Tri-X - What the.......

I had noticed that Ffordes were no longer stocking Kodak b&w film, only Fomapan, Ilford and Kentmere. It's not just Kodak hiking prices though, since a 36 exposure Portra 400 is £13.50 at Ffordes, while the Fuji Pro 400H is £17.10, which is almost 50p per shot. :eek: :eek: :eek:
 
I just ordered some Fomapan 100 in 120 from Analogue Wonderland for £3.50 a roll.

I wonder what the justification for Kodak pricing is.
 
Film's gone up a lot, probably due to lack of demand and the reduction of competition. In 1965, 36 exposures of Tri-X in a cassette cost 7s5d, which allowing for inflation would now be £6.96 (if my calculations are correct).

On the other hand digital cameras are now far cheaper than their 1965 equivalent in real terms and cost virtually nothing to run.
 
the cost of analogue photography is becoming prohibitive.
But some like exclusive. so will pay up.

A bit like vintage watches.
 
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Film prices are crazy.

I wonder if Lomography do a Tri-X clone? I think Kodak make some of their films.

Ilford Delta is nearest to Tri X supposedly.
 
simon ess said:
I just ordered some Fomapan 100 in 120 from Analogue Wonderland for £3.50 a roll.

I wonder what the justification for Kodak pricing is.
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I think the quoted reason was that they've had to invest in new production as demand for film and other related products has increased. From Kosmofoto...

Tetenal UK said it had received the following information from Kodak Alaris, which markets the Kodak-branded films made by Eastman Kodak. “Despite the disruption Covid-19 has caused this year, the demand for film has continued to increase. This has resulted in exciting plans to increase investment in new manufacturing infrastructure.

“However unfortunately, like many manufacturing facilities, our film supplier has had a difficult year with numerous issues related to Covid-19 which has resulted in prices increase on all products in the Kodak film range.”

The price rises come amid a remarkable demand for Kodak’s film products. In a video for NBC’s ‘Left Field’ strand, Eastman’s Kodak general manager Ed Hurley said Kodak film production had more than doubled between 2015 and 2019 to try and meet increased demand.
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The fact that it's not manufactured locally to the UK probably also increases the cost. Prices for Kodak films are lower in the US for instance whereas Ilford film is more expensive over there (relative to what we pay).
 
simon ess said:
When did it become £10 + a roll? How did it become £10 + a roll?

HP5 it is then.
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I chuckled at this because it was my exact same thought!

Fortunately, AW had a Kodak sale a while back and were selling bulk rolls at £120 (approx £6.70/roll) which was enough for me to get two and bung one in the freezer.

I find Tri-X to have a nicer, more "filmy" look than HP5 so tend to break it out for special occasions.
 
Kodak’s price increases are beginning to hurt US photographers as well now, many are starting to complain about it. Personally I’ve switched to HP5, it’s nice to have one stock I can use from 35mm all the way up to 8x10, it simplifies my workflow immensely.
 
This is the Film and Conventional Forum, members here are already settled in their views and we don't need yet another fruitless film vs digital debate
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Sorry - didn't mean to be controversial :(
 
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FishyFish said:
I think the quoted reason was that they've had to invest in new production as demand for film and other related products has increased. From Kosmofoto...



The fact that it's not manufactured locally to the UK probably also increases the cost. Prices for Kodak films are lower in the US for instance whereas Ilford film is more expensive over there (relative to what we pay).
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Yet Fomapan is not made in the UK either.

B&H in the USA sell Ilford HP5 for $6.49 which is £4.69 and AG photographic here sell HP5 for £5.83. That is cheaper in the USA even though it has travelled a long way.
 
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john.margetts said:
Yet Fomapan is not made in the UK either.

B&H in the USA sell Ilford HP5 for $6.49 which is £4.69 and AG photographic here sell HP5 for £5.83. That is cheaper in the USA even though it has travelled a long way.
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Not sure about Fomapan.

There will always be differences in prices depending on retailer though. Some of them will absorb / pass on price increases differently.

I think you're also comparing the price for 24 exposures at B&H with 36 exposures at AG (it's £4.54 for 24exp at AG). :)

US retailers will also add sales tax (differing state-by-state) if you buy the film in-store rather than online, or if the online store is not a seperate entity to the namesake bricks-and-mortar store (so users of the B&H website will avoid sales tax, but will have to pay it if they go into the shop in New York).

From speaking with other film photographers in the US, the general (and quite limited, I might add) feedback has been that Ilford film is more expensive there than here in the UK.
 
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Excellent - thank you Simon. :D (y)

Edit: Doh! A fiver delivery charge. :facepalm:
 
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simon ess said:
It is still slightly cheaper and I tend to buy other stuff, like fixer, at the same time.
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I've bookmarked them anyway and will see if there's anything else I need when the time to order some more comes round again. I'll be looking at some Kentmere paper and theirs looks a reasonable price. :)
 
I’d rather pay the fiver in postage to AG (I tend to re-up on other bits as well anyway) than order from Amazon. Support the little guys, they were there and happy to give advice when I was just starting out and they’re still a little cheaper with better selection.
 
