Where to find CHEAP FILM??

[ArkiStan]

I'm taking a photo class at school(great fun). And the cost of film and printing paper is really putting a dent in my bank account. I've searched for cheap film on Yahoo Shopping ($2.20 for roll of Kodak Tri-X 400 36exp.) and managed to find it much cheaper than local stores. Does anybody know of even cheaper ways to buy this stuff?

[mojo]

my brother used to roll it himself (not weed....film). he would buy these canisters and had a rolly thingie that he would use. good stuff, maynard

[IntegraTypeR]

Go to Price Club or Sam's Club or BJ's (etc.) to get them. Sometimes they have a rebate. Last time I bought film it came out to $1/roll of Kodak max 800 speed.

[Burzhui]

Originally posted by IntegraTypeR
Go to Price Club or Sam's Club or BJ's (etc.) to get them. Sometimes they have a rebate. Last time I bought film it came out to $1/roll of Kodak max 800 speed.

No no and no, i think you are mistaken we are talking about B & W film here, i mean he did say tr-x.


Dude i know how you feel i've taken photo classes i am taking another this semester as well, i think you found a very good price at the yahoo store, just double check for the expiration date... you also save some money if you buy blocks of film, or you can buy rolls and roll it yourself, which becomes a pain in the ass frankly.

Post that link for the yahoo store, i only have like 3 rolls left.

U know what we should have? a photo forum

[Markel]

A second for the bulk loader suggestion. When I was taking photography, that was the ONLY way to go. I would suggest one of the simpler kind of loaders (where you just count turns of the crank to judge how much film you load) rather than one with fancy stuff like a frame counter. Also, you could probably go in together with some others to share the cost. I also used reusable film cartridges (rather than ones that are meant for a single filling).

[Burzhui]

Originally posted by Markel
A second for the bulk loader suggestion. When I was taking photography, that was the ONLY way to go. I would suggest one of the simpler kind of loaders (where you just count turns of the crank to judge how much film you load) rather than one with fancy stuff like a frame counter. Also, you could probably go in together with some others to share the cost. I also used reusable film cartridges (rather than ones that are meant for a single filling).

You know what you are right you can actually split the cost, it will come out to be cheaper

[mojo]

Originally posted by Burzhui


You know what you are right you can actually split the cost, it will come out to be cheaper

it would come out cheaper anyways. my brother used to shoot film just randomly like he was just drinkin water or something. it was no big deal cuz it was so cheap when he got the process down.

[Burzhui]

Originally posted by mojorisin


it would come out cheaper anyways. my brother used to shoot film just randomly like he was just drinkin water or something. it was no big deal cuz it was so cheap when he got the process down.

Yea but i am pretty sure he will not need a whole role of film for this class.

If it's a beginneres class he will need like 5 rolls tops

[speedracer120]

Third for bulk loading. It's sooo much cheaper. And when you do go to the stores ask them if they have discounts for photo students. Some stores actually knock off a fair chunk of the price for students.

Just wondering what camera(s) do you have. If you have a SLR what kind of lens?

I so want a something medium grade like Nikon N70 or maybe even the N80. I wish I could afford the F100.

[Markel]

Originally posted by mojorisin
it would come out cheaper anyways. my brother used to shoot film just randomly like he was just drinkin water or something. it was no big deal cuz it was so cheap when he got the process down.

That's exactly the idea behind photography. You often shoot a roll or two to get just the picture you want. You bracket [wider and smaller aperature] the shot so that you get negatives with varying levels of saturation. You don't want to be limited by concern about how much the film costs. My photography instructor (a former Look Magazine staffer) used to say, "Shoot rolls and rolls of film."

[Markel]

Originally posted by Burzhui
Yea but i am pretty sure he will not need a whole role of film for this class.

If it's a beginneres class he will need like 5 rolls tops

HAH! In my first photography class, we used that much in the first two weeks. Now, if it's a high school class, maybe. But for college, plan on a couple dozen rolls (camera loads, not bulk rolls).

[ArkiStan]

yeah. If I only needed 4-5 rolls for the whole semester, I wouldn't be worrying too much about the cost. Actually they expect me to have 4-5 rolls every week...so the cost really starts getting astronomical.... Hey Burzhui, here are some links for cheap Tri-x 400 (36exp.):

http://shop.store.yahoo.com/camerafocus/1470764uk.html

http://shop.store.yahoo.com/camerafocus/1470764.html

do you know what the difference between the two above? One says (U) and one says (I) in the product name.... the have a slight price difference.

