Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2005/04/20
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Prices for B&W film are already going up. Part of the fun of shooting B&W is shooting a ton of film and souping it myself as an overall economical activity. Well, gray market Tri-X dried up this summer, so I bought 1/2 a freezer full of HP5+ and FP4+. Thankfully HP5+ really likes HC-110, so it wasn't too much of a switch. Scan's a little grainier than Tri-X, but I've come to appreciate it's tones. I'm still trying got get FP4+ contrast in line with what my film scanner wants to see, but when it's on, boy that is one *fantastic* film. Anyway, Ilford's film prices at B&H are up now too! Fuji Neopan 400 is still available "imported" for something like $2.29 a roll, so I'm tempted to go buy and freeze 100 rolls of that stuff. The Arista repacked HP5 is also a little cheaper if you buy in bulk. Anyway, when I shoot B&W, it just don't even think about film costs, and I like it that way. I also like the results. I can scan and print digitally, or walk down to a nice lab and have a wet print made. I like having the negs in folders and not images sitting on hard disks or what not. It just works for me. I hope I can get over the hurdle of $5/roll if it comes to that. Scott Feli wrote: > I think color negative film will be the first to bite the dust. It's > too dependent on the average consumer, who is > going digital. It's also become expensive, nearly $15 per roll > (purchase and develop). > > Slide film may hang on longer, because there is no means of digital > projection this side of $100,000 that is even in the ballpark with it. > > Black and white will probably survive for a very long time. It's > simpler to manufacture than color films, easier to process (at home > and at the lab) and it's already a niche product. I would bet that > most people who continue to shoot will film, will be black and white > shooters. They shoot film because they like to. But I do think prices > will go up and the selection will narrow... > > Give me Tri-X or give me death. > > feli > > On Apr 20, 2005, at 8:20 PM, firkin wrote: > >> 6 months ago, I would have argued with you along the lines of "film >> will be with us for a long time yet" and "there will be many hobbists >> who will enjoy the feel and real of Leica photography", BUT I am >> beginnin... > > ________________________________________________________ > feli2@earthlink.net 2 + 2 = 4 > www.elanphotos.com > > > _______________________________________________ > Leica Users Group. > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information