Australians purchasing film from overseas

**Leigh Perry** · 16-Nov-2003, 23:16

I want to buy the new Astia 100F in Quickloads. Apparently it will not be available in Australia -- at least in the short term.

Does anyone have experience buying Fuji film from overseas? Who from? Are there x-ray issues to worry about?

Thanks, Leigh

**Walter Glover** · 17-Nov-2003, 00:21

Leigh,

I order higher speed film and have it shipped to Sydney on a regular basis without incident. I have a Fed-Ex account and get the supplier (usually eithert B&H or the View Camera Store) to ship it on my account. I think one shipment of HP5+ from B&H came by post and it was defect free also.

**Leigh Perry** · 17-Nov-2003, 00:59

Walter, thanks. Does Fed-Ex x-ray its parcels with the same equipment that airline checked luggage is hit with? I would have imagined that parcels would still be scanned in some way...

**Walter Glover** · 17-Nov-2003, 03:27

As I understand it Fed Ex operates its own fleet of aeroplanes which are cargo only. I am led to believe that the serious zapping happens where passenger transit is concerned.

I have never had a problem thus far.

Plus, a firm like FedEx supplies a tracking number which facilitates monitoring the whereabouts of your shipment which is a handy add-on.

**Richard Rankin** · 17-Nov-2003, 06:19

I order film from time to time and haven't had any problems. I haven't ordered the Astia Quickloads, but have ordered a number of B&W films. I usually buy heaps while I'm in the States and carry it back with me on the plane, but still ship a fair bit. When buying sheet films, it was far more economical to buy the boxes of 8x10 film, ship them to my office in the States, put them in USPS Global Priority envelopes, and mail them to my self in Oz.

As to carriers - no carrier, at least when I phoned each of them earlier this year, will guarantee that your cargo will not be x-rayed. I have had mine sent USPS Global Priority, which is normally far cheaper than the other carriers and amazingly quick to Oz. But even when I've used air mail, the delivery times were fine. And, to date, I've never had any film damaged.

Cheers, Richard