Slave to the brand or cheapest price?

[SamReeves]

Vote your conscience. What's more important? Getting the same trusted big name brand every time? Or looking for the cheapest price?

I'm getting to the point now where a big brand name just doesn't mean too much to me anymore. Especially since I'm shooting less film than I was ten years ago. The prices on the big brands have skyrocketed, and I've said to heck with it. I've found out that big brands like Kodak can make inconsistent paper or film. Then recently I've found out the cheapo Arista stuff is just fine. Loyalty really doesn't pay anymore.

What say you?

[Bob Salomon]

I think you are confused. Kodak is a manufacturer of paper, film, inks, chemistry, etc.

Arista is the private label name used by a camera store in LA. Their product can change manufacturers at any time and still have the same name.

To do what you are trying to do you should compare stuff either all under the manufacturer's name; Kodak, Ilford, Lucky, etc. or compare all private label branded products like Arista.

[dsphotog]

I look for a quality product, at the lowest price.... I try to buy larger packages, to lower the cost per sheet.

If a product is inferior, it's no bargain.

Just to clarify... I like Arista film too.

[BrianShaw]

BS and DS are right. That's what I say!

[Scotty230358]

I have voted for the brand name because I look for consistent quality from batch to batch. I am an Ilford user and have complete confidence in their products. In nearly 30 years of photographing I can't recall any time when I bought a "dud" from Ilford. That said their first attempt at Multigrade when they introduced it in the late 70s/early 80's was not their finest hour.

[gevalia]

I consider this poll ridiculously vague and not worth the effort.

[Gem Singer]

The best quality for the best price.

Why would anyone want to pay a high price for junk?

[Bob Salomon]

The best quality for the best price.

Why would anyone want to pay a high price for junk?

You are assuming that they would know it is junk. Many people who don't do. That's why the factories that make junk can remain in business.

[Andrew O'Neill]

I am more concerned with a film's characteristics than price or brand.

[Robert Hughes]

What a weird survey. Do you wear red socks, or green socks - or do you ride a bicycle?

[Robert Hughes]

BS and DS are right. That's what I say!
That's not saying that all BS says is BS... :rolleyes:

[Scott Davis]

The only inconsistency I found in the Arista.EDU Ultra product was its availability - it has now been (temporarily) suspended until and if Foma can find a new supplier for a critical component of the film. I used it extensively when it was available and had no problems at all, regardless of price, so I was very happy to use it at its discount price. I'm now switching to Ilford because it is for the most part cheaper than Kodak. So to answer the question the best I can, I use the least expensive product I can get a consistent, quality result from. Consistency and reliability are more important than brand loyalty, but I will stick to a particular product until it no longer meets my needs, including but not exclusively, budgetary.

[Bruce Watson]

Not only am I a slave to a brand, I'm a slave to a particular product.

What I want is a modern (T-grain) film, fast (in the range of 400 ISO), in 5x4. That lets out Ilford and Fuji, and all Kodak products but TMY-2. I'm quite happy with it. Cost is around $1.34 USD / sheet.

That's expensive until I calculate the cost of making a photo trip. Then it becomes meaningless compared to the expense of getting there, staying there, and eating there. So I don't let the cost of film worry me too much.

Unfortunately, the cost of photo trips is so high these days that I make relatively few. So I use considerably less film than I did six or seven years ago. Which of course serves to reduce the volume of sales and therefore increases the cost of the film. Sigh...

[IanMazursky]

Im more a slave to the medium then a brand or price as my credit card bills can attest.
I love Kodak, Fuji and Ilford products. I have also used off brands like ERA, Shanghai and some 20-60 year old film.
The look of the off brands sometimes really works, its not your everyday emulsion but for special occasions i whip it out.
The variations in the quality, coatings, hair and fingerprints add something to certain images that i find appealing.
I don't buy it for the cheap price, in the end with shipping its not that cheap.

On the other hand 12x20 TriX from the 70's is fantastic, and 12x20 HP5 from 5 or 6 years ago is better then new. I like the way it ages.
Cant put a price on that, oh wait i can $250 a box and time....

[Wade D]

I use brand names. Ilford and Kodak being my 2 favorites. If I find that an Arista film is indeed one of those then I buy the Arista.

[Hector.Navarro]

I have used kodak & ilford film and it's great, but expensive to the point that I can barely afford it. Today received 3 boxes of Adox CHS 50 and will try it out. Nevertheless I will continue to use TXP & HP5 when photographing people, but for everything else I may go with Adox-Efke-Foma-Arista.

