What happened with 35mm roll prices!!

edom31 · 01-09-2021, 06:43 PM

Hello folks. Last time I bought film was in 2018 ( I bought over 25 rolls). Average was about $3.00 a roll, with some more specialized rolls going for a bit higher tag.

Now... Over $10 a roll of superia???

I'm trying to get some cheap rolls for my 20 YO cousin who just scored an AE-1 for $30 (with some 3rd party cheapo lenses, but I still think it is a fair deal). I want to get her a few rolls so she can practice; I'll likely also get her a nice FD prime, but that I can easily get.

Anywho, is there any affordable student rated film out there?

**termy** · 01-09-2021, 06:49 PM

film prices rocketed, that's what happened.

And it is something i fear.

About 15-16years ago, digital "killed" film.

In 1-2yrs time, maybe the high (and kind of ridiculous) prices will "kill" film a second time.

officiousbystander · 01-09-2021, 07:17 PM - **1 Like**

People say bad things about Fomapan but don't believe them. It's a great film for the price. For colour, Kodak Pro Image 100 is also good value. I have an unopened five pack of 120 Neopan Acros which I bought in 2018. Maybe I should put it on eBay and pay off my mortgage.

Huss · 01-09-2021, 07:45 PM

Originally posted by edom31

Hello folks. Last time I bought film was in 2018 ( I bought over 25 rolls). Average was about $3.00 a roll, with some more specialized rolls going for a bit higher tag.

Now... Over $10 a roll of superia???

I'm trying to get some cheap rolls for my 20 YO cousin who just scored an AE-1 for $30 (with some 3rd party cheapo lenses, but I still think it is a fair deal). I want to get her a few rolls so she can practice; I'll likely also get her a nice FD prime, but that I can easily get.

Anywho, is there any affordable student rated film out there?

What are you talking about? It is $14 for a 3 pack of 36 exp at B&H and Adorama, or $13 at Freestyle back in stock Jan 15. So in a week.

So about $4.50 a roll.

edom31 · 01-09-2021, 09:20 PM

Originally posted by Huss

What are you talking about? It is $14 for a 3 pack of 36 exp at B&H and Adorama, or $13 at Freestyle back in stock Jan 15. So in a week.So about $4.50 a roll

I was looking in Amazon... Thanks for this - I have a B&H $25 gift card, will look into it.

Gerbermiester · 01-09-2021, 09:54 PM - **1 Like**

This probably isn't what you're looking for per say, but if you're willing to bulk load, freestyle photo sells Artisan Edu 100, 200, and 400 in a 100 foot roll ~$52 USD. That's 30 rolls of 24 exposures ($1.73 a roll) or 20 rolls of 36 exposures ($2.60 a roll). Arista Edu is just rebranded Fomapan.

I've been bulk loading Arista Edu films for the last five years. By far, their 100 speed film is my favorite, especially when developed in Rodinal. I've been loading film into empty cassettes that my local camera shop would otherwise recycle. This makes them easy to give away to friends without having to hassle them to give back your reloadable cassettes when they're done.

leekil · 01-09-2021, 09:55 PM - **1 Like**

Film sales have doubled for Kodak since 2015. I don't know about the other companies, but at the end of 2019/start of 2020, Kodak raised their film prices in order to finance new manufacturing equipment to meet the increased demand. In the past year, their manufacturing and supply chain was disrupted by the pandemic, and they were doing direct shipping in order to avoid delays, which increased cost, but those shipments were also delayed (though not as much). All those those led to a bit of a film shortage, so price on Ebay are much higher than if you can buy film from regular outlets.

edom31 · 01-09-2021, 10:03 PM

Originally posted by Gerbermiester

This probably isn't what you're looking for per say, but if you're willing to bulk load, freestyle photo sells Artisan Edu 100, 200, and 400 in a 100 foot roll ~$52 USD. That's 30 rolls of 24 exposures ($1.73 a roll) or 20 rolls of 36 exposures ($2.60 a roll). Arista Edu is just rebranded Fomapan.

