Wow, I just saw a price of my (budget film that I get), and is now $50 more!!

[ericantonio]

Everything going up I guess!! Gas, groceries, hot air, taxes, whatever....

I buy film like once a year, bulk 35mm 100 footers, and box of 50 of budget 400 speed film. Wow, $50 since last September!!!

I was looking online and I thought, yah, I'll drive to LA and get a box and now zoinks, really? From $199 to $250.
My math ain't so good (so ain't my English, what can I say, I went to school in Brooklyn) but I think with my rudimentary skills, is that what? 25% increase?

Guess I won't be strapping in the old MD1/MD2 combo on my F2 and blow away through some film. I'm good for now with 1 or 2 shots of 8x10, make it count right?

At least, in my county, gas is now under $6.00. Yah, my neightborhood was $6.50 a month ago.

[SergeyT]

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-07-13/us-inflation-accelerates-to-9-1-once-again-exceeding-forecasts#:~:text=US%20CPI%20June%202022%3A%20Inflation,Once%20Again%20Exceeding%20Forecasts%20%2D%20Bloomberg

[darr]

I paid $3.80 a gallon for regular a few days ago at my home station in N. Florida.
I purchased bulk rolls of 120 Acros months ago when Adorama had a sale on short dated stock, and got lucky when they sent 20 of the rolls dated 2025.
Not so good for my favorite 4x5 Tri-X, so for now, cleaning out the freezer with whatever 4x5 film I have.
It is getting tough everywhere, but living in Florida seems to have been a better place to be after listening to my PA, CA and NJ friends/family talk.

Best to you.

[Michael R]

Chip shortage lol.

[Roger Cole]

Gas is $3.899 here. Nice to live in Georgia (or, from above, Florida) for that. Doesn't help with film though and, yeah, it's all way up. If you're looking for 35mm color print (I'm not, but I've read people who are then I checked) it's more like the price is way up IF you can find any.

[Drew Wiley]

Given the sheer quantity of refineries in this State, it's a bit hard to pin down some of the higher pricing; it sure isn't all added taxes. And what people tend to forget is that a hecka lot of petro refining goes to plastics, airplane fuel, road asphalt, diesel - all kinds of things besides gasoline. At least gas has come down about 75 cents per gal here since the 4th. Raising pricing over holidays is pretty much routine. Glad I made my last road trip when it was still around $4.00 per gallon; and I hope it will be cheaper in the Fall too. But with a real war going on and all kinds of pre-election political games too, I don't think there will be any bargain fuel for awhile. I remember "gas wars" as a kid when it was 19 cents a gallon.

Film? I need another box of 8x10 Portra 100 for making internegs. With processing, that's about $30 per sheet! Fortunately, going forward, I still have a decent stash of 8x10 Ektar in the freezer, bought at around one fourth the going rate. Plenty of B&W 8x10 film too. The nastiest price rise is in plexiglass needed for framing - itself obviously petrochem derived.

[ericantonio]

Film? I need another box of 8x10 Portra 100 for making internegs. With processing, that's about $30 per sheet! Fortunately, going forward, I still have a decent stash of 8x10 Ektar in the freezer, bought at around one fourth the going rate. Plenty of B&W 8x10 film too. The nastiest price rise is in plexiglass needed for framing - itself obviously petrochem derived.

$40 a piece!!!!! YIKES

I had no idea plexi glass was expensive. I see, its from oil I'm guessing?

We averaging about 5.80 now, and we have processing plants in Long Beach CA, not far from here. I have no idea how anything works.

[Drew Wiley]

Nearly all plastics, paints (including water-based acrylic), synthetic fabrics, and modern packaging, our vast road surfaces and majority of rooftops, is petroleum derived; all organic chemicals - pretty much everything that goes into film too, except the silver. Refiners are not charities, or very much concerned about additional layers of hardship under trying times. They're out to make a buck, and every extra penny they can squeeze out of us if they can, is exactly what they'll do. But now that we've gotta keep a sizable chunk of Europe afloat with energy, due to the war, I don't expect much drop in petro-related prices. It affects everything - manufacturing cost, distribution expense, point of purchase markup, just when we're trying to climb back up the ladder after the worst of a pandemic. Yell as loud as you want, but the only sound energy execs hear is the music of "ka-ching" of their own cash register. It can only be modulated on a competitive supply and demand basis, which they know how to game far better than we do. One less road trip for me this year.

Certainly not everything is sinister. At our huge local Chevron refinery complex, for example, a massive amount of R&D money is being spent on alternative energy sources; in their case, especially hydrogen fuel cell technology. I have a friend who works in that division, and it's expanding. Practically everything we touch and do iin modern society s somehow petro chemical related. As as for those who glibly say, "I'll just hand coat my own film" .... onto what, and with what??? - all that is still gonna be 90% petro industry dependent.

And I'll simply be more conservative shooting 8x10 color film, and shoot more 4x5 and 120 roll film instead. I never was a machine-gunner anyway. The other big hit to me personally is the current very high price of museum board. But I meter that out too. Where there's a will, there's a way.

