hunt's and Calumet in Cambridge (MA) are my most convenient sources, but of course the prices are higher. So then the choice is higher prices + tax + instant gratification vs. lower price + shipping.

Shmoo · Jun 7, 2007

Jason -

For instant gratification, in the LA area you have Calumet, Samy's, and Freestyle all in the Hollywood area (Highland, Fairfax, and Sunset), Samy's is also in other areas of So. Calif. We're spoiled a bit here...

Snapshot · Jun 7, 2007

I've been buying most of my B&W film from Ultrafine Online and Freestyle. It's been getting harder to buy film from local vendors.

htmlguru4242 · Jun 7, 2007

Anything Kodak or Ilford that I get comes from B&H. I used to get some of the more unusual stuff from J&C, before they closed.

I've used Freestlye once or twice, and I intend to keep purchasing from them!

Unfortunately the only "photo store" within any reasonable distance is Ritz Camera. In addition to their film selection being rather poor, their prices are far higher than I wish to pay, so local purchases are not really an option.

fhovie · Jun 7, 2007

In Lancaster CA there is one mom-n-pop left - being near a college, they carry analog and darkroom stuff. The film selection is not bad but way expensive and their primary focus (now) is selling digigizmos to soccer moms. If I need a bottle of stop bath or a step down ring - they got um. I figure for the most part, mom-n-pops don't support analog enough to reciprocate.

jasonjoo said:
Sorry Matt, I should update my profile.

I am located in the Los Angeles, CA area!

Film guy, I haven't looked for a mom and pops photo shop, but I'm sure they are hard to find these days. If I can find one that is close enough and offers films and other items at reasonable prices, I would not mind supporting them!

Paul Howell · Jun 7, 2007

I buy film locally from one of 2 remaining full service photo stores in the Phoenix Metro area and from Freestyle depending on my needs.

bdial · Jun 7, 2007

Around here the film selection at the existing shops for anything except 35 mm is pretty limited, and for sheet film it's non existant.
The shops offer to order anything I want, but I can do that from home and save the extra trip to the shop, the nearest one is 1/2 hour away. It's nearly as cheap to pay shipping than buy the gasoline for the trip. If I were to include other operational costs of driving, shipping certainly is cheaper than a trip to go solely to the camera shop.
I'd like to help support the film market through the local shops, and I've tried, but it has not proved to be very practical.
On the other side of it, small shops can't afford to stock stuff they can't sell. Recently the nearby shop was explaining how they threw out $10,000 worth of sheet film that they couldn't sell, and had gone out of date... had I only known...
But doing that or risking it, vs. selling 10 digi SLRs is a pretty easy choice from their point of view.

Peter Williams · Jun 7, 2007

I get 4x5 acros from Megaperls, most other film online from Freestyle and expired film for a buck a roll from the Wolf Camera clearance center. Chemicals and paper almost always come from Freestyle.

Sanjay Sen · Jun 7, 2007

I buy all my film online from the following dealers:

B&H (they usually have the best price)
Freestyle
Adorama
East Coast Photo (only once, as they had the old Velvia 50 in 4x5)

BradS · Jun 7, 2007

It kinda depends...

For the hard to find stuff, I'll go to Freestyle, Badger, Keeble & Shuchat or Calumet. I distribute my film $ about equally between these guys.

For the everyday film - the stuff to feed the 35mm slr's - I'll go to Costco or even Walmart (if I'm feeling brave). I recently bought about twenty rolls of Tri-X from Best Buy! That was nice. Wish it would last.

Mike Wilde · Jun 8, 2007

from all over

Some of the film I actually buy ( like c-41 120 film in a bricks and mortar store. But most of it comes from other sources. In the last 3 years

I was given about 20 rolls of 100asa 35mm when my company went digital for its construction inpection photos.

I was given about 14 rolls of 120 60's era B&W from a camera store and lab closing, after I had bought a bunch of other stuff at the same time.

I have bought a number of 100' rolls of B&W old dated 35mm film in conjunction with bulk loaders in *bay deals over the years. The film still looks and tests good enough for my purposes even more than 5 years out of date.

I have bought 192 rolls of all types of 120 off a local pro via
*bay for under $100.

I have bought a case of 100 rolls of 400asa c-41 off a local ebay seller, mostly for my wife's point and shoot. I have also bought a couple of 100' rolls of short dated 100asa c41 via an olnine store sellung through the bay. The same film goes a long way to speeding up the printing when I print RA4.

People know that I still shoot film, and they also give me film, as well as cameras becuae they know that I recycle them to shooters interested in getting some knowledge of the analog side of photogrpahy.

jovo · Jun 8, 2007

Besides B&H, and Freestyle, I recently bought Delta 100 4x5 sheet film (2 boxes of 25) from The View Camera Store. They seemed very appreciative of the business, and they're an apug sponsor as well. Nice folks.

mjs · Jun 8, 2007

I buy locally if I can find what I need. Roll film is expensive in the two remaining local camera stores but many places still carry Tri-X in 35mm at decent prices. I can get 4x5 B&W sheet film locally for less than mail order with shipping, so I do that. I can't get 5x7 or 8x10 film locally, so I order it from Freestyle in Los Angeles.

Mike

copake_ham · Jun 8, 2007

Lately I've been buying fresh, but close-dated, print and slide film (35mm and 120) on eBay mainly from Hunt's Photo - but also some other sellers there.

I sometimes will grab a few rolls of "consumer grade" "F" or "K" film from Walgreens, CVS etc. if I'm going to a "snapshot" type of event like a family gathering.

DannL · Jun 8, 2007

Freestyle Photographic Supplies.

jasonjoo · Jun 8, 2007

I wonder if Freestyle has an actual walk-in store. It seems like they're one of the first choices for most APUG'ers, and seeing as I live near LA, I could easily stop by and pickup a few rolls without having to pay shipping.

I think I may just drop them a line!

Tom Hoskinson · Jun 8, 2007

My most recent film buy (this week) was at Freestyle via the internet. I've been buying film and paper, etc., from Freestyle for 40 - 50 years.

Tom Hoskinson · Jun 8, 2007

Yes, Freestyle has a walk-in store in LA/Hollywood. See their APUG advert.

I find it convenient to order from them by phone or internet. They do next-day Ground Shipment. If I need faster gratification, I drive to their store.

John Kasaian · Jun 8, 2007

Now a days its Badger Graphic for Kodak and Ilford. Freestyle for Efke and Arista/Foma-oid.

jasonjoo · Jun 8, 2007

Thanks for the info Tom. I'll probably drop by next weekend!

John, is there any particular reason why you choose between Badger and Freestyle based on film type? Is it because of price?

Where do you buy your film?

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