I've been bulk loading Arista Edu films for the last five years. By far, their 100 speed film is my favorite, especially when developed in Rodinal. I've been loading film into empty cassettes that my local camera shop would otherwise recycle. This makes them easy to give away to friends without having to hassle them to give back your reloadable cassettes when they're done.

I once looked into buying bulk... If it was for my own use, I'd think about it. As a hobbyist, if it is too expensive, I need not buy... I know prices will back down somehow!!!

---------- Post added 01-10-21 at 12:05 AM ----------

Originally posted by leekil

Film sales have doubled for Kodak since 2015. I don't know about the other companies, but at the end of 2019/start of 2020, Kodak raised their film prices in order to finance new manufacturing equipment to meet the increased demand. In the past year, their manufacturing and supply chain was disrupted by the pandemic, and they were doing direct shipping in order to avoid delays, which increased cost, but those shipments were also delayed (though not as much). All those those led to a bit of a film shortage, so price on Ebay are much higher than if you can buy film from regular outlets.

So it is a good time to be a seller, bad to be a buyer....

Aaron28 · 01-09-2021, 10:17 PM

Originally posted by Gerbermiester

This probably isn't what you're looking for per say, but if you're willing to bulk load, freestyle photo sells Artisan Edu 100, 200, and 400 in a 100 foot roll ~$52 USD. That's 30 rolls of 24 exposures ($1.73 a roll) or 20 rolls of 36 exposures ($2.60 a roll). Arista Edu is just rebranded Fomapan.

this is good to know.....have a loader n 2 reusable canisters....not that i know how to use it......reckon the good news is there a huge roll in it to practice with......i'm sure i'm not the first to open it to make the discovery

leekil · 01-09-2021, 10:24 PM

Originally posted by edom31

So it is a good time to be a seller, bad to be a buyer....

But similar to what was mentioned above, film doesn't seem to be completely out of stock in regular retail places.

stevebrot · 01-09-2021, 11:00 PM - **1 Like**

Originally posted by edom31

So it is a good time to be a seller, bad to be a buyer....

Bad for both. The makers are having supply chain, manufacturing, and distribution problems on account of COVID-19. As a result, many vendors are sold out of some product lines. A short browse through Freestyle's current offering in 35mm 36exp and 100' bulk shows "out-of-stock" or "low inventory" on about half their listings. That is not good and definitely not in line with bargain pricing anytime soon.

Originally posted by edom31

Anywho, is there any affordable student rated film out there?

As noted above, Arista EDU is a common standby as is the Kentmere line. As far as color negative...that is a tough one. My best advice is to keep an eye out for discounted Gold 200 or Color Plus from Kodak and buy by the brick. I have about 50 rolls of Gold 200 in the fridge at present and figure that should last me awhile.

Steve

LensBeginner · 01-10-2021, 05:17 AM

Originally posted by stevebrot

Bad for both. The makers are having supply chain, manufacturing, and distribution problems on account of COVID-19. As a result, many vendors are sold out of some product lines. A short browse through Freestyle's current offering in 35mm 36exp and 100' bulk shows "out-of-stock" or "low inventory" on about half their listings. That is not good and definitely not in line with bargain pricing anytime soon.

*snip*

Steve

In addition to that, the world is not as simple as a X-Y graph of quantity vs. price.

When demand is high, prices rise, but if demand is high enough economies of scale enter the equation.
That's why Android smartphones are so cheap nowadays.

When demand is low, prices decrease, but then manufacturers will reduce the supply or stop offering the product altoghether because it's not profitable.
That's why Android tablets are much more difficult to find than they were say 6-7 years ago.

And that's where film is: a niche product with a limited supply in order to keep it profitable.

wstruth · 01-10-2021, 05:46 AM - **1 Like**

Originally posted by edom31

I was looking in Amazon... Thanks for this - I have a B&H $25 gift card, will look into it.

