Best deal in film?

FrankS · 03-10-2012

I've come to the end of several rolls of bulk film (Hp5 and tmax100) that I've been using over the last 2 years. I can get along with 100, 200, or 400 speed film.

What's the best deal in bulk rolls of black and white film these days? Local Henry's camera shops in Toronto area sell TMY400 for about $60 per 100ft roll, hp5 for $85! Fp4 for $75. That's my baseline.

Just the cost of shipping from Freestyle is about $30 to Canada! So that's a significant consideration..

haempe · 03-10-2012

Kentmere for me.
$36 per 100ft at freestyle.
And I like this stuff honestly.

Lauffray · 03-10-2012

Hey Frank
I live in Montreal and I frequently order from Freestyle, what I usually do is make very large orders with several other people, I recently bought 100 rolls from them, can't complain

Michel154 · 03-10-2012

Hi Frank
i also live in Montreal i find that freestyle for large orders is great i personally really like LegacyPro 100 and 400
or Efke 50 100' at 60$ form B&H they have a cheap shipping option to canada

al1966 · 03-10-2012

Polypan F 90m for £18 +p&p its rated at 50 but seems to print fine at 100 developed or should it be soaked in RO9 1+100. I liked it so much I bought 600m of it. You can find it on the auction site

sanmich · 03-10-2012

Frank

I use to buy Arista Premium from Freestyle, asking a relative in the US to collect the rolls and send them to me (along with other stuff).
If you use bulk rolls, I would look at the prices on Ilford film at B&H.
These are bargains when you compare them to the price of regular rolls.
I mean, they should be, right?
but it's not always the case (see arista/TX for instance)

timor · 03-10-2012

Frank.
The best deal on film I consider Eastman Double X bought directly from Kodak. It is $0.35 per foot after taxes of highest quality film :
http://store.kodak.com/store/ekconsu...ctID.228362600
It is a bit of hassle with rewinding it in bulk loader size rolls, but for the guy with darkroom that should be small potatoes and it's worth it.

emilsand · 03-10-2012

The Ilford films are the bargains in my book. I know there are cheaper films out there, but I wouldn't dream of changing as long as the results are there.

FrankS · 03-10-2012

Quote:

Originally Posted by timor

Frank.
The best deal on film I consider Eastman Double X bought directly from Kodak. It is $0.35 per foot after taxes of highest quality film :
http://store.kodak.com/store/ekconsu...ctID.228362600
It is a bit of hassle with rewinding it in bulk loader size rolls, but for the guy with darkroom that should be small potatoes and it's worth it.

This looks very promising Timor, thanks!

BobYIL · 03-10-2012

Do you pay any type of tax while importing from the States?

From Adorama for instance, my favorite 400 ISO:

Triple pack HP5+ 36-exp. $10.50 x 50 packs = $525.00
Shipping to Canada ........................................... $58.00
Total..................$583.00

Cost/roll of 36-exp...................... 583.00/150 = $3.88

Or ordering 100' rolls for the same quantity:

9 x $49.95 ........... $449.55
Shipping ..................$39.90
Total ..........$489.45

Cost per roll of 36-exp...................489.45/153 = $3.20 (if you have empty cassettes to reuse..)

Frankly, nowhere in Europe we can buy the HP5+ for such prices, impossible.. US citizens enjoy probably the best prices in the world..

ChipMcD · 03-10-2012

Quote:

Originally Posted by timor

Frank.
The best deal on film I consider Eastman Double X bought directly from Kodak. It is $0.35 per foot after taxes of highest quality film :
http://store.kodak.com/store/ekconsu...ctID.228362600
It is a bit of hassle with rewinding it in bulk loader size rolls, but for the guy with darkroom that should be small potatoes and it's worth it.

Double X is great. i shoot a lot of it. It does have kind of old school grain though.

R.MacDonald · 03-10-2012

I picked up a roll of Orwo N74 (400 speed) recently. They also have another film that is 100 speed as well. They also sell it in 100ft lengths which makes life a little easier.

http://www.orwona.com/orwo-n74-plus-...0-35mm-100-ft/

timor · 03-10-2012

Quote:

Originally Posted by ChipMcD

Double X is great. i shoot a lot of it. It does have kind of old school grain though.

It is a random grain emulsion like TX (close cousin). The effects of different developers are pronouced very well with this film, so far my favored is a home made Edwal 10.

paulfish4570 · 03-10-2012

it is nice to know adorama still has that special on triple-pack hp5 ...

jordanstarr · 03-10-2012

Frank...as a fellow Canuk, I share your predicament...not much choice for us. However, I must say, yesterday I just bought 3 bulk rolls of Tri-x at Henrys recently for $52.99 (cheaper than at B&H) and I called myself a student and got 10% off, which came to $161 for 300 feet of film (or 60 rolls (less than $3/roll). That's about as cheap as it gets. I actually considered going right back and buying about $1000 worth of it, seeing as how prices will be going up and potential discontinuing may be looming. Henry's also isn't bad for medium format film -they're pretty on par with the rest of the world. But for paper and single rolls of 35mm, it's terrible.

When I was in NYC, bulk rolls of FP4 and bricks of Tri-x were the best deal for me from B&H. If ordering from B&H, it's always handy to just do one massive order to get it out of the way and even split it with someone to save on the shipping. You will pay tax at the border though. I got lucky once on a $400 order and it slipped through customs without taxes, but that was once in 10 years.

taskoni · 03-10-2012

Quote:

Originally Posted by emilsand

The Ilford films are the bargains in my book. I know there are cheaper films out there, but I wouldn't dream of changing as long as the results are there.

Seconded for the same reasons

I personally would never buy film just to save in a long run - I like my own shots too much to cry in the dark room while enlarging.
When I'll start doing cheap films I'll go digital...

Noll · 03-10-2012

+1 for Arista premium 100 and 400 from freestyle.

timor · 03-10-2012

Quote:

Originally Posted by jordanstarr

I actually considered going right back and buying about $1000 worth of it, seeing as how prices will be going up and potential discontinuing may be looming. Henry's also isn't bad for medium format film -they're pretty on par with the rest of the world. But for paper and single rolls of 35mm, it's terrible.

I hope they will have that much TX in Ontario. Actually they have the best price of TX bulk in the whole world.
With medium is not that easy, I am waiting 6 weeks for my 20 rolls of TX and still nothing.

FrankS · 03-10-2012

How do Double X and Tri X compare?

dcsang · 03-10-2012

Hmmmm.... perhaps, Francis, we can get a big order going for Freestyle in the future - there's plenty of us in the GTA that can probably get together and order and thereby save on shipping/handling.....

Cheers,
Davey

timor · 03-10-2012

Quote:

Originally Posted by FrankS

How do Double X and Tri X compare?

Other members of RFF shooting DXN:
http://www.rangefinderforum.com/foru...ad.php?t=52426
and some opinions here:
http://www.project-double-x.org/about.html

forsakenrider · 03-10-2012

Wow a bunch of you montrealer's in here! next time someone does a big order I want in on that!

Frank, If you want to try Double X but dont want it all I'm sure some one would split it with you ;-)

timor · 03-11-2012

Yes Frank, want to try it ? I can get you couple of rolls.

forsakenrider · 03-11-2012

this thread is making be want to try some double x!

FrankS · 03-11-2012

Quote:

Originally Posted by timor

Yes Frank, want to try it ? I can get you couple of rolls.

Timor, thanks for your kind offer. I'll be heading into Toronto this week and plan to pick up a bulk roll.