Visit to Blue Moon Camera

<p>Since the missus wanted to visit an old friend in Portland today I also took the opportunity to visit Blue Moon Camera. This was my first chance to see the store. This place is a film lovers delight with a friendly and enthusiastic staff. Although I really didn't need the film I bought two rolls of Minox 8X11 Delta 100 36exp loads. There is no sales tax in Oregon so the total was $40. A bit steep but you have to understand they only get the raw cassettes and plastic boxes they come in from Minox. They have to felt the cassettes and load them with film. so all in all I think this is a fair price and the alternative is no supplier of 8X11 film at all in North America. I just felt I had to support that kind of dedication to keeping the format alive. The cassettes looked exactly like the ones I bought on e-bay that held color film and were over 25 years past date. </p>

<p>As an interesting aside, there was a young couple in the store with their son, I say he was 9 or10 perhaps. The dad had a Hasselblad slung over his shoulder and the kid had an AE-1 around his neck. They were at the photofinishing desk ordering up some prints. I engaged the family in a brief conversation and congratulated the young man on using film. He just grinned from ear to ear.</p>

<p>The whole store is film and paper and chemicals and a fairly good selection of used film cameras and lenses, the most I've seen in one location for a long time. (Not a digital camera in sight) It's too bad I live two hours away or I would make it a regular stop.</p>

<p>Great report, thanks for sharing</p>

<p>$20 a roll is good price, as the new Minox cassette is worth $10, the film is only $10.<br>

It is great way to get new Minox cassette for later reloading</p>

<p>I agree Martin. Reloading amortizes the price per roll down to a reasonable amount. My rough, back of the envelope math indicates that just three 35mm T-Max 100 36exp would yield 12 re-loads so total total price per roll would be less than $3 a roll. Even if I include the materials cost for building my film stripper, less than $20, then that would be 13 rolls for a total price of $55, still well less than $5 a roll.</p>