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Thread: Man, Is Film Getting Hard To Find!

  1. #1

    Join Date
    Jul 2004
    Location
    Asheville NC
    Posts
    163

    Question Man, Is Film Getting Hard To Find!

    I really try to support my local camera stores. We have two very nice ones in Greater Asheville and up until recently I could count on finding fresh film at either. It was great because I could walk into either and have a choice of 4x5 transparency and almost always find Tri-X. This summer things have changed.

    Both have been out of Tri-X since May and I think I bought the last box of Provia in town yesterday. While I have a great source for professional E-6 developing here, it looks like there is nowhere in town anymore to process C-41 in 4x5 (or larger.)

    I can always go back to ordering online, but that was what drove me to the local stores in the first place. I would rather pay a bit more per sheet and have fresh film rather than film that is sixty days from expiration.

    How is it elsewhere. Are the mail order/online outlets our only hope?
    Bill McMannis

  2. #2

    Join Date
    Dec 2006
    Posts
    954

    Re: Man, Is Film Getting Hard To Find!

    I've had good luck on film from Freestyle, and rarely a problem with B&H. Even the larger local stores here have quite limited stocks of film. The future is mail order.

  3. #3

    Join Date
    Feb 2005
    Posts
    2,955

    Re: Man, Is Film Getting Hard To Find!

    Badger Graphics has fresh film, great service, immediate shipping and good prices. I dealt with them on numerous occasions and have always been fully satisfied:

    http://www.badgergraphic.com/store/cart.php

  4. #4

    Join Date
    Dec 2001
    Location
    San Joaquin Valley, California
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    9,599

    Re: Man, Is Film Getting Hard To Find!

    Isn't Ashville a college town? Fresno is and at least one store stocks 4x5 for students at the "U." Any other sheet formats however and it is a mail order proposition for me.

    I was at a Longs Drugs the other day (a big west coast outfit) and it looks like they are no longer selling 35mm film cameras, only digis so I imagine the retail film section will be gone soon---quite honestly they offer a pretty pathetic selection since they stopped carrying 120 a few years back and quite recently stopped carrying TriX. I wouldn't be the least bit surpirsed if Costco and Sam's Club quite selling film.

    Badger Graphic and Freestyle are my prime suppliers now for sheet film---fresh film at good prices, dated film for excellent prices. For 4x5 & most chemicals I still go to my local store though---I'll support them if they stock the stuff I want.
    "I would feel more optimistic about a bright future for man if he spent less time proving that he can outwit Nature and more time tasting her sweetness and respecting her seniority"---EB White

  5. #5
    Scott Davis
    Join Date
    May 2002
    Location
    Washington DC
    Posts
    1,875

    Re: Man, Is Film Getting Hard To Find!

    Mail order, baby. That's the way to go. The big houses (B&H, Freestyle, Calumet, Badger, Midwest Photo, Hunt's Photo & Video) turn over film very rapidly, so anything you want is almost always in stock and fresh. For the more exotic stuff (alt process chemistry, etc), it almost HAS to be mail order, unless you live in the same city as the producer.

  6. #6

    Join Date
    Jan 2007
    Location
    Sonora, California
    Posts
    1,475

    Re: Man, Is Film Getting Hard To Find!

    I get all of my sheet film from Badger and freestyle. Never have either of them given me anything at all to complain about.

  7. #7

    Join Date
    Sep 2003
    Location
    God's Country
    Posts
    2,080

    Re: Man, Is Film Getting Hard To Find!

    I buy the majority of my films from Jeff at Badger Graphics (Fuji Provia/Velvia/Astia) and B&W (FP4+/HP5+) from Rob Skeoch (www.bigcameraworkshops.com) in Canada.

    Nothing but positive experiences with both of these two sellers!

    The trick is to predict and plan your film needs... and to be proactive in your purchases.

    Cheers
    Life in the fast lane!

  8. #8
    Gary L. Quay's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2005
    Location
    Fairview, OR
    Posts
    567

    Re: Man, Is Film Getting Hard To Find!

    Here in Portland, OR, we still have a few stores that carry lots of film. Citizens Photo, Pro Photo Supply, Camera World, and Blue Moon Camera & Machine (a courageous, film-only camera store carving out a niche in North Portland). That said, I usually have to order my 4x5 film online, because I would have to special order it from the local stores. I get it from Digitaltruth.com and Freestyle. I've had no trouble whatsoever obtaining film.

    --Gary

  9. #9

    Join Date
    May 2006
    Location
    Kaneohe, Hawaii
    Posts
    1,390

    Re: Man, Is Film Getting Hard To Find!

    I'm used to ordering my film over the Internet. When I first moved here, almost 10 years ago, there was only one store on the island that carried Velvia in LF sizes. They went out of business about 4 years ago.

  10. #10
    Zebra
    Join Date
    Aug 2005
    Location
    Asheville, NC
    Posts
    564

    Re: Man, Is Film Getting Hard To Find!

    Bill,

    Can't help you with the film as I shoot big formats 7 x 17 and 20 x 24 so that is once a year mail order. I am however in West Asheville so if you ever want to tool around with the beasts pm me.

    continued success,

    btw nice site

    Monty

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