Ouch! This hurts!

[Drew Wiley]

Two hundred bucks ain't nuthin' these days. Take a look at 8x10 color film, which is now running around $40 per SHOT if you factor in processing. Well, I wisely froze a stash of that back when the pricing was far more realistic. Otherwise, you have to either be rich or shoot strategically. Enjoy the groundglass image, but don't insert the holder and trip the shutter unless you feel the image is truly worthy of a print. Then go on periodic format diets by resorting to 4X5 or roll film, if that works suitably for your purpose instead.

My favorite and most versatile black and white films happen to be of the TMax genus; so I have to follow the same rules there. But actually, once I do thaw out a box of 8x10, it takes me quite awhile to shoot it, since my age itself, now 74, means I've often go out with lighter gear these days. So I meter my 8x10 film usage, and probably have enough on hand to last me till I'm 80.

The down side of that custom is that we actually need wasteful film shooters if the manufacturing volume is going to stay steady or even rise, making that end of things more cost-efficient. We need to recruit some billionaires to this forum.

[gypsydog]

The down side of that custom is that we actually need wasteful film shooters if the manufacturing volume is going to stay steady or even rise, making that end of things more cost-efficient. We need to recruit some billionaires to this forum.

Problem is if sales greatly increase at these prices they will figure the can raise the prices. Especially old yellow.

[Michael R]

Two hundred bucks ain't nuthin' these days. Take a look at 8x10 color film, which is now running around $40 per SHOT if you factor in processing. Well, I wisely froze a stash of that back when the pricing was far more realistic. Otherwise, you have to either be rich or shoot strategically. Enjoy the groundglass image, but don't insert the holder and trip the shutter unless you feel the image is truly worthy of a print. Then go on periodic format diets by resorting to 4X5 or roll film, if that works suitably for your purpose instead.

My favorite and most versatile black and white films happen to be of the TMax genus; so I have to follow the same rules there. But actually, once I do thaw out a box of 8x10, it takes me quite awhile to shoot it, since my age itself, now 74, means I've often go out with lighter gear these days. So I meter my 8x10 film usage, and probably have enough on hand to last me till I'm 80.

The down side of that custom is that we actually need wasteful film shooters if the manufacturing volume is going to stay steady or even rise, making that end of things more cost-efficient. We need to recruit some billionaires to this forum.

We need George Tice to stay around. He’s probably one of the few large volume users of 8x10 Kodak film (though it was always TXP unless he has switched now), unless he’s moved away from Kodak now. I don’t know. Christopher Burkett used a ton of 8x10 TMX for masking but I’m not sure if he’s even photographing anymore given his stash of Ciba finally started to crap out some years ago.

[AuditorOne]

We need George Tice to stay around. He’s probably one of the few large volume users of 8x10 Kodak film (though it was always TXP unless he has switched now), unless he’s moved away from Kodak now. I don’t know. Christopher Burkett used a ton of 8x10 TMX for masking but I’m not sure if he’s even photographing anymore given his stash of Ciba finally started to crap out some years ago.

A few years back I did some 8x10 portraits at our little, local, Art in the Park event. I did it only one day and still used over 60 sheets of film. I could see someone who does that for a living going though a lot of large format film. I'm sure they use far more than I do on a regular basis and I can certainly "waste" my fair share of film.

[AuditorOne]

My favorite and most versatile black and white films happen to be of the TMax genus; so I have to follow the same rules there. But actually, once I do thaw out a box of 8x10, it takes me quite awhile to shoot it, since my age itself, now 74, means I've often go out with lighter gear these days. So I meter my 8x10 film usage, and probably have enough on hand to last me till I'm 80.

I do like TMAX films and shoot a lot of it in 35mm but I learned a long time ago that I could not afford to use it in 8x10 sheets very often if I intended to eat at the same time.

[Drew Wiley]

Machine gunners like Avedon with his assistants probably shot more 8x10 film for a single project than I will in my entire lifetime. But there are plenty or much more wealthy people around who could probably buy out Kodak itself with pocket change if they wanted to. Folks who can afford $40,000 apiece patio chairs wouldn't have any problem with film expense. I've known of some who went out and bought fifteen thousand dollars worth of brand new 8x10 gear for sake of a single workshop, and then rarely if ever used the camera again, and just left it in storage for years until they finally decided to get rid of it.

But more down to earth, I see regular people all the time walking around with 7 or 8 thousand dollars worth of DLSR hanging on their neck, but constantly chattering about wanting something even better - the newest thing coming onto the market - and all for what? Some web selfie with a few blurry elephant seals in the background?

[Peter Lewin]

With apologies, a slight switch from 8x10 film to 11x14 paper that reinforces that this is an expensive hobby. Yesterday realized I was down to my last 3 sheets of 11x14, and re-ordered this morning. This is not a rant, because luckily I can afford the costs of our hobby, and while I could economize by choosing a cheaper paper, I like my results on Ilford MGFB Classic. But even in 100 sheet boxes from B&H, it still comes close to $3/sheet, and it can easily take me 5 or more sheets to get to the print I want, so while nowhere near the cost of 8x10 color film, it reinforces that film photography is not an inexpensive passion.

[LabRat]

A sale of a few prints should offset material costs if one works wisely...

Steve K

[monochromeFan]

A sale of a few prints should offset material costs if one works wisely...

Steve K

And if someone is actually able to sell a print.

[monochromeFan]

Well, i would hate to see what a true 4x5 or 8x10 Digital Camera sensor would cost.. I have a feeling it would make Kodak sheet film look like 35mm foma prices.

For paper sizes i believe that your ability to process a given size of paper will always control your paper needs. If you cant process anythign larger then 11x14 at the current time, the staggering cost of 16x20 will be meaningless to you.