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View Full Version : Man, Is Film Getting Hard To Find!



Bill McMannis
16-Aug-2007, 17:13
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?

Toyon
16-Aug-2007, 17:30
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.

Ron Marshall
16-Aug-2007, 18:16
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

John Kasaian
16-Aug-2007, 18:18
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.

Scott Davis
16-Aug-2007, 18:31
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.

BradS
16-Aug-2007, 20:28
I get all of my sheet film from Badger and freestyle. Never have either of them given me anything at all to complain about.

Capocheny
16-Aug-2007, 21:57
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

Gary L. Quay
16-Aug-2007, 22:38
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

roteague
16-Aug-2007, 23:51
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.

Monty McCutchen
17-Aug-2007, 04:53
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

Joseph O'Neil
17-Aug-2007, 05:14
I have three stores in my city that *might* physically carry a single box, or even two boxes of one brand, one speed of B&W film in 4x5.

Yes, i think mail order is the way to go. Here in Canada, Rob Skeoch or Eight Elm Camera have both been excellent to deal with

joe

j.e.simmons
17-Aug-2007, 05:49
The last store here carries almost nothing film related - a little 35mm and a little Ilford RC paper. I asked about the lack of stock and was quickly told that if it were not for the local schools, they wouldn't bother to carry what they do carry. I asked about ordering, since they are Ilford dealers, and the price they quoted me for Ilford paper was almost double what B&H charges. I'd be willing to pay a bit of a premium to help them stay in business, but not that much of one. They are obviously interested only in competing with Best Buy for the digital market, so the Internet folks get my business.
juan

Michael Mutmansky
17-Aug-2007, 10:00
One of the best places to get sheet film at good prices is Penn Camera in the Washington DC area. They have had good prices on 4x5 and QL film, and they also have typically offered free shipping on orders over $200 if I remember correctly.

I typically order a case of film at a time from them for B&W, and individual boxes of the rest. They don't always have everything in stock, but they are good about communication and will get the product to you. They are also a 'local' store in the DC area, so while they aren't necessarily local to you, you are supporting a legitimate local shop.

I've heard recently that they may carry less 4x5, so I'd love for more people to buy from them to encourage them to stock it into the future.


---Michael

Scott Davis
17-Aug-2007, 10:14
Penn camera has also recently discontinued processing of 120 at all but one location now. Which is a shame, because they did a good job with the C-41 120. Now the best bet for LF processing in the DC area is Chrome lab in Georgetown.

Ted Harris
17-Aug-2007, 11:38
If what you want is local availability you should be able to walk into your local store (or call them) and have them order film for you. I used to do taht with Concord Camera in Concord, NH. I paid too mcuh and sometimes it took longer than mail order to get but it was local.

John Powers
20-Aug-2007, 07:17
Dodds, the professional photography shop of the largest multi-store photo retailer in Cleveland, started carrying one box of T Max 100 to service any and all 4x5 shooters in northern Ohio about three years ago. The day I discovered that I bought my first supplies from B&H. Last week a box of T Max 400 8x10 arrived amongst two large cartons of supplies from B&H. No sense giving the rest of the order to Dodds if they won’t stock the film. The expiration date on this box is 12/09, a bit more than your 60 day concern. The 7x17 and the freezer get fed once a year with Ilford from the ViewCamera store until we find some way to get T Max 400 or Ilford produces that 3200 they talked about at APUG Toronto.

I love the waterfalls just south of you in Brevard, Transylvania County. I guess I’ll just have to pack in film on my Toyota mule.

John

gregstidham
20-Aug-2007, 15:56
Now the best bet for LF processing in the DC area is Chrome lab in Georgetown.
I just had 40 sheets done by Chrome in Georgetown last June and they said they still get lots of film to develop. Maybe it was just their PR talking, but I got the feeling they still have a pretty good amount of E6 work coming in.

As far as finding film-
I order everything one month in advance. The days of wandering into a camera store and picking up some film is over in my opinion. Now I know how the ULF photographers feel. :)

Don Wallace
21-Aug-2007, 08:41
The larger stores in Ottawa, Canada, will special order LF film, but they stock almost nothing. Not even a lot of 120 film. I highly recommend Rob Skeoch for b&w. Nice guy and really on the ball. 8 Elm is good too. I laugh at the big pro sites, like Henry's or Vistek. They all have the same site software and its almost impossible to find what you want. Rob's site is so straightforward. Now if we can just talk him into getting colour film...

There are also some good labs in Ottawa. All the retail at Ginn Photo got taken over by Vistek, but the Ginn family still runs the lab and it does damn good work. There is also Proulx Brothers, and, I think, a few more.

After hearing all the tales of woe about labs closing down elsewhere, I am counting my blessings here in Ottawa.

Michael Jones
21-Aug-2007, 09:41
I just call Fred or Dennis at the View Camera Store. He has always has my B&W film in stock (including my 14x17). Good luck.

Mike

Bill McMannis
21-Aug-2007, 10:04
Thanks for the comments and suggestions.

Iris, where I get my E-6 processed, just got in a nice supply of 4x5 transparency film. (I do wish it showed up a couple days sooner.) I also ordered some Tri-X when I was in. I prefer to buy from them or Ball Photo (another local store) if possible.

I guess I simply need to stockpile film so I do not get caught short if an opportunity comes along.

Thanks again.
Bill

Robert Hughes
23-Aug-2007, 10:23
I just had 40 sheets done by Chrome in Georgetown last June and they said they still get lots of film to develop. Maybe it was just their PR talking, but I got the feeling they still have a pretty good amount of E6 work coming in.

As far as finding film-
I order everything one month in advance. The days of wandering into a camera store and picking up some film is over in my opinion. Now I know how the ULF photographers feel. :)
I've had E-6 processed by both Chrome and Penn in the last month. Penn (Rockville) sends out for proecessing, but it's only one extra day.