I look at film prices like this :-

20 fags in a box turned to smoke and ash = no fun and about £13

A roll of film for the F3 or F100 etc is less £££ and a huge amount more fun :) :film:
 
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I have a few 5 packs of Tri-X 120 in the freezer, all in date, unfortunately no 35mm films. Two choices I suppose, firstly, use them and don't worry about the cost of replacements, secondly hang onto them for a few years and sell them to fund a once in a lifetime holiday. I'm favouring number one.

One of the attractions of Fomapan is that the numbers on the backing paper are very bold so no problems using the film with older medium format cameras.
 
F1.2 said:
I look at film prices like this :-

20 fags in a box turned to smoke and ash = no fun and about £13

A roll of film for the F3 or F100 etc is less £££ and a huge amount more fun :) :film:
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As someone who stopped smoking in 2007, I hadn't realised how much they cost nowadays. That's near enough £20 for a 30 a day habit, so film has now become incredibly fantastic value by comparison! :)
 
I recently tried out some Fujifilm Neopan Acros II that was £14 a roll.... Incredible film, but too expensive to become anything more than a "special occasion" item
 
Chungle456 said:
I recently tried out some Fujifilm Neopan Acros II that was £14 a roll.... Incredible film, but too expensive to become anything more than a "special occasion" item
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You can use it more often now. ;)

Also the Fuji store in London sells short dated film, I picked up two rolls of Acros for £8 each and they also have short dated 5x4 and 8x10 Provia which was extremely tempting. Maybe next paycheck!
 
Not a big fan of HP5 tbh, I'd rather do £6 a roll on Delta 400, in fact I'd probably go Foma before HP5.
Being totally candid, if HP5 was the only film manufactured......I'd give up... :LOL:
FruitFlakes said:

You can use it more often now. ;)

Also the Fuji store in London sells short dated film, I picked up two rolls of Acros for £8 each and they also have short dated 5x4 and 8x10 Provia which was extremely tempting. Maybe next paycheck!
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oddly, 135 acros is cheaper than 120, historically its always been the other way round.
 
I still have 5 packs of 5 rolls of 120 Mk1 Fuji Acros 100 in my freezer (I bought them as soon as I heard that Acros 100 was going to be discontinued), which I'm allowing to mature like a fine wine!

Well, actually it's mainly because of lockdown and the fact I haven't really been anywhere since to use it; and, being 100 ISO, it's only useful to me on sunny days, of which not many seem to coincide with my days off to do photography! Anyway, offers invited in excess of £25 per roll - well, if Kodak can up their prices, then so can I! ;)

Joking aside, I think someone needs to have a word with Kodak about the dangers of killing the golden goose... if prices keep going up, then no matter how good demand may be at present, it'll get to the point where the price will kill sales stone dead. Once that's happened it might be another 20 years (and a generation) before people become interested enough to want to try film photography again! By which time Kodak film could well and truly be a distant memory. I believe they've nearly been there before, so I think they need to tread very carefully when it comes to setting the price (and availability) of their film products.
 
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Kevin Allan said:
Another bookmark for those who like to support small retailers is Mathers of Lancashire:

https://www.mathersoflancashire.co.uk/catalogsearch/result/index/?p=1&q=hp5+plus

I always buy Ilford film from them - they are usually the cheapest I can find. It's £4.50 for p&p
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They always got a visit to the shop when I was visiting my daughter when she was doing her photography degree in Bolton, she got through a lot of film and paper and I got some for me too. Still use them online, just need to make the order worth the p&p - less then the petrol would cost me.
 
Kevin Allan said:
Another bookmark for those who like to support small retailers is Mathers of Lancashire:

https://www.mathersoflancashire.co.uk/catalogsearch/result/index/?p=1&q=hp5+plus

I always buy Ilford film from them - they are usually the cheapest I can find. It's £4.50 for p&p
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I bought my Canon 6D and 24-105L lens from them via mail order; once again they were the cheapest around at the time. I couldn't buy from a local shop as they'd all closed down, despite me supporting them over the years. :(
 
You think that's bad, check this gem out!

I have a Bronica ETRSI so 15 exposures per film, that's £3.77 a shot!
 

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Isn't that 15 rolls for £169.95?

£11.33.per roll - 76p per shot.

Or have I misread it?
 
cardiff_gareth said:
You think that's bad, check this gem out!

I have a Bronica ETRSI so 15 exposures per film, that's £3.77 a shot!
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You think that's bad, check out the price of the 800 ISO version of Portra... but have a chair handy so you can sit down if necessary. ;)
 
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