New film supplier on the market

RaglanSurf

RaglanSurf

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Well its new to me, just noticed this. Could be good news. Obviously we won't know until we see the prices and can get some real reviews but hopefully will be a good addition to our film supply services.

https://analoguewonderland.co.uk
 
OK, interesting. I've signed up to the mailing list and we shall wait and see what happens. Even though I am the eternal optimist my suspicion is that prices will be high especially on the more exotic films, I hope I'm wrong.
 
Hey folk, Paul here- founder of Analogue Wonderland :) I noticed quite a few referrals from this forum across the afternoon so I hope you don't mind me jumping into the conversation! With one month to go I'm at the point of finalising range and pricing so now is a great time for you to throw in any thoughts and feedback to help me make the shop super-useful for you.

So, specifically:
1) What would make a "great bargain"? And please don't say fresh Kodachrome at 2-for-£1 ;-) that one would be a stretch... But seriously, what would be AWESOME
2) When you say exotic films, what do you have in mind? Rare/expired stuff or the new brands like JCH Streetpan and Dubble? And why are you worried about the prices on these being high, what's the concern/observations of the current market that sound like they're putting you off?

I can't promise miracles, but if you have anything you want me to bear in mind over the critical couple of weeks then I can promise that I'll do my best!

Thanks for having me here,
Paul McKay
 
Hi Paul,
Welcome to the forum. It’s great to see more support for the film world and hope your venture is a success.

For me I’d just like to a site with prices that make it my go-to site for film stock. I’m not r ally looking for rare or unusual film although I’m happy to dabble
With some of the more unusual stuff like JCH, Cine-Still and Berger etc.

If you can come up competitive pricing for Portra, Tri-X and some 4x5 film then I’d be happy.

And of course if you can source some Kodachrome complete with developing that would be awesome.
 
Analogue Wonderland said:
Hey folk, Paul here- founder of Analogue Wonderland :) I noticed quite a few referrals from this forum across the afternoon so I hope you don't mind me jumping into the conversation! With one month to go I'm at the point of finalising range and pricing so now is a great time for you to throw in any thoughts and feedback to help me make the shop super-useful for you.

So, specifically:
1) What would make a "great bargain"? And please don't say fresh Kodachrome at 2-for-£1 ;-) that one would be a stretch... But seriously, what would be AWESOME
2) When you say exotic films, what do you have in mind? Rare/expired stuff or the new brands like JCH Streetpan and Dubble? And why are you worried about the prices on these being high, what's the concern/observations of the current market that sound like they're putting you off?

I can't promise miracles, but if you have anything you want me to bear in mind over the critical couple of weeks then I can promise that I'll do my best!

Thanks for having me here,
Paul McKay
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It may be worth your while getting in touch with the mods on here. PM @Cobra as he is normally around.
I'd hate to see a new member falling foul of the rules regarding suppliers/advertisers :)

I look forward to seeing your pricing. I just use run of the mill film.
 
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If you'd asked me a week ago, I would have said that price wasn't my second consideration (the first being the actual film); but since then I noticed the wide discrepancy between UK prices and those on the B&H web site in the states. I find it hard to accept that film that costs £116 (B&H's conversion from $165) costs £293 in the UK. I think that this may be an extreme case, but even Ilford film is cheaper to buy from B&H and pay shipping etc. So if you can keep the prices to a more reasonable level than other UK suppliers, that would be very welcome.

On the shop front, one thing that I always find annoying with the Silverprint site is that you have to choose the emulsion before you can find out if you can get it in sheet film or roll film. It's simply a matter of how they choose to classify, and it does take me longer if I'm trying to check availability in the only sizes I use. I have found that the fact that SIlverprint (for example) don't stock film X in 5x4 doesn't mean that someone else won't - so it's not a simple case of just knowing what's available in what size, as different dealers carry different items.

I'll sign up for your newsletter AFTER the closing date for entry into the draw, just in case I was unlucky enough to win film I wouldn't use :D
 
As above, I'm not overly worried about exotic film stocks but I'm always looking for competitive deals on the likes of HP5, FP4, Portra, Ektar e.t.c. I reckon if you could source bulk rolls of Tri-X at a fair price then you would be onto a winner! The last time I checked I don't think it worked out any cheaper than buying ordinary 36 exp rolls of Tri-X.
 
