The other day Coaxial and I went to Beau Photo to grab some pack film and the like.  I love that Beau is making a commitment to stock all sorts of films and the best variety of plastic cameras that I am aware of in the lower mainland, but we were in for quite the shock when we went to pay for our film.  Coaxial tossed down their last 10 pack of Fuji FP100C and a twin pack of Polaroid 667 onto the counter and started fishing around for pocket change to pay for it. That will be $78 please.

Errrrr.. What? that doesn’t sound right…. are you sure that we have the right things listed?  After some verification over the phone with some mystery character in the back he assured us that this was in fact the new and correct price for their Polaroid film.  Now I know that you are the only people in town that somewhat reliably stocks this stuff, and I know that Polaroid has disco’d all of the ‘instant’ product line, and I know that you are a business and you are here to make money, but doubling and in some cases nearly tripling the price of all your Polaroid films is a little silly!  I even dug out older receipts to see and last time I bought Fuji FP100C (which they are not even discontinuing) I payed $12.26 for it.  They wanted $25!

I came home fired up B&H photo, went to the film section, and bought a whole whack of stuff!

  • 2 packs of the Fuji FP-3000B for $9.95 each (I have never tried it, but I hope it is super contrasty)
  • 2 packs of the Fuji FP-100C at $8.99 each (that is $16.00 cheaper)
  • 1 twin pack of the Polaroid 690 for $25.00 (as opposed to the $42.00)

all for the total price of $43.94. That is 60 exposures with a variety of films for nearly the same price that they wanted for 1 twin pack!!

The way I look at it is that I have somehow saved money so I also grabbed 25 rolls of Kodak Portra 400VC 120 & 35mm and some new colour paper developer for when I get the dark room rockin again!

That aside they are still awesome in other ways. everyone should check out and enter Plastic Photographer

7 thoughts on “Just Because You Can Doesn’t Mean You Should!

  1. JESUS.

    That is an insulting price for the Fuji packfilm. Fuji isn’t doing a damn thing to their line of 3.25X4.25 instant film line (except rebranding some as Polaroid and charging more for it). There’s no reason to bump the Fuji price that much. IT STINKS! Pee on their wall at the next drunk blog night, and blog about it.

    Somebody there deserves some…something. Something bad but not too terrible. At least horribly inconvenient. Call the police and tell them the manager tried to rob you, because it’s true. Well, tried to rob Coaxial. And every other customer who buys instant film. What a bunch of assholes!

    I’m angry! And it’s only 11am! I want some bacon!

  2. Umm… well put! :) I in fact don’t think that I have heard a grievance spelled out quite so clearly before!! So well in fact that I am now researching places to drink near by so there can be a drunken wall peeing/blogging happen in short order! I am going to see how this whole ordering film from the states thing works out, for if it does well I think we may all have to go in on a preposterously large order and stock our fridges with something other then beer! I am not really sure where the bacon come in though! :)

  3. I’ve ordered from B&H before (though not from home) and found them to be good. Adorama too, though their customer service is terrible.

    As for the bacon, it’s delicious. We don’t need to justify that. :)

  4. I’ve noticed that Beau has ‘stranger prices’ and prices for people they know. I know because I once paid $5 for a screw there.

    I guess you could call it an idiot price too.

  5. Simon That is interesting I have use the Fp100c with the Holgaroid before, so it should fit. I am curious as to what holga back you have but as long as it is designed to take the type 80 films you should be golden. also make sure that you don’t have the 4×5 version of the FP100c (it will say FP100c45 on it) A quick description of how it doesn’t fit and possibly a photo might help as well.

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