Hi Freya, I just came across this when I was browsing the site today.
Your post made me laugh because…. I was that customer!
Its a funny experience having it told from a third party point of view. I always try to be polite, however there was no way I was going to go away with a roll that might have been opened. I know all about Stanleys from years of experience, but I didn't have any choice as I needed some stock for the next day.
It had to be a slow daylight stock and it had to be in 100ft daylight loading rolls for my Bolex RX5.
I always used to get all my stock direct from the motion picture sales team at Kodak in Hemel Hempstead, they delivered it to my door, gave me a great discount, and were a pleasure to deal with. All that changed a few months ago, now they say they will only sell to companies and only for orders of £1,000 plus.
Of course there is Fuji, around the corner from Stanleys in Soho Square, but I had already been there on that day and they were all out of their 64D in 100ft rolls and the next shipment from Japan wasn't due for a month. And while I have used the 64D and it is a great stock, it is very different from 7203.
So, does anyone have any recommendations of where to get 100ft rolls of Kodak 7203 from? In London there is the Widescreen Centre and Stanleys and I think that is it. Both charge full price, no discount, which is a lot more than Kodak used to charge me.
Such a shame about Kodak, I have been buying stock from them for years and years, going back to the awesome 25ASA 16mm Kodachrome, and then 7245. Even back then everyone was telling me film was dead… never believed it, but now I am starting to wonder when even Kodak are losing interest.
Finally, to be fair to Stanleys, I think it was just that the sealing tab had come open, I don't think the can had been opened, but I didn't want to take the risk as I was filming something that I wouldn't be able to get again.
And in case you were wondering everything I shot with the other cans came out great!
