Colour LF photography in Australia too costly!!

[Gary Tarbert]

Hi , I am not sure if i am in the right area , Moderators move me. But as i looked through this looked like the right one , I have been shooting LF since 2005 and a member of this forum since 2006 .I have sold all my LF cameras , Reason i shoot mainly colour (spelt right)and the cost of processing in Australia has become cost prohibitive I am paying as long as i give 10 at a time $10 a sheet for 5x4 and that was even back when our dollar was worth more than the greenback. $15 for 5x8 and $20 for 8x10 again as long as 10 at a time if singles 12.50 5x4 $20 5x8 and $25 8x10 ,My lab was really good and she is a film shooter as well , but i have to admit a $300 bill for 20 shots(5x8 my favourite format) is becoming hard to explain to my wife , I do not have the capacity to process colour at home only5% of my work is B&W so it is much regret that i say i am no longer shooting LF .if i enjoyed USA pricing i would be here for a bit longer Which is correct me if i'm wrong from about $2.50 5x4 colour . . Cheers

[MDR]

Ever heard of home processing. Color processing is not really more difficult than B/W processing and the chemicals are cheaper. Give it a try or you better you should have given it a try.

[Jac@stafford.net]

Ever heard of home processing. Color processing is not really more difficult than B/W processing and the chemicals are cheaper. Give it a try or you better you should have given it a try.

I am sure Gary is aware of the home processing option. You do not know the constraints he faces. Your post is more about promoting yourself rather than something helpful to Gary.
.

[MDR]

Sorry should have read the original post more thoroughly

[Gary Tarbert]

Ever heard of home processing. Color processing is not really more difficult than B/W processing and the chemicals are cheaper. Give it a try or you better you should have given it a try.

Yes have done my own E6 not C41 but i believe that is easier , That is not an option for me at the moment . Cheers Gary

[cluttered]

I agree with Gary; colour LF *is* expensive if you have it done in a lab here in Australia. Maybe it's the same in other countries too?

I'm still looking for a decent Jobo system at a sane price, and if I manage to achieve that I'll start doing LF colour at home, but for now I'm using colour only in the smaller formats, all my LF work is B&W only.

[Andrew Plume]

Gary, hi

I realised from what you said earlier that you were having to give up LF work mainly because of time restraints - I hope that this doesn't mean that you will give up this medium permanently...........? There are options (of course), one of them being the 'baby Horseman system' where 6 x 9, say, can be shot on a metal Field which is pretty well a scaled down 4 x 5 - although I enjoy using 120 film, it's those movements which I need

good luck anyhow

regards
andrew

[Pete Watkins]

Roll film backs are a cheaper option.
That's what I use.
Pete.

[paulr]

I agree, last I checked here in NYC it came to $5 or $6 a click for 4x5. Just not feasible for me. Add to this that I much prefer inkjet prints to c-prints for color, so I'd have to take into account scanning costs. My desktop scanner does a great job with b+w large format, but is barely ok with color. I only keep the large format camera around in case I decide to do another b+w project someday.

[Noah A]

Yes, it's getting expensive. In the US it costs me about $7 per click, $4 for the film purchase at B&H and $3 for processing at LTI in New York.

I'm shooting more and more digital, since film is so expensive and I'd rather take more trips and do more work. After all, no one (outside of this forum, perhaps) really cares what format you shoot. Having to do more assignment work and shooting less personal work just to fund film purchases doesn't make sense to me.