Amazon can be very strange in their pricing, and some vendors really are exorbitant. Its always a good idea to comparison shop even on Amazon. When I buy "bulk" i always check pricing. I was once buying a ten pack of soap and found out that individual packs were cheaper. Go figure.

**ChrisPlatt** · 01-10-2021, 08:01 AM

Until not too long ago 35mm film was ubiquitous, available from many Main/High Street retailers.
When it stopped selling discount sellers naturally discontinued this perishable product.

Like so many things film is now rather a boutique item.
Price is now whatever the market will bear, or the price nouveau film hipsters will pay.

The best prices are available from retailers who sell film in volume.
Suggest you check various online sellers.

Normally I buy my 35mm film online via mail order from Freestyle.
Recently I purchased 35mm Ektachrome film from Midwest Photo Exchange.

Chris

**Michail_P** · 01-10-2021, 12:10 PM

Originally posted by wstruth

Amazon can be very strange in their pricing, and some vendors really are exorbitant. Its always a good idea to comparison shop even on Amazon. When I buy "bulk" i always check pricing. I was once buying a ten pack of soap and found out that individual packs were cheaper. Go figure.

They are ridiculous... Prices are skyrocketing on some popular emulsions , whereas on more cheap stuff they're quite stable the last 5 years, where I come from. Bulk means at least $70

01-09-2021, 06:43 PM	#1
edom31 Pentaxian Join Date: Nov 2017 Location: Garden City, NY Photos: Gallery Posts: 6,349	What happened with 35mm roll prices!! Hello folks. Last time I bought film was in 2018 ( I bought over 25 rolls). Average was about $3.00 a roll, with some more specialized rolls going for a bit higher tag. Now... Over $10 a roll of superia??? I'm trying to get some cheap rolls for my 20 YO cousin who just scored an AE-1 for $30 (with some 3rd party cheapo lenses, but I still think it is a fair deal). I want to get her a few rolls so she can practice; I'll likely also get her a nice FD prime, but that I can easily get. Anywho, is there any affordable student rated film out there?

01-09-2021, 11:00 PM - 1 Like	#11
stevebrot Otis Memorial Pentaxian Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Vancouver (USA) Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 42,007	Originally posted by edom31 So it is a good time to be a seller, bad to be a buyer.... Bad for both. The makers are having supply chain, manufacturing, and distribution problems on account of COVID-19. As a result, many vendors are sold out of some product lines. A short browse through Freestyle's current offering in 35mm 36exp and 100' bulk shows "out-of-stock" or "low inventory" on about half their listings. That is not good and definitely not in line with bargain pricing anytime soon. Originally posted by edom31 Anywho, is there any affordable student rated film out there? As noted above, Arista EDU is a common standby as is the Kentmere line. As far as color negative...that is a tough one. My best advice is to keep an eye out for discounted Gold 200 or Color Plus from Kodak and buy by the brick. I have about 50 rolls of Gold 200 in the fridge at present and figure that should last me awhile. Steve Last edited by stevebrot; 01-09-2021 at 11:07 PM.

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01-09-2021, 06:49 PM	#2
termy Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Jan 2019 Posts: 1,154	film prices rocketed, that's what happened. And it is something i fear. About 15-16years ago, digital "killed" film. In 1-2yrs time, maybe the high (and kind of ridiculous) prices will "kill" film a second time.

01-09-2021, 07:17 PM - 1 Like	#3
officiousbystander Pentaxian Join Date: Mar 2014 Location: Sydney Photos: Gallery Posts: 912	People say bad things about Fomapan but don't believe them. It's a great film for the price. For colour, Kodak Pro Image 100 is also good value. I have an unopened five pack of 120 Neopan Acros which I bought in 2018. Maybe I should put it on eBay and pay off my mortgage.

