- overwood
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Re: What else do you collect, or have you collected in the past?
Ektachrome was discontinued but restarted a few years ago. Because there is no easy way to direct print transparencies since Ilfochrome went under 15 years ago I switched to negative film. But color negative film has become very pricey now (I only shot medium and large format) so I may have to quit that soon too.
- OregonJim
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Re: What else do you collect, or have you collected in the past?
overwood wrote:
Ektachrome was discontinued but restarted a few years ago. Because there is no easy way to direct print transparencies since Ilfochrome went under 15 years ago I switched to negative film. But color negative film has become very pricey now (I only shot medium and large format) so I may have to quit that soon too.
Thanks for the info. I used to use Cibachrome for color prints, but they're long gone now, too. Come to think of it, Ilfochrome might be the same thing under a different name. About the only practical option (for me) would be a film scanner. I may still have my old MicroTek unit, but it uses a SCSI interface, and I don't think I want to open that can of worms again.
Having the world "go digital" sure messed up a lot of good stuff. 
- Uwe
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Re: What else do you collect, or have you collected in the past?
During the pre-digital camera days I almost exclusively used Kodachrome. I'm not sure why I was such a fan-boy, or why it saddens me that it's probably gone forever.
The issue with pricing seems to mostly be a Kodak thing. The company has been steadily jacking up its prices and recently announced yet another significant increase. Kodak has stated that the reasoning for this is that the company can't keep up with the current high demand for film. And in order to increase production to meet that demand, it has to charge more so the company can invest in additional employees and infrastructure.
Assuming this is true, Kodak prices should stabilize at some point. Then again, they might have to drop if Kodak wants to remain competitive, because there are other film manufacturers producing less expensive colour negative film, and claims by others that they want to get back in the game.
With respect to colour positive film prices, my local camera store sells a roll of Ektachrome 100 (120) for $20.44 (CAD). Next to it on the shelf are rolls of Provia 100, Velvia 100, and Velvia 50 for $15.12. When it comes to colour negative film a 120 roll of Kodak Gold 200 is currently $13.50.
On the more affordable side, the least expensive medium format colour film option is Lomography 400 at $8.55 per roll.
Of course going to the dark side and shooting 35 mm film makes things more reasonable. It may not be dirt cheap, but it's not prohibitively expensive either. And it's far more budget-friendly to shoot 135 (less so for 120) than to use an instant film camera such as the FujiFilm Instax, or far worse, a Polaroid where you're spending $3.25 to $4.65 per photo.
The route I've chosen too kept the film hobby expense in check is to buy bulk rolls of 135 B&W and colour (mostly only Vision 3 is currently available) and do my own developing. I can't buy 120 in bulk, but I can develop it, and I can live with those costs.
The pronoun I has always been capitalized in the English language for more than 700 years.
- overwood
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Re: What else do you collect, or have you collected in the past?
... I used to use Cibachrome for color prints, but they're long gone now, too. Come to think of it, Ilfochrome might be the same thing under a different name. ...
Ilford bought Cibachrome and it became Ilfochrome.
Last edited by Uwe (19-2-2023 15:43:08)
- overwood
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Re: What else do you collect, or have you collected in the past?
Assuming this is true, Kodak prices should stabilize at some point. Then again, they might have to drop if Kodak wants to remain competitive, because there are other film manufacturers producing less expensive colour negative film, and claims by others that they want to get back in the game.
Its too bad because I'd love to abandon them completely, but Kodak is the only one that makes high quality color negative OR transparency film. The rest are junk, from what I've seen of them. So bad that I've never even been tempted to try any.
- OregonJim
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Re: What else do you collect, or have you collected in the past?
Its too bad because I'd love to abandon them completely, but Kodak is the only one that makes high quality color negative OR transparency film. The rest are junk, from what I've seen of them. So bad that I've never even been tempted to try any.
Kodak is (was?) unmatched for color fidelity, however I would often switch to Fujichrome whenever I wanted vivid blues and greens for landscapes. Sort of a pre-HDR way of making things "pop".
- OregonJim
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Re: What else do you collect, or have you collected in the past?
The issue with pricing seems to mostly be a Kodak thing. The company has been steadily jacking up its prices and recently announced yet another significant increase. Kodak has stated that the reasoning for this is that the company can't keep up with the current high demand for film. And in order to increase production to meet that demand, it has to charge more so the company can invest in additional employees and infrastructure.
My hope is that the resurgence of interest in analog technology will eventually be viewed as a legitimate market, rather than a niche or boutique market. Everything from vinyl to film to typewriters to tape is coming back into popularity. We just need to get the manufacturers to have some forward vision, like (some of them) used to.
- Uwe
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Re: What else do you collect, or have you collected in the past?
I suppose the question is, at what point does boutique industry become a legitimate market?
With respect to camera film, I believe it's already there. Kodak is hiring hundreds of new employees and upgrading equipment just to increase the quantity of consumer film it can produce. Even at its currently inflated pricing, Kodak still can't keep up with demand, which is still growing.
Motion picture film use is apparently on the rise as well, and I'm surprised by how many productions are opting to shoot with 35mm film stocks instead of using digital cameras. The current cinematic choice to combine analogue film with post-production digital editing often creates stunning art. I've been particularly impressed by the recent use of black and white film stocks; The Lighthouse, for example, was filmed with Kodak Double-X and is a visual juggernaut. (Of course the cameras that were used, set lighting, and the aspect ratio that was chosen all factored into it as well.)
I'm less sure where things stand with typewriters. It seems to me that the resurgent interest has plateaued, and I wonder if a part of this has to do with those middlemen who drive up prices of machines to the point that it dissuades someone from exploring their use.
Vinyl - I'm shocked - is still going gangbusters. I popped into a couple of vinyl shops recently and was told by both owners that the demand is greater than ever, and that claim was supported by the asking prices of the albums they were selling. I'm still sitting on over a thousand albums from when I was young, and I really need to get my ass in gear and sell them before the LP bubble bursts...
The pronoun I has always been capitalized in the English language for more than 700 years.
- WJC
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Re: What else do you collect, or have you collected in the past?
I personally collect coins and vinyl records! I also used to collect old military paraphernalia (uniforms, ammo cans, etc.) My interest in typewriters comes from my love of various vintage items, especially of vintage office materials.
A Royal fangirl, through and through.
- Kanar
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Re: What else do you collect, or have you collected in the past?
I once collected a lot of rare video game items; it was quite a collection!
But i lost interest in it completely when I grew up.
Somehow, playing games seemed like a substitute for the lack of opportunities in real life - opportunities to improve myself or my situation, to move on, to build up something. I did not see any chances to do that at that time.
Many video games seem to rely on similar mechanisms: You build up your character, your city or what ever, you collect items, you get rewards (stimulating the reward center of your brain)... but in the end, it's all virtual of course and you don't get any profit from it in real life.
But doing the same thing IRL and to actually improve yourself our your situation can be quite rewarding, too.
Today, I am lucky to have made some of those opportunities available and it worked out quite well (even if these times we have now are very difficult)... so I rarely play any of those games (if at all).