[Roger Cole]

$3.599 here today, had been a while since I looked. Doesn't help the cost of film, though. :(

[Jim Andrada]

Just got a new vehicle. Didn't want a van but now I use power wheelchair i had no choice. Got a full size Ford Transit. Gas mileage is running 9 to 10 MPG. Figure 50 - 60 cents per mile.

[ericantonio]

Just got a new vehicle. Didn't want a van but now I use power wheelchair i had no choice. Got a full size Ford Transit. Gas mileage is running 9 to 10 MPG. Figure 50 - 60 cents per mile.

I used to have a junky old 1995 F150 tool truck (the kind that has the tool panels on the side, painted chalboard so kids can chalk on it). Something broken every weekend in the engine. I'll never buy another Ford V8 again. I was in that engine compartment and under the hood most weekends. That thing also got about 9-10 MGP. Fun to tool around and do errands but this was 5-6-7'ish years ago when gas wasn't that expensive considering.

These days, I kinda wish I kept it somewhere 'inopt' so I can dump another 5K into it for an electric conversion.

For those who aren't milk intolerant, I pay $9.99 for heavy cream to put in my coffee, where a few months ago, it was $6.99.

Yah, my next box of 100 8x10 better last me a while.

[Alan Klein]

Nearly all plastics, paints (including water-based acrylic), synthetic fabrics, and modern packaging, our vast road surfaces and majority of rooftops, is petroleum derived; all organic chemicals - pretty much everything that goes into film too, except the silver. Refiners are not charities, or very much concerned about additional layers of hardship under trying times. They're out to make a buck, and every extra penny they can squeeze out of us if they can, is exactly what they'll do. But now that we've gotta keep a sizable chunk of Europe afloat with energy, due to the war, I don't expect much drop in petro-related prices. It affects everything - manufacturing cost, distribution expense, point of purchase markup, just when we're trying to climb back up the ladder after the worst of a pandemic. Yell as loud as you want, but the only sound energy execs hear is the music of "ka-ching" of their own cash register. It can only be modulated on a competitive supply and demand basis, which they know how to game far better than we do. One less road trip for me this year.

Certainly not everything is sinister. At our huge local Chevron refinery complex, for example, a massive amount of R&D money is being spent on alternative energy sources; in their case, especially hydrogen fuel cell technology. I have a friend who works in that division, and it's expanding. Practically everything we touch and do iin modern society s somehow petro chemical related. As as for those who glibly say, "I'll just hand coat my own film" .... onto what, and with what??? - all that is still gonna be 90% petro industry dependent.

And I'll simply be more conservative shooting 8x10 color film, and shoot more 4x5 and 120 roll film instead. I never was a machine-gunner anyway. The other big hit to me personally is the current very high price of museum board. But I meter that out too. Where there's a will, there's a way.

Two boxes of 20- Velvia 50 4x5 just arrived expiring in late 2023. Into the freezer either to use later or keep as an investment for resale. :)

[Alan Klein]

Just got a new vehicle. Didn't want a van but now I use power wheelchair i had no choice. Got a full size Ford Transit. Gas mileage is running 9 to 10 MPG. Figure 50 - 60 cents per mile.

Have you checked with a tax advisor to see if any of that is deductible as a medical expense?

[Alan Klein]

Have you checked with a tax advisor to see if any of that is deductible as a medical expense?

Also, check state vs Federal as the rules are often different.

[Jim Andrada]

The $20k+ it took to make the mods to the vehicle are deductible. The vehicle isn't. Although since at least half the miles we drive are to doctors and dentists the medical miles are deductible at a standard rate.

[Alan Klein]

The $20k+ it took to make the mods to the vehicle are deductible. The vehicle isn't. Although since at least half the miles we drive are to doctors and dentists the medical miles are deductible at a standard rate.

What I found interesting where I live in NJ is that while the Federal tax requires 7 1/2% of income before you can take medical and dental deductions, in NJ it starts after 2 1/2%.

[Axelwik]

Just got a new vehicle. Didn't want a van but now I use power wheelchair i had no choice. Got a full size Ford Transit. Gas mileage is running 9 to 10 MPG. Figure 50 - 60 cents per mile.
One would think that gas mileage would be better with the newer Transit than an older Econoline. My 22 year old Econoline E350 camper van with its 5.4 V8 gets between 13.5 and 17 MPG, depending on how and where it's driven. I just returned from a 2500 mile loop through the western US - in Colorado at high elevation was getting more than 16, and near sea level with the pedal to the metal and AC blowing got 13.5.

And yeah, film prices are through the roof. Talking with a friend who's been in the camera/film retail business for 4 decades, he thinks film has been under-priced for the past 20 years and it's now just catching up.

[domaz]

One would think that gas mileage would be better with the newer Transit than an older Econoline. My 22 year old Econoline E350 camper van with its 5.4 V8 gets between 13.5 and 17 MPG, depending on how and where it's driven. I just returned from a 2500 mile loop through the western US - in Colorado at high elevation was getting more than 16, and near sea level with the pedal to the metal and AC blowing got 13.5.

And yeah, film prices are through the roof. Talking with a friend who's been in the camera/film retail business for 4 decades, he thinks film has been under-priced for the past 20 years and it's now just catching up.

That does seem low for a new Ford Transit. I have a friend who has a transit and built out a simple camping setup inside. Says he gets around 14.