Disappearance of ISO 800+ film?

[Scheimpflug]

A few weeks ago, I set out to buy some ISO 800 or 1600 film, only to find that none is available locally. I've been to every camera store, most of the mini-labs, many of the chemists & corner convenience stores, the electronics stores, the "big box" stores, etc... and nobody carries anything other than 100, 200, and 400 speed film.

The camera stores and mini-labs have all said that they can order some 800 speed film, but it will come from half way across the country, and at a cost of NZ $20+ per roll (~ US $15.37 or €11.51), more than 3x the cost of ISO 100/200/400 film. The ISO 1600 film would be even more! From the responses I have received asking about these films, I get the impression that I'm the first person in years to ask for them.


Is the retreat of high-ISO film happening in other parts of the world, or is it just New Zealand? Can you still buy ISO 800/1600/3200 film locally in your area?

[Kram]

I rarely buy film locally but B&H Photo and Freestyle still stock many high speed films.
220 is sadly getting rare and B&W 220 is extinct now.

Hope we can keep medium format alive! I haven't shot 35mm film in five years.

[Scheimpflug]

[martinsmith99]

Just push HP5 or get some 1600 Neopan which is really about 800iso or Delta 3200 which is about 1000.

[mo]

Did you manage to score that 800 on #bay? I will be going to the bigger town soon and will check out the camera shops.
Try this link...I think peterqd put me onto this site when i was looking for film..
http://www.visionimagelab.com.au/main/page_shop_online_fuji_colour_negative_c41.html

[Scheimpflug]

[Scheimpflug]

[Sevo]

Fast films are getting scarce - Fuji already cancelled Neopan 1600 and Pro 800Z. It would be quite a surprise if Superia 1600 and Portra 800 don't soon go the way of the dodo as well - professional use of fast colour film will be pretty much zero now, DSLRs beat it in just about every discipline. Black and white has more justification, and Fuji already killed theirs, which leaves a bit more market for the two remaining ones.

For out of the way places with expensive shipping like NZ, perspectives for film photographers in general are somewhat grim - exotic materials already have to be mail ordered from the few economies big enough to have some local market for these freak products. At the very best, you'll find some camera store shipping from Australia, otherwise it is getting seriously expensive.

That is, as long as subsidized shipping rates from Hongkong and China are as cheap as right now, I'd probably shop there rather than in Australia - currently it is often cheaper to order from Hongkong to Germany rather than from adjacent Austria. But it rather looks s if the WTO will put their foot down on this sooner or later, so that that loophole won't exist in the long run...