01-09-2021, 07:45 PM	#4
Huss Veteran Member Join Date: Apr 2020 Posts: 629	Originally posted by edom31 Hello folks. Last time I bought film was in 2018 ( I bought over 25 rolls). Average was about $3.00 a roll, with some more specialized rolls going for a bit higher tag. Now... Over $10 a roll of superia??? I'm trying to get some cheap rolls for my 20 YO cousin who just scored an AE-1 for $30 (with some 3rd party cheapo lenses, but I still think it is a fair deal). I want to get her a few rolls so she can practice; I'll likely also get her a nice FD prime, but that I can easily get. Anywho, is there any affordable student rated film out there? What are you talking about? It is $14 for a 3 pack of 36 exp at B&H and Adorama, or $13 at Freestyle back in stock Jan 15. So in a week. So about $4.50 a roll.

01-09-2021, 09:20 PM	#5
edom31 Pentaxian Join Date: Nov 2017 Location: Garden City, NY Photos: Gallery Posts: 6,349 Original Poster	Originally posted by Huss What are you talking about? It is $14 for a 3 pack of 36 exp at B&H and Adorama, or $13 at Freestyle back in stock Jan 15. So in a week.So about $4.50 a roll I was looking in Amazon... Thanks for this - I have a B&H $25 gift card, will look into it.

01-09-2021, 09:54 PM - 1 Like	#6
Gerbermiester Pentaxian Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: British Columbia Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 377	This probably isn't what you're looking for per say, but if you're willing to bulk load, freestyle photo sells Artisan Edu 100, 200, and 400 in a 100 foot roll ~$52 USD. That's 30 rolls of 24 exposures ($1.73 a roll) or 20 rolls of 36 exposures ($2.60 a roll). Arista Edu is just rebranded Fomapan. I've been bulk loading Arista Edu films for the last five years. By far, their 100 speed film is my favorite, especially when developed in Rodinal. I've been loading film into empty cassettes that my local camera shop would otherwise recycle. This makes them easy to give away to friends without having to hassle them to give back your reloadable cassettes when they're done.

01-09-2021, 09:55 PM - 1 Like	#7
leekil Pentaxian Join Date: May 2016 Photos: Albums Posts: 2,003	Film sales have doubled for Kodak since 2015. I don't know about the other companies, but at the end of 2019/start of 2020, Kodak raised their film prices in order to finance new manufacturing equipment to meet the increased demand. In the past year, their manufacturing and supply chain was disrupted by the pandemic, and they were doing direct shipping in order to avoid delays, which increased cost, but those shipments were also delayed (though not as much). All those those led to a bit of a film shortage, so price on Ebay are much higher than if you can buy film from regular outlets.

01-09-2021, 10:03 PM	#8
edom31 Pentaxian Join Date: Nov 2017 Location: Garden City, NY Photos: Gallery Posts: 6,349 Original Poster	Originally posted by Gerbermiester This probably isn't what you're looking for per say, but if you're willing to bulk load, freestyle photo sells Artisan Edu 100, 200, and 400 in a 100 foot roll ~$52 USD. That's 30 rolls of 24 exposures ($1.73 a roll) or 20 rolls of 36 exposures ($2.60 a roll). Arista Edu is just rebranded Fomapan. I've been bulk loading Arista Edu films for the last five years. By far, their 100 speed film is my favorite, especially when developed in Rodinal. I've been loading film into empty cassettes that my local camera shop would otherwise recycle. This makes them easy to give away to friends without having to hassle them to give back your reloadable cassettes when they're done. I once looked into buying bulk... If it was for my own use, I'd think about it. As a hobbyist, if it is too expensive, I need not buy... I know prices will back down somehow!!! ---------- Post added 01-10-21 at 12:05 AM ---------- Originally posted by leekil Film sales have doubled for Kodak since 2015. I don't know about the other companies, but at the end of 2019/start of 2020, Kodak raised their film prices in order to finance new manufacturing equipment to meet the increased demand. In the past year, their manufacturing and supply chain was disrupted by the pandemic, and they were doing direct shipping in order to avoid delays, which increased cost, but those shipments were also delayed (though not as much). All those those led to a bit of a film shortage, so price on Ebay are much higher than if you can buy film from regular outlets. So it is a good time to be a seller, bad to be a buyer....