[Burzhui]

you kidding me? you have to have absolutely no skillz to shoot 12 rolls of film, in the beginners class, i mean come on if you ever held a manual camera in your hands you should already know how to bracket and how to controll exposure so you don't have to waste so much film. I shot about 6 Rolls of film in my very first class... that was it

[Burzhui]

By the way i dunno about you guys but i like tmax a bit more then trix

[Burzhui]

oh yea nd ilford hp5

[Burzhui]

Originally posted by Markel

My photography instructor (a former Look Magazine staffer) used to say, "Shoot rolls and rolls of film."

My instructor told us that as well, he said shoot as much as you can at various setting ... try angles... he was soo right

[mojo]

Originally posted by Burzhui
you kidding me? you have to have absolutely no skillz to shoot 12 rolls of film, in the beginners class, i mean come on if you ever held a manual camera in your hands you should already know how to bracket and how to controll exposure so you don't have to waste so much film. I shot about 6 Rolls of film in my very first class... that was it

hey, if dude says he needs 4 or 5 rolls a week, that is what it is. get off his back. freakshow

[Burzhui]

Originally posted by mojorisin

hey, if dude says he needs 4 or 5 rolls a week, that is what it is. get off his back. freakshow

DUde i wasn't trying to crap on him, i was just saying...
in any case i agree that if he needs so much film then he should get a bulk loader.. i was thinking of getting it myself however got slowed down and have almost no time to shoot anymore... god i wish i had more time

[ArkiStan]

hehe that's alright Burzhui
actually 4-5 rolls a week is not much at all I think. When you really get into it, I've taked 3-4 rolls a day without having the technicalities get in the way. And it's not really a beginners class. They start from the basics, but the class has beginners to experieinced photographers as well. Most people there have had experieince with exposure, f-stops, etc...

but I still think rolling it myself will be too much of a hassle...can you guys give me an estimate of how much it might cost per roll if I do it myself? If I'm gonna be saving 10-20 cents per roll, I still think it's worth saving the time and just buying rolls....

[Burzhui]

oh you will be saving much more then 20 cents

depends how much you get the bulk film for

[Markel]

Here's a nice FAQ on bulk loading. Once you have purchased the loader and cassettes, you should save over 50% on your film cost. The equipment shouldn't cost more than $40. I'd guess that you about break even after your buying the equipment and first 100' roll. After your second 100' roll (makes 18 36-exposure cartridges) you are well ahead.

[Twilight]

Originally posted by ucbstan
can you guys give me an estimate of how much it might cost per roll if I do it myself? If I'm gonna be saving 10-20 cents per roll, I still think it's worth saving the time and just buying rolls....

Hmm.. I think in my entire career I have shot about 3 rolls of black and white film that was NOT bulk loaded. It's a huge money saver. There's a small initial investment for the bulk loader itself - usually around $15-30 new, and if you buy used make sure it is absolutely clean inside. Ya know, I saw a bulk loader and film developing tank at a garage sale yesterday for $5, I could have picked them up for you if I had known.

There are a couple different kinds of bulk loaders; For a beginner, I would avoid the Watson brand loader, or any other loader where there is the possibility of opening the loader by accident and exposing all of the film. I happen to really like the Lloyd brand loader, but there is the possibility of scratching your film if you get the felt light trap dirty, so you want to keep it clean, and I'm not sure if i'd purchase a used one. Adorama has it for $24.95 new.

Here are some of my own tips:

Don't use scotch tape to tape film to the spool, it often breaks loose and/or jams in your camera; use masking tape.

Resuable cartridges are reusable for about 3-5 uses unless you're careful when opening them.

Check to see if your camera needs the DX code on the canister to be able to read the film speed; you can buy DX-coded canisters if your camera is automatic and doesn't have an override ISO setting, and make sure you buy the right code of canister for the film you are using.

Don't make a roll that's more than 36 exposures; it will come out of the canister with difficulty, and won't go back in easily, and you'll have problems fitting it on a developing reel. However, there is no problem making short rolls, which can be quite nice if you know you won't be needing 24-36 shots.

Here are some helpful links:

How to bulk load film with a Lloyd bulkloader

Bulkloading FAQ <--- Doh! Same link as in above post.. he beat me to the reply.

[Markel]

Originally posted by Twilight

Resuable cartridges are reusable for about 3-5 uses unless you're careful when opening them.

Check to see if your camera needs the DX code on the canister to be able to read the film speed; you can buy DX-coded canisters if your camera is automatic and doesn't have an override ISO setting, and make sure you buy the right code of canister for the film you are using.

I like the plastic reusable cartridges where the ends screw on. They are good for many more uses than the metal ones. Again, keep the felt clean.

Good point about the DX coding. It didn't exist back in the days that I was bulk loading. (And Algor hadn't even thought about inventing the internet yet.)