Ordering from Kodak?

[Ari]

Hi,
Availability of Kodak colour neg films in Canada is scarce.
Shipping and Customs fees for Canada are usually outrageous.

I'd like to know if I can, say, order my Ektar 4x5 or Portra 4x5 directly from Kodak.

And, if so, would anybody, even outside Canada, like to purchase as a group?

I'd like to know your thoughts on this.

Thanks in advance.

[Mark Sampson]

Kodak will only sell to you through a dealer. Even the group buys for special-order sizes have to go through a dealer (e.g. Keith Canham). Sadly, their bureaucracy has not gotten smaller as the company has downsized.

[Brian C. Miller]

A while back when Portra was new, I offered to send some to a forum member up north. Just chuck some in the mail, and off it goes. He objected, citing concerns over customs and taxes, etc. We joked about being busted for being busted for running a film smuggling ring.

AFAIK, the closest that Kodak comes to people buying directly from it would be through its website store, and sheet film isn't a big seller there.

Now, I know that Cuban cigars can be brought into the US through Canada, for personal use only. Is there something similar that should allow film to travel north?

[Scott Walker]

Now, I know that Cuban cigars can be brought into the US through Canada, for personal use only. Is there something similar that should allow film to travel north?

Don't think so, I was asked the usual question at the border about tobacco, alcohol etc. and replied that I had cigars. The question was asked, are they Cuban and I replied that they were. I was informed that it was a criminal offense to bring them into the country. My plea was that it was my understanding that I could bring a few for my personal use. Fortunately I was very polite and I was not trying to conceal anything and came with full disclosure so I was given the option to destroy them and discard them in the garbage or return to Canada and get rid of them before crossing the border. I chose the second option and when I passed through Canadian Customs I had to explain why I was turned around at US Customs. The guy at the Canadian Customs office explained it to me very well, he said "You realize an American Citizen can't bring Cuban cigars into their own country, what the hell makes you think they would allow a Canadian to?"

[Allen in Montreal]

.........

AFAIK, the closest that Kodak comes to people buying directly from it would be through its website store, and sheet film isn't a big seller there.

Now, I know that Cuban cigars can be brought into the US through Canada, for personal use only. Is there something similar that should allow film to travel north?

The standard MO for US visitors to Montreal is buy Cubans, cut of the labels, and claim they are Dominican. :)

The CDN Kodak store is out of stock of the 2 films they list!
Don't kill yourselves gents! If you stock it, someone might actually buy it and they would have to go thru the trouble of shipping it!

Ari,

B+H now ships right to your door, taxes with held in NYC, huge discounts on the Purolator fees in exchange for with holding taxes at point of sale. No duty on US made film.

I have used them a lot since they cut a deal with the feds, they are really great to deal with on the mail order side of the shop. We don't really have much of a choice anymore.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/759411-USA/Kodak_1710516_4_x_5_Portra.html

[Ari]

Ari,

B+H now ships right to your door, taxes with held in NYC, huge discounts on the Purolator fees in exchange for with holding taxes at point of sale. No duty on US made film.

I have used them a lot since they cut a deal with the feds, they are really great to deal with on the mail order side of the shop. We don't really have much of a choice anymore.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/759411-USA/Kodak_1710516_4_x_5_Portra.html

I usually get from B&H, too, Allen; as it happens, they were out of Ektar, which prompted my original post, as well as a day spent on the phone trying to find film.
I finally found some in Toronto, a nice place called FilmPlus.
I'm starting to feel the brunt of these film shortages.

[Allen in Montreal]

I usually get from B&H, too, Allen; as it happens, they were out of Ektar, which prompted my original post, as well as a day spent on the phone trying to find film.
I finally found some in Toronto, a nice place called FilmPlus.
I'm starting to feel the brunt of these film shortages.

Sorry Ari, I did not get that from the first post, :(

Thanks for the Film Plus tip, I had not heard of them, good to have another resource!