4x5 Film Stock.

soupdragon

soupdragon

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Tony
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I'm finding it very difficult to source 4x5 slide film these days.
Every time I do the google search thing less and less suppliers have stock.
I am down to 6 boxes of E100 in the freezer.
Yes I can still get it but it's getting harder to find.

Anyone else struggling?
 
I've noticed that it is getting more difficult with colour film in all sizes. Kodak seem to be trying to starve the market, and Fuji appear to be more interested in discontinuing films rather than selling them. I'm not happy about this disregard for photographers, although it doesn't directly affect me as I don't use colour film in sheet sizes, and hardly ever in roll film.

I am acutely aware that they will start dropping black and white eventually (Fuji stopped Acros in quickloads years ago) but at least there are more than just these two in the black and white business.
 
I usually get mine from Intrepid camera. They seem to have some in stock currently, although having not bought for a while I have realised the price creeping up again. :(

intrepidcamera.co.uk

Kodak Ektachrome E100 4x5 Film (10 Sheets)

Kodak Ektachrome 100 is a super-fine grain slide film developed from a previous and legendary incarnation. As with all slide films it is super sensitive but when properly exposed offers incredibly bright clean colours.
intrepidcamera.co.uk intrepidcamera.co.uk
 
Surely this is just a matter of demand?

If there are too few prospective customers for a product, it will be impractical to carry on making it. Film requires several complex materials and processes.

For large format users, one answer may be to return to glass plates and hand coating.
 
StephenM said:
I've noticed that it is getting more difficult with colour film in all sizes. Kodak seem to be trying to starve the market, and Fuji appear to be more interested in discontinuing films rather than selling them. I'm not happy about this disregard for photographers, although it doesn't directly affect me as I don't use colour film in sheet sizes, and hardly ever in roll film.

I am acutely aware that they will start dropping black and white eventually (Fuji stopped Acros in quickloads years ago) but at least there are more than just these two in the black and white business.
Click to expand...
I am surprised at Fuji as there is a big demand for there slide films.
I am told that Kodak are still manufacturing but they'd rather sell to the US or Japan.

My freezer is rammed with 120 colour film both slide and negative. I rekon I have about 8 years worth.
I'll have three more boxes E100 and 3 more of Ektar 4x5 by end of play tomorrow so I'm good there for a number of years.

i may be living in fantasy land but I'm hoping it's all down to supply chain issues.
 
Downhill Specialist said:
I usually get mine from Intrepid camera. They seem to have some in stock currently, although having not bought for a while I have realised the price creeping up again. :(

intrepidcamera.co.uk

Kodak Ektachrome E100 4x5 Film (10 Sheets)

Kodak Ektachrome 100 is a super-fine grain slide film developed from a previous and legendary incarnation. As with all slide films it is super sensitive but when properly exposed offers incredibly bright clean colours.
intrepidcamera.co.uk intrepidcamera.co.uk
Click to expand...
Yes, I just bought three boxes from them + 3 boxes of Ektar.
 
I read an article on this recently somewhere (although I can't remember where, sorry). As @AndrewFlannigan suggests, it's a matter of supply and demand, although in this case increased demand. The big manufacturers had reduced capacity as photographers moved from film to digital but now, as there is a resurgence in analogue photography, they are struggling to meet demand, even though this is still greatly below what it was in film's heyday.

Although Kodak are now investing in greater capacity (I don't think Fujifilm really care) there is still more demand than they can meet, so colour film quickly sells out and the price increases.

There are other factors such as shortage of materials etc., and the pandemic didn't help either, but increased demand means there is not enough to go round, in all colour formats.
 
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And just to add that I recently had an email from Firstcall announcing that after 3 years of trying, they finally received some 35mm Kodak Gold film. So it may well be that Kodak don't really worry about the UK. I haven't checked B&H in New York, but as I've said before, I have bought Ilford film from them that after P&P and duty etc. was cheaper than I could get from Harman in Cheshire.
 
Grab anything you can get your hands on off ebay. My stocks are healthy enough, almost everything is outdated but still shoots fine
 
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