Quote:
Originally Posted by Alisha  Quote: |
I will warn you, get CHEAP film. I spend all of my money on film and film processing...literally.
| lol I already spend half my money on film and processing. The other half goes to buying cameras.  |
In case you don't already know, some of the least expensive film is available from
Freestyle Photo. They have a line of house-brand products called "Arista." The Arista.EDU Ultra products are the current price champs. They're made by Foma. Other Arista products are made by others (including Kodak for some new bulk-loaded 35mm film). Pay attention to the specific name (Arista Premium, Arista.EDU Ultra, etc.). Personally, I rather like the look of the Foma products, although the quality control leaves a bit to be desired.
Speaking of bulk loading, that can be a good way to save money on 35mm film. For instance: a 100-foot bulk roll of Arista.EDU Ultra 400 costs $23.99. That'll give you about 18 36-exposure rolls. Each 36-exposure roll of this film costs $2.39, so 18 rolls would set you back $43.02. You can pick up a used bulk loader on eBay for $10-$30 shipped (sometimes a bit more if the auction includes lots of extras). A new one costs about $30-$50. You'll need film cartridges, but if you
load onto cartridges from a minilab these can be free. The bottom line is that bulk loading will pay for itself after just one or two bulk rolls.