01-09-2021, 10:17 PM	#9
Aaron28 Pentaxian Join Date: Jan 2015 Location: Huntsville, Al Posts: 7,131	Originally posted by Gerbermiester This probably isn't what you're looking for per say, but if you're willing to bulk load, freestyle photo sells Artisan Edu 100, 200, and 400 in a 100 foot roll ~$52 USD. That's 30 rolls of 24 exposures ($1.73 a roll) or 20 rolls of 36 exposures ($2.60 a roll). Arista Edu is just rebranded Fomapan. this is good to know.....have a loader n 2 reusable canisters....not that i know how to use it......reckon the good news is there a huge roll in it to practice with......i'm sure i'm not the first to open it to make the discovery

01-09-2021, 10:24 PM	#10
leekil Pentaxian Join Date: May 2016 Photos: Albums Posts: 2,003	Originally posted by edom31 So it is a good time to be a seller, bad to be a buyer.... But similar to what was mentioned above, film doesn't seem to be completely out of stock in regular retail places.

01-10-2021, 05:17 AM	#12
LensBeginner Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2014 Photos: Albums Posts: 4,696	Originally posted by stevebrot Bad for both. The makers are having supply chain, manufacturing, and distribution problems on account of COVID-19. As a result, many vendors are sold out of some product lines. A short browse through Freestyle's current offering in 35mm 36exp and 100' bulk shows "out-of-stock" or "low inventory" on about half their listings. That is not good and definitely not in line with bargain pricing anytime soon. snip Steve In addition to that, the world is not as simple as a X-Y graph of quantity vs. price. When demand is high, prices rise, but if demand is high enough economies of scale enter the equation. That's why Android smartphones are so cheap nowadays. When demand is low, prices decrease, but then manufacturers will reduce the supply or stop offering the product altoghether because it's not profitable. That's why Android tablets are much more difficult to find than they were say 6-7 years ago. And that's where film is: a niche product with a limited supply in order to keep it profitable.

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01-10-2021, 05:46 AM - 1 Like	#13
wstruth Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: at my kitchen table Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 1,294	Originally posted by edom31 I was looking in Amazon... Thanks for this - I have a B&H $25 gift card, will look into it. Amazon can be very strange in their pricing, and some vendors really are exorbitant. Its always a good idea to comparison shop even on Amazon. When I buy "bulk" i always check pricing. I was once buying a ten pack of soap and found out that individual packs were cheaper. Go figure.

01-10-2021, 08:01 AM	#14
ChrisPlatt Site Supporter Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Rockaway Beach NYC Posts: 7,692	Until not too long ago 35mm film was ubiquitous, available from many Main/High Street retailers. When it stopped selling discount sellers naturally discontinued this perishable product. Like so many things film is now rather a boutique item. Price is now whatever the market will bear, or the price nouveau film hipsters will pay. The best prices are available from retailers who sell film in volume. Suggest you check various online sellers. Normally I buy my 35mm film online via mail order from Freestyle. Recently I purchased 35mm Ektachrome film from Midwest Photo Exchange. Chris

01-10-2021, 12:10 PM	#15
Michail_P Site Supporter Join Date: Nov 2019 Location: Kalymnos Photos: Gallery Posts: 3,006	Originally posted by wstruth Amazon can be very strange in their pricing, and some vendors really are exorbitant. Its always a good idea to comparison shop even on Amazon. When I buy "bulk" i always check pricing. I was once buying a ten pack of soap and found out that individual packs were cheaper. Go figure. They are ridiculous... Prices are skyrocketing on some popular emulsions , whereas on more cheap stuff they're quite stable the last 5 years, where I come from. Bulk means at least $70