As Acros heads off into the pages of history, an alternative with great reciprocity characteristics would probably find a market.
 
Analogue Wonderland said:
1) What would make a "great bargain"? And please don't say fresh Kodachrome at 2-for-£1 ;-) that one would be a stretch... But seriously, what would be AWESOME
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Welcome to TP; I wish you all the best with the business. In answer to your question - personally I have no real website loyalty, buying purely at the place that offers the best value for whatever emulsion I am looking for at the time. Sometimes websites offer the cheapest film, but seem to use wildly expensive postage options (expensive tracked couriers), which instantly make them the most expensive option (and thus I don't buy from them). There are still enough film suppliers that I think the common emulsions can still be bought purely based on price; obviously the rare emulsions are where you can carve your niche as a business.
 
kendo1 said:
It may be worth your while getting in touch with the mods on here. PM @Cobra as he is normally around.
I'd hate to see a new member falling foul of the rules regarding suppliers/advertisers :)

I look forward to seeing your pricing. I just use run of the mill film.
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Ah ok - sure I'll get in touch - thanks for the heads-up
 
Everyone - thank you so much for your thoughts. I've checked with the mods on commercial posts, they're happy for me to answer as long as I avoid anything that comes across as selling :) so I promise not to be pushy and annoying!

And already you've given some amazing food for thought. The way that silverprint does the filters, I would never have noticed that @StephenM so thank you

As for the rest, I'm broadly noticing that being competitive on pricing (including postage) is going to be key - and making sure the classics like Tri-X and Portra are well-represented. I also really like the thought of @mdjchat on doing deals on bulk, that makes a lot of sense to me and isn't something I see in the marketplace at all at the moment.

Feel free to add more comments - I promise I will read and consider them all! Thank you for your interest and feedback already :)
 
niko said:
there seems to be terms to signing up but no way to view them " T&Cs apply"
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Hey @niko - thanks for the note. T&Cs are super-simple: you need a UK address to be valid for a price (although I think I'll relax that unofficially for anyone in the EU postal region), the giveaway closes on the 16th May so enter beforehand, and signing up to the Giveaway is also signing up to mailing list. That's it!
But I hear you, and if this isn't as obvious as I'd imagined (always hard to see things you've been working on with fresh eyes!) then I'll rewrite the copy
Thanks for your comment, Paul
 
As others have said, good deals on bulk purchases would be great.

I'd be up for trying some 'exotics' too.

Knowing the film is actually in stock when you order is essential I would say.

Hopefully the site will become the 'go to' place for buying film rather than trawling around for one off deals.

Good luck with it!
 
Agree with the bulk buying idea on Tri-X and Portra films, also a great idea for those new to film would be mixed taster packs of classic films, (like the Film Photography Project do in the USA) maybe with a guide to the characteristics of each film and going back to your initial post about more exotic and unusable film perhaps you could do mixed taster packs of them too.
 
I don't do anything bigger than 120, but there seems to be quite an interest in larger format.
Is larger format film easily available at deceent prices?
 
In my (limited) experience, if you want to know what is available, you have to search multiple sites. Some films you can get from e.g. SIlverprint, but they don't stock some brands and you have to search Maco et al to find them. Prices vary widely, and even within the UK. Sometimes the lowest price isn't from a company you'd immediately associate with film sales - a few months ago the cheapest UK source for FP4 in 10x8 was Mr Cad. If you want an easy life, B&H carry one of the biggest ranges, and so far I haven't found a case where they don't undercut e.g. Silverprint, sometimes by a sizeable margin, making them the cheapest source, even after postage.

In summary - if you want a common film, they are easy to find in most places. After that, you have to start looking and some films seem to rely on a single supplier, so you need to search. If you don't know that a film even exists, Google doesn't help as you can't seach for it.

