100 speed film.

Is it just my imagination, or is it getting harder to find ASA100 35mm film any more? In Toronto, it's virtually

impossible to get anything, and over this past weekend, I asked a friend of mine to grab me some Fuji 100 of any

kind while shopping down in Buffalo. My friend came back with a 36 frame roll of Fuji Reala and she said that

was all that was there. The shopping party hit four or five different camera shops and you can't find the stuff.

What gives? The last time I was in Buffalo, I came back with a couple of four packs at a decent price.

I'm in the upper midwest (US), and 100 has been hard to find for years. Consumer-grade 200, 400, 800 are readily available.

Reala has been my 100 speed film of choice for quite some time both in 35mm and in 120. If you're only going to have it developed and scanned, the lower cost Fuji Superia 100 or Kodak Gold 100 might do what you want. I haven't tried the new Ektar 100 yet so I can't comment on it.<div></div>

same here in rural Pa.

only sources,drugstores grocery stores and out ":7-11" sized walmart.

But the "dented can" grocery store had iso 200 at a good price and 14 months IN DATE.

BUT as discussed the simple P&S cameras with a f/5.6 lens, NEED 200,400 or 800.

those of us that still have f/2 or f/1.4 lenses are out of step.

I wanted to try out the argus a2 and pony IV.

I know I cannot get iso 32 or 64 negative film anymore.

Indeed!! It's hard to find in your typical drugstore/department store in Germany. Actually, film in general is becoming a rarity! Meanwhile my Fav is.. the local drugstore 200 in a 12 exposure roll for .95Euro.

Lets me shoot my diffeerent 35s without commiting to 36exp. I think my local drugstore only has 100 Elite as both the only slide/100 speed film available .

Call Freestyle or B&H.

An alternative that I've found has been to use a 2 or 3 stop neutral density filter on faster film. On a rangefinder or TLR it's no problem, but on an SLR, it affects the focusing a bit. My Ikonta has a top speed of 1/100 of a second, but I have it loaded with ASA800 right now. Just about everything I shoot goes through a 3 stop ND.

Rob,

 

Not your imagination - I've been snapping up 100ASA film whenever I see it for years, as it is like you say, scarce. The military BX and PXs were pretty good about carrying it. No more though. Ironically, a friend of mine that is a hardcore yard sale fanatic brought be a trash bag full of 100ASA print film that he picked up for a couple bucks. It was clear someone had bought bricks of the stuff. Ya gotta wonder why. One of the bricks had not even been broken open. They are tucked away in my freezer.

 

Ray

It was mentioned once in Popular Photo. magazine that 100 speed film was actually 200 speed but with an extra layer (ND?) to slow it down because the grain technology had reached the point where 100/200 was indistinguishable from each other. I believe that was Kodak they said that about but it might have been true for Fuji also.

 

I see plenty of 100 speed available online. Try Porters.

 

That is funny about film in Germany. The 100 speed film sold in Walgreens says "Made in Germany" on it.

Our Target has been selling Fuji 100 in the 12 exposure rolls for awhile, and at 99 cents! You might try looking

there if there's one nearby. I thought at first that they were doing it until their stock ran out, but they keep

replacing whatever is bought. Who knows how long it'll last though? It's a perfect size roll for testing a 'new'

camera. Our camera shop also has Fuji Reala; as a matter of fact they have Fuji in every speed through 1600 and in

120. What they don't have is much Kodak film of any kind, 35mm or 120.

It's tougher still to find slower film than 100. If you want to shoot wide open on a sunny day, you have to have an ND filter. Worse yet, you have to remember to take it off!

Aren't too many small camera stores around anymore either.

thanks the internet and big stores like Best Buys and a number of others.

But, I have not had any trouble finding the Reala and Superia mentioned above.

Othewise the new 160 Portra series films are very good.

But I do my film purchaes etc on line myself now as it is cheaper than driving up town to get it.

Try the Reala and maybe a couple rolls of Superia which is a little punchier.

Problem #2 for some will be getting it developed. Which I just send mine UPS up to L.A. also and haven't had any problems.

Well, I like shooting Kodak's 100UC, but it's a pro. film, so pharmacies and the like typically wouldn't carry it, anyway. As for something such as Gold 100, I agree, unlike during the 1990s, it's now very difficult to find at non-specialty stores. 200, 400, and even 800 are still there, but one almost has to visit B&H to lose that stop.

I have turned to http://discountfilmsdirect.co.uk/ since it is virtually impossible to get anything but 400 ISO in the average photo store in Denmark.

Rob, I stopped long time ago to look for film at the gas station or the store around the corner. Henry's carries all kinds of film, perhaps not the cheapest but I found that buying bulk rolls and loading my own cassettes it saves me some money. Few weeks ago I bought 100 FT roll of Ilford HP4 Plus 125 for $64.50 from Henry's in Mississauga. That comes to approx $3-4 per 36 pos roll. Same store sells the HP4 125 for $7.99 per 36 pos roll. If you are actually saying that the era of cheap film ended then I have to fully agree with you. There are also good sources of reasonably priced film on the web such as freestyle photo but then you have to pay shipping...

"Is it just my imagination, or is it getting harder to find ASA100 35mm film any more?"

 

It is easy enough to buy online, but I don't see it on shelves much in mall stores in the US anymore. I assume enough isn't sold to justify the shelf-space, unlike 200, 400, 800 speed film.

 

Order it from BH, Adorama, Freestyle -- wherever you choose.

The comment about 100 speed film really being 200 speed film, masked for lower sensitivity, is very interesting. Can anyone confirm this?

My most local camera shop has stopped carrying decent negative film. The market's just not strong enough.

Fuji CN<br>

Fuji Reala CS<br>

Kodak Ektar 100<br>

Kodak GA Gold<br>

Kodak Ultra 100UC <br>

Lomo 100<p>

You may also want to ask around in <a href="http://www.apug.org/forums/forum13/">APUG's forums</a> frequented by lots of film-friendly folks.<p>

-- <br>

Henry Posner<br>

<b>B&H Photo-Video</b>

Why bother to look at the store inventory if someone can get it online? I have seen a "store brend" 100 film in my around the corner supermarket but I am not buing it. Film says "Made in Italy". I have no idea it may be Agfa rebrend ir something else.

"Made in in Italy" means the film is Ferrania.

Ferrania??? is it a good one. I have never tried. It is dirt cheap in that store.

Other than an otherworldy color palette, Ferrania is ok. Try it, maybe you will like it.

I think that Freestyle sells Ferrania color print film under its Arista brand.

I recently bought 100 rolls of Reala 100 24exp.at the rate of $1/roll, followed by trading one 100ft roll of Arista 400 for 45 rolls of Reala 100. Film is plenty available and it is cheap.