Sources of film, aka where to buy!

JeffHaynes

JeffHaynes

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Apart from the Bay of Flea, are there any decent on-line (or bricks and mortar) places that members would recommend to buy film from?

I have quite a few Poundland 200s and 400s on my shelf (or should they be in the 'fridge), but I like to try other brands....
 
Boots still sell film in some of their larger stores and the big supermarkets sometimes have a few rolls in stock. I got most of my stock from 7dayshop.com, AG Photographic or through the classifieds on here. I think Aperture also sell film, as do Ffordes.
 
There's a place in Manchester that sells lots of Ilford stuff, not just films but dev chems as well. Its called Fred Aldous, I'm not sure how prices compare to other places though.
 
I've been using Calumet for fresh film purchases recently; they have a location just down the street from me, so I can order online and then just pick up in store, saving on delivery costs. I bought a bunch of film from them in July as they had 10% off their entire range of film.

Other than them, I just google around to see who has the best price going, as prices have fluctuated a bit recently and there's really no one single place that's best.
 
i generally use Silverprint as its only a couple of stops on the tube for a lunchtime visit. Without the P&P charge theyre cheap enough. 7dayshop are good if youre in no rush as theyre not the fastest to deliver.
 
Many of the recommendations in this thread here are still valid and are worth having a look. In general, it really does pay to shop around - lots of price variations.

Also have a look for places that might be local - they may have a slightly more expensive price for each roll, but saving on delivery is usually worth it.
 
Where ever I can get the best deal, so this can include; Amazon, Calumet, 7Dayshop and AG. These are where the current fridge stock originated.
 
I've just gone round the online shops I use to refresh the prices in my little spreadsheet. Huge variations from last time, and between the stores. Eg Ektar (which I have yet to try) is £4.98 from AG and over £7 in some stores. And a brick of Portra 400 costs £30 at Calumet, but over £35 everywhere else (whereas a brick of Portra 160 also costs £30 at Calumet but £27.29 at 7dayshop's fleabay store). As mentioned, delivery costs of up to £6 are a real problem, and stock can be a problem in some physical shops (very annoyed when I trekked over to a Calumet for Portra and they only had 120... the examples above all 35mm).
 
ChrisR said:
I've just gone round the online shops I use to refresh the prices in my little spreadsheet. Huge variations from last time, and between the stores. Eg Ektar (which I have yet to try) is £4.98 from AG and over £7 in some stores. And a brick of Portra 400 costs £30 at Calumet, but over £35 everywhere else (whereas a brick of Portra 160 also costs £30 at Calumet but £27.29 at 7dayshop's fleabay store). As mentioned, delivery costs of up to £6 are a real problem, and stock can be a problem in some physical shops (very annoyed when I trekked over to a Calumet for Portra and they only had 120... the examples above all 35mm).
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If you order it online at Calumet and select to pick it up from the shop, they'll usually have whatever you need in within 2-3 days if they've not already got it (they'll contact you shortly after ordering if it's not currently in stock at the shop). Not as convenient I know, but at least then you're guaranteed to get it and don't get hit with a delivery fee. I don't actually have a local Calumet shop, but their MK warehouse is nearby and I can select to pick it up from there (and their prices are really good on some films).
 
abdoujaparov said:
If you have any way of easily sharing that, I'd love to see it. If you could make it a shared Google Doc, all the better!
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I did think of sharing it as a Google Doc (or whatever that's called these days), like the handy dev price estimator, but the prices change so much it would be impossible to keep up to date. I'm not sure the postage prices are wholly accurate, and the selection of films is purely those I'm interested in.

I've just printed to PDF so I'll try the upload feature I see in the edit box! Oh, it needs to be a JPEG... Try again...View attachment 18393
 
steveo_mcg said:
Wouldn't hurt to share it @ChrisR crowd source the updates.
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I wasn't sure this would work, if you added a few more films and the 120 equivalents, and maybe other folks preferred suppliers. Plus, I don't know how to share a Google Doc so that just the trusty fusties can update it, and not the nasties who want to overwrite it with porn links. That's why I decided to lock down the base data for the nifty dev estimator and update it myself.

Feels to me this is the kind of thing some of us might want to do for our own choices of film and supplier. What do others thnk?
 
Is there a way of moderating a google doc so that only approved updates appear or only a few people can update it? That would be best of both worlds.
 
ChrisR said:
I wasn't sure this would work, if you added a few more films and the 120 equivalents, and maybe other folks preferred suppliers. Plus, I don't know how to share a Google Doc so that just the trusty fusties can update it, and not the nasties who want to overwrite it with porn links. That's why I decided to lock down the base data for the nifty dev estimator and update it myself.

Feels to me this is the kind of thing some of us might want to do for our own choices of film and supplier. What do others thnk?
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You can select rw only for selected users and members can pm to be added to the list.
 
steveo_mcg said:
You can select rw only for selected users and members can pm to be added to the list.
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OK, would those willing to edit a simple spreadsheet of film costs please PM me? If there are a few I'll upload my spreadsheet... if I'm specially moved I'll put the base data on a sheet locked for the participants to update, and put a simple form on the front as I did with the handy estimator...
 
ChrisR said:
OK, would those willing to edit a simple spreadsheet of film costs please PM me? If there are a few I'll upload my spreadsheet... if I'm specially moved I'll put the base data on a sheet locked for the participants to update, and put a simple form on the front as I did with the handy estimator...
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I've probably got a load of data on my computer in the office I can add too.
 