[John Bowen]

Do you also buy the cheapest lenses??

When I consider the cost of a Ritter 7x17 camera, 9 7x17 film holders, Ries J-8 Tripod and J-250 head, 4 lenses that cover 7x17, custom bag for the film holders, custom dark cloth for the 7x17, Harrison film changing tent, light meter, SUV to carry all the above, fuel, motels, meals and time away from the family, some how the $10/sheet of 7x17 TMY never seems to bother me.

Let's face it, most of us don't spend as much time in the field as we would like. When I can steal some time to photograph, I sure as hell don't want to return home to find my film was defective!!!!! I'll continue to purchase Kodak B&W film until they decide to stop making it, then and only then, will I check out other films. Testing films is a PITA and since I've found something that works for me, I'll keep on using it until they pull the plug (that could be on Kodak or Me!!)

The only thing worse than paying a high price for film, it not paying ANY price for film. Why, because it is no longer available. We all lament discontinued products, but if we don't support our favorite products they WILL be discontinued.

OK, I'm off my soapbox...

YMMV

[Daniel Stone]

price and product are both to my liking when shooting efke 100 in 35mm-8x10.

tmy-2 is nice too, but that's really all I use for rollfilm(35mm and 120). being that is 2x as expensive as the efke, that's the major thing for me.

-Dan

[IanG]

I think you are confused. Kodak is a manufacturer of paper, film, inks, chemistry, etc.

I think your confused Bob LD.

Kodak doesn't manufacture papers at all for the B&W market, nor do they manufacture chemistry. Champion manufacture chemistry with a Kodak label on it.

Kodak have always bought in some lines even going as far back as the early 1900's but usually they then bought out the companies, Wratten being a prime example. These days they are divesting and subcontracting.

Ian

[John Kasaian]

I'll use what makes me happy :D

[Peter Gomena]

Given the precious small amount of time I have to devote to photography, I will choose a brand-name film rather than a "bargain" brand. I need consistent quality. It's not worth the risk to me to save a couple of bucks.

Peter Gomena

[SamReeves]

I think you are confused. Kodak is a manufacturer of paper, film, inks, chemistry, etc.

Arista is the private label name used by a camera store in LA. Their product can change manufacturers at any time and still have the same name.

To do what you are trying to do you should compare stuff either all under the manufacturer's name; Kodak, Ilford, Lucky, etc. or compare all private label branded products like Arista.

A little jealous that Arista's cutting into your business with perfectly good products? Arista gives you clues from which brand it is when they list their products, so it's not that hard to figure out.


Do you also buy the cheapest lenses??

When I consider the cost of a Ritter 7x17 camera, 9 7x17 film holders, Ries J-8 Tripod and J-250 head, 4 lenses that cover 7x17, custom bag for the film holders, custom dark cloth for the 7x17, Harrison film changing tent, light meter, SUV to carry all the above, fuel, motels, meals and time away from the family, some how the $10/sheet of 7x17 TMY never seems to bother me.

Let's face it, most of us don't spend as much time in the field as we would like. When I can steal some time to photograph, I sure as hell don't want to return home to find my film was defective!!!!! I'll continue to purchase Kodak B&W film until they decide to stop making it, then and only then, will I check out other films. Testing films is a PITA and since I've found something that works for me, I'll keep on using it until they pull the plug (that could be on Kodak or Me!!)

The only thing worse than paying a high price for film, it not paying ANY price for film. Why, because it is no longer available. We all lament discontinued products, but if we don't support our favorite products they WILL be discontinued.

OK, I'm off my soapbox...

YMMV

Yes, I do look for the best priced lenses. If a Nikkor's going for less than a Schnieder, I'll hit that buy button. I see no reason to spend more cash on a lens that has similar characteristics.

I got a box of Ilford's sheet film a couple of years ago, and from the land of supposed support of B&W photography. The $80 box of HP5 was pretty inconsistent in terms of development, and would always end up with drying marks. It didn't matter how much I changed my methods, or my final rinse solution to rid of the inconsistencies.

Then I tried a box of $50 box of Arista film which gave me no grief, and developed much more consistently than the Ilford brand name. My reaction was "why the hell did I go through all this pain to make a supposed big brand name live up to its standard?" I tossed the half full Ilford box into the garbage can. Having stuff that doesn't work is a waste of time. This happens to the big manufacturers more often now, than the guys who are selling private label. Just my opinion.


I'll use what makes me happy :D

LOL, best reponse so far!

