…But it’s not moving around much.

My local film sources are drying up, and I’ve had to resort to buying film on the (gasp!) internet. Wolf/Ritz Cameras used to sell Fuji Superia 100/24 4 packs but the last few stores I checked said they haven’t received ANY FILM in their last few shipments. WAL*MART and Walgreens are closing out their 110 film; I bought WAL*MART out of their Kodak 400 110 a few weeks back. Last year, Walgreens had a run on Kodak HD 400 and Kodak 400, both great films. I bought 9 rolls, in retrospect I should have bought more – HD 400 has wonderful colors and surprisingly small grain. I haven’t been able to find Lucky 100 film in years, I’m down to my last half-dozen rolls dated March 2005.

100 ISO film has been scarce for some time; as people shot with point-and-shoot cameras, they needed the extra 2-3 stops of exposure to make up for slow zoom lenses. The industry stepped up to the plate, and new 400 and 800 ISO films are much less grainy and much more vibrant than old 400s were in 2000.

So, what’s left? The internet is still going strong. B&H, Adorama and Amazon all have stocks of 35mm. Cheap film is getting scarce, but semi-pro and pro film is still going strong, but at more bucks per image. Your Local $.99 Store may surprise you. Often, $.99 200 ISO no-name film is really Fuji, Agfa, or another brand. If you’re shooting film in a $.99 camera, why not try $.99 film?Ditto for expired film. Don’t be afraid to experiment. The Four Corners Dark Store and the Lomographic Society have expired film specials, and most indie camera stores will sell their expired film or “short” film (film due to expire Any Day Now) at a discount

Keep your eyes open for closeouts.

Good Hunting!