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  1. #1
    Dinosaur carney2's Avatar
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    Film: Import vs. USA

    I understand the difference for warrantied hard goods such as camera bodies and lenses, but the difference in film eludes me. I bring this up because the price difference in film can be enormous. Case in point:

    B&H is offering Fuji's Provia 400F for $9.75 USA vs. $5.95 Import. That's a difference of 64%!

    Why should I pay the premium for USA?

  2. #2
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    Seems like the only big difference is in the distribution channel. I shoot imported and USAW film most of the time and have never had a problem.

    --Jeff

  3. #3
    has-been... another view's Avatar
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    I've seen this question come up many times before and I can't think of any time that someone has had a problem with import film. Personally, I also shoot USAW or import, and I buy from B&H. They've been around a long time, and didn't do that by selling bad film. If they had a problem, they'd fix it.

    The extra cost comes from the distribution channel - the process of getting it from the factory to the store's cooler is very controlled. With grey market film, you don't know how it got from point A to point B. There are always stories about how someone got a bunch of film for nothing, turns out it was stuck in a railroad car in the desert for a month, etc. If you buy from an unknown place, you may have a bigger chance for potential problems - just stick to a reputable place and you'll be fine.

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