Edit to add: That suggests another thing I'd like to find on a web site - what is actually available, and where you can get it if that web site doesn't sell it. That alone could keep me watching the site, which is half the battle to making a sale. That might be a step too far though - despite it working in Miracle on 42nd Street :D
 
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RaglanSurf said:
Agree with the bulk buying idea on Tri-X and Portra films, also a great idea for those new to film would be mixed taster packs of classic films, (like the Film Photography Project do in the USA) maybe with a guide to the characteristics of each film and going back to your initial post about more exotic and unusable film perhaps you could do mixed taster packs of them too.
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Agree with the idea for those (me) new to film or getting back into it, especially with a guide...
 
Does anyone currently manufacture film cameras?
 
I believe the Nikon F6 is still in production, possibly the Mamiya 645 AFD III (?), Voigtlander Bessa R4M - Corrected, not in production - and possibly some others(?), some lomo cameras, I believe the Leica M7 is still going, intrepid cameras, Chroma cameras, and there are bound to be some more as well.

Edit to add:

Shen Hao
 
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From Gray's website as per Jonathan's post above.
Nikon F6 body
Nikon's ultimate film body. Produced in limited batches and the only top-quality 35mm film body produced by a major Japanese manufacturer. Incorporating all the advances of the F5 and fitted with a multi-control back as standard. Superb technical excellence. (RRP £1,900.00)
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There was also that recent Kickstarter, the Reflex. Looks like it may be suffering the usual KS project delays. Hopefully not affecting the Chroma!

And a strange Russian camera, whose details escape me...

EDIT: It appears the R4M is no more, according to PetaPixel a couple of years ago..
 
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ChrisR said:
There was also that recent Kickstarter, the Reflex. Looks like it may be suffering the usual KS project delays. Hopefully not affecting the Chroma!.
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No delays here Chris. I've just ordered around £2000 worth of small components (enough to build 150 cameras);

150 - Wingnut Bolts
1350 - M5 Rivnut
5700 - M3 Rivnut
900 - M5 x 10mm black countersunk allen head screw
4800 - M3 x 10mm black countersunk allen head screw
300 - M3 x 5mm black countersunk allen head screw
150 - Tripod thread insert
150 - 18x9 Bubble level
300 - 10x6 Bubble Level
150 - Ground Glass
150 - Pinhole plates
300 - 2mm lasercut Steel Graflok Plates
300 - 0.9mm lasercut Steel Spring Plates

I'm now working out the best nesting for the laser cut acrylic parts to use the large 3020x2030mm sheets as efficiently as possible before ordering around £3000 worth of acrylic. If nothing else, I'm going to have a workshop full of parts!
 
Quite a few large format cameras are still made - Mike Walker in the UK for one is still in business. I know that Keith Canham is still selling, so I assume still making. Chamonix are in business and Gibellini (sp?). I heard of another UK maker (NOT Chroma or Intrepid) though I can't recall the name off hand. I assume Linhof are still making, and there are a number of others like Cambo and Arca-Swiss who may still be producing cameras. I don't know about the other half dozen or so LF makers in the US that were producing cameras a few years ago.

I suppose that given the easy availability of so many good 35mm and roll film cameras which are the hardest to manufacture in small quantities, it's easy to see why they would not be made new. With large format though, manufacture was always a craftsman's job, with each camera being hand made. In this case, there has been relatively little change.
 
kendo1 said:
I don't do anything bigger than 120, but there seems to be quite an interest in larger format.
Is larger format film easily available at deceent prices?
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Yes - if you commit to the volume and the range - so definitely something I'm investing in. Especially as I've noticed big interest surge in large formats from the new generation of photographers - probably helped by some of the amazing new large format companies people have mentioned above
 
Ok brilliant - thank you all.

It looks like the "starter pack" idea has a lot of traction, as a way to get (back) into film - with a guide.
And not having a clear view of stock is also coming up quite a bit as a big frustration! So... I think this weekend I will invest some extra time in the stock-management back-end.... :)
 
I know it's been mentioned a few times, but price is important. For me, price doesn't necessarily mean the cheapest, but the overall value of the product + the service. Don't profit on postage, which a lot of businesses, especially smaller businesses seem to do a lot, which immediately puts me off.
 
Woodsy said:
So, did anyone win the mailing list prize draw? I didn't :(
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Me neither, but I rarely win draws, raffles, lottery and the like. And never anything from football pools or Premium Bonds. :crying:
 
I couldn't win a fight against myself... Nowt winging its way to sunny Sheff.
 
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