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09/28/10 --- Most people buy their camera film in boxes of one to four ready-to-use rolls. However, bulk loading 35mm film is an alternative favored by some photographers. Can you really save much money using this method, and is it worth the effort?
One-hundred foot packages of Kodak bulk film are available from B&H Photo-Video and Adorama.com, among others. They generally cost around $53 to $68 dollars after shipping and handling. Some of these also show up on eBay.com (search for "100 feet 35mm film", and try replacing "feet" with "ft"), but watch out for expired films.
It is also necessary to have standard-size canisters to hold the individual rolls of film. These are sometimes referred to as empty 35mm "cassettes". Amazon.com, Buy.com, and others sell these for around 65 cents each (after S/H). You might find some old cassettes or a very large quantity for less per-unit.
You will also need a bulk film loader, which puts the film into the cassettes. These are available on eBay.com for as little as $15 USD, though some cost much more. Both new and used units can be found. Be sure to read the bulk film loader instructions and carry out the process very carefully to avoid ruining the valuable supplies.
According to frugalphotographer.com (which also sells some bulk loading products), a hundred-foot package of bulk film produces around 650 exposures. Suppose you pay $55 for 100 feet of Kodak 35mm and $11 for 18 empty cassettes; not including the one-time expense of buying a bulk film loader, the per-exposure cost is $0.10.
So how does loading bulk 35mm film compare to buying it in a store? Many stores sell Kodak film for around $0.13-0.17 per exposure, so you'd save about $1.80 per 36 exposure roll. You might be able to find lower cost bulk loading supplies than those mentioned above, but then you may also have the ability to locate cheaper ready-to-use films.
Basically, bulk loading film can save money, but it's only worth the extra effort and the cost of the bulk loader if you take plenty of photos. If you just hit the shutter button every other day, you're only going to save around $9/year, taking at least two years to pay for the loader. The bulk film may also expire too soon.
On the other hand, a photographer who takes five pictures per day on average would probably save over $90 during the first year of bulk loading. He or she would use around 300 feet of 35mm film, so there wouldn't be any need to worry about exceeding expiration dates.
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