[healyzh]

I have to concur that this is a very strange poll. I don't even think I can place a vote.

When I shoot 4x5, I typically use Ilford FP-4+. There are two reasons for this, when I got my first 4x5 camera, this was the cheapest film I could buy locally. Secondly I love the results it gives me.

I'd like to give Fuji Acros 100 a try, but it's way to expensive in my opinion.

When I'm shooting 35mm or 120, I shoot whichever film seems applicable to what I'm doing. I use either Ilford, Kodak, or Fuji, and I typically go with the nicer types of film (I look at quality, not price). I only use the cheapest 35mm or 120 when testing out a new camera.

[Bob Salomon]

"A little jealous that Arista's cutting into your business with perfectly good products? Arista gives you clues from which brand it is when they list their products, so it's not that hard to figure out."

Maybe you should take a look at our web site www.hpmarketingcorp.com before you add worthless comments and see what we sell. Then your comment could make some sense.

[jvo]

The best quality for the best price.

Why would anyone want to pay a high price for junk?



--- or pay a lower price for junk!!!

[John Kasaian]

It is horses for courses. Ilford and Kodak have some remarkable benefits and when a subject calls for it I'll use those brands. Arista enables me to shoot more for less $$ with perfectly acceptable results but when reciprocity raises it's ugly head I'll shoot with a more appropriate film. I also find uses for ortho film as well and when speed is an issue I'll opt for the more pricey and blazingly fast 25 ISO Efke or Adox ;)
over the 4 ISO APHS. Ideally I'd prefer to stick with one brand of film/developer combo for simplification but those days I'm afraid are pretty much over since Kodak goosed the prices and cut back to 10 sheet boxes. The effort spent on 'learning" a couple of extra emulsions came as a result of the series of materials shortages from both Ilford and Kodak a while back, so dusting off my old notes was no big deal, nor was ramping up for Arista/Foma since the generous and affordible 50 sheet boxes of Arista .eduUltra gave me plenty film to play around with.:)

[Daniel_Buck]

a mix between price and brand. but more so, price and quality, regardless of brand.

[Rui Morais de Sousa]

There were times when I bought each month, at least, between 500 to 600 Euros of film: 35mm, 120 and sheet. I had enough work, so I didn't care. Mostly I bought Kodak.
Then it all changed, digital came, the big crisis came, clients take longer and longer to pay (when they pay...), magazines pay less and less (or don't pay!), there is always a cheaper fellow down there (maybe won't even charge to get in the market...), etc., etc.
In the same time prices have enormously gone up, delivery is getting worse and worse...
So, of course, my policy and habits had to change too, as I am not a rich man.
When a client, about two years ago, asked if I still could do him a reproduction from a painting in 8x10, I was clever enough to say that I had to see first. I asked to learn that I had to order a minimum quantity of ten boxes (100 sheets) for 1.500 Euros. Of course, I had to turn down, or how much I would have to charge for that reproduction?
Then I ordered some 4x5 T-Max in vain. I am still waiting for the film, after some years...
(I am sure that if I put the order again, I will have to go through the minimum quantity story again...). Then I started paying 8 Euros for each 35mm Tri-X, even if I bought ten or twenty a time.
Wait a minute! It's nice to support manufacturers for sure, but when do they support me? Along the years I have for sure given same large thousend Euros to Kodak (film, chemicals, etc), I can't remember even to get a "thank you".
So I started looking for alternatives, and happily found some: I think that Fomapan 100 in sheetfilm is wonderful and very atractive priced. Inconsistent? Maybe a little in the sky and similar areas, but so were the others too!
Yes, I know it doesn't come packed in fancy boxes with eye-catching colors, but it comes in 50 modest boxes, easily obtainable in a variety of formats without minimum orders. What can I ask more? Guess what? I am photographing a lot more in 13x18/5x7 and 8x10, my Gandolfi is happy to be out in the sunshine again...
People in the forums should stop thinking that the world is all over the same, and that the "Big" ones are always the better ones. Very often if they can't "eat" you no longer, they just drop you! I think that we, analogue photographers, have come to a time when we have to start thinking free from mythus. Maybe it is time for us to start supporting some smaller companies, or we may soon wake up in the middle of a nightmare... Loyalty yes, for sure, but it must work both ways, and we must analyse to whom we should give it.
It is like a wedding: it must be rewarding for both sides or it is worthless and we better divorce...
Cheers,
Rui
AL-MOST-LY PHOTOGRAPHY (http://ruimoraisdesousa.blogspot.com/)