ChrisR said:
OK, would those willing to edit a simple spreadsheet of film costs please PM me? If there are a few I'll upload my spreadsheet... if I'm specially moved I'll put the base data on a sheet locked for the participants to update, and put a simple form on the front as I did with the handy estimator...
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Having had a couple of offers, I've uploaded the simple film cost spreadsheet, with both @steveo_mcg and @abdoujaparov able to edit, and others able to view via the link.

EDIT: I thought better not add any fancy complexity at this stage, give the others a chance to add some data. plus it's not so simple when you have prices for 1, 5 and 10 of some films!
 
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Only camera shops local to me are calumet and a guy taking the micky. So I go where ever it's cheapest...
 
@ChrisR give me a couple of days to collate my various sources.

Also is it worth having separate tabs for 35mm and 120 sizes?
 
I just ordered some film and dev chemicals from Nik and Flick, they do regular film as well as some rare ones they've produced themselves. Can't wait to try out the Kodak Vision 50 (made from motion picture film). Order turned up very quickly.
 
"bricks & mortar" ??

I dunno where there are any now that Jessops are bust.

I mean, as already mentioned theres a place in Manchesterfordshire, London, Brumland, Cornwall and probably a few other places but unless they're local to you, it hardly matters whether they supply over the counter or not, you're not gonna drive 50+ miles for the experience.
I feel kinda fortunate to have a good pro lab on my doorstep, unfortunately they don't sell film.
I used to like going in to jessops and asking the counter girl for 120 film, she'd look at me like I was nuts and out of politeness ask the shop manager, who'd go on to pull some out of a draw she didn't know even existed...lol
jessops always had 120 film
 
thecornflake said:
I just ordered some film and dev chemicals from Nik and Flick, they do regular film as well as some rare ones they've produced themselves. Can't wait to try out the Kodak Vision 50 (made from motion picture film). Order turned up very quickly.
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Is that not Nik and Trick? NTphotoworks? Top notch guys if it is, some great advice from them too.
I've had my fixer arrive today, along with a packet of D76 and, totally accidentally ordered, two rolls of film :D
 
joxby said:
"bricks & mortar" ??

I dunno where there are any now that Jessops are bust.

I mean, as already mentioned theres a place in Manchesterfordshire, London, Brumland, Cornwall and probably a few other places but unless they're local to you, it hardly matters whether they supply over the counter or not, you're not gonna drive 50+ miles for the experience.
I feel kinda fortunate to have a good pro lab on my doorstep, unfortunately they don't sell film.
I used to like going in to jessops and asking the counter girl for 120 film, she'd look at me like I was nuts and out of politeness ask the shop manager, who'd go on to pull some out of a draw she didn't know even existed...lol
jessops always had 120 film
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I'm not sure how much 120 film they're selling nowadays, but you do know that a good number of the Jessops stores did reopen, right? Their online shop still sold film the last time I looked.

I've never actually used them for film at any time, however, preferring Calumet instead for in-person purchases.
 
skysh4rk said:
I'm not sure how much 120 film they're selling nowadays, but you do know that a good number of the Jessops stores did reopen, right? Their online shop still sold film the last time I looked.

I've never actually used them for film at any time, however, preferring Calumet instead for in-person purchases.
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Yeah a few did reopen, but not on the scale they used to be, there was a time that it didn't matter where you went, you were certain to be able to buy 135 & 120, jessops were on every highstreet, sometimes twice, in fact quite often twice, Bradford had 3 branches.
I've just got back from a week in Welchland, I had to buy film before I went because there was no knowing any what, if's or where's for certain.

Its Back to the Future, in reverse, I'm sure in 1985 plutonium is available at every street corner drugstore, but in 1955 its a little harder to come by..

I use SilverPrint, they're always very good and I get my paper and chemicals at the same time, saves faffin about with 3 different retailers trying to save a few pence.
 
joxby said:
Yeah a few did reopen, but not on the scale they used to be, there was a time that it didn't matter where you went, you were certain to be able to buy 135 & 120, jessops were on every highstreet, sometimes twice, in fact quite often twice, Bradford had 3 branches.
I've just got back from a week in Welchland, I had to buy film before I went because there was no knowing any what, if's or where's for certain.
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Oddly, I think it was the ubiquity of Jessops that ultimately caused them heaps of trouble. They often had stores on top of stores.

In Glasgow, for instance, they had two shops on Sauchiehall Street within only a few hundred metres of each other. There's no way that made good financial sense.
 
thecornflake said:
I just ordered some film and dev chemicals from Nik and Flick, they do regular film as well as some rare ones they've produced themselves. Can't wait to try out the Kodak Vision 50 (made from motion picture film). Order turned up very quickly.
Click to expand...

Be aware that motion film uses the ECN-2 process, and not C-41 like still colour negative film. Whilst their both based around similar chemicals, the processes are NOT entirely interchangeable and I wouldn't expect the best quality if you process it in C-41; also be aware that motion film has a rejet backing which needs to be removed prior to developing so I'm unsure if you'll be able to get it easily developed as no still format film uses a remjet backing anymore (Kodachrome was the last one that did).

I wouldn't drop it into a lab to be developed as the remjet backing could seriously screw up their processing chemicals/equipment if it's not removed prior to the developing; if you're going to get it developed the only way I can see you getting it done is to have it done by a motion film lab in the proper ECN-2 process (although most have a minimum order of at least 1000 feet and it won't be cheap), or do it at home yourself.
 
I did mean Nik and Trick earlier.

I plan to send the special film back to them to develop it in this case as they know what they're doing with it.
 
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