[Eyewanders]

Well speaking as someone who was in the audio and the phot industry for a quarter century I'd say vinyl di virtually die, I kept buying it but only a small number of releases actually came out on vinyl for most of 95-2005. Film isn't dead but it is far more marginalized than vinyl already the number of films available are a good indicator. The hipster factor has helped (lomo included) but I don't see long term viability for colour just too hard to manufacture requiring massive runs. The day Hollywood abandons film is the final nail in the colour coffin b/w otoh I think will hang around, it can be produced in small batches, it can be processed almost anywhere (just ask old war zone togs) and it definitely brings a look to the table moreso e than colour I think. But it will be very marginal. Vinyl will die off for many reasons but the big one will be hipsters moving on. Right now lots of things are released on vinyl because it's hip to do so. When the sales decline again the mainstream will once again stop using the format.

I understand but I don't believe it'll ever die (film or vinyl) - niche and expensive now and again, sure. For the time being, LPs are being sold in big box stores again, the only place they truly disappeared from - Best Buy stocks thousands - and every surviving record store stocks more vinyl than CD format (and certainly cassette) by a gigantic margin. Artists press directly to vinyl (and cassette) because it is so cheap and is both archival as well as marketing in nature. When and if everything is digital I hope I'm long gone.

---------- Post added 02-14-17 at 03:51 PM ----------

only a small number of releases actually came out on vinyl for most of 95-2005.

And many of even those are being reissued of late.

[ChrisPlatt]

If you look at current trends - e.g. Nikon financials - it seems digital photography is becoming more marginalized as well.

Chris

[monochrome]

If you look at current trends - e.g. Nikon financials - it seems digital photography is becoming more marginalized as well.

Chris

One marginalized technology or the other, in 10 years I think I'll have a lot of interesting paperweights.

The question will be whether I have 5 or 50.

[Eyewanders]

If you look at current trends - e.g. Nikon financials - it seems digital photography is becoming more marginalized as well.

Chris

Absolutely. Consumer camera point&shoot and sales have bottomed out. Everything is instant with an app.

[IgorZ]

There is another aspect to this. As the Ferrania guys were saying, their chemist started working in the 60s... If new people don't learn how to make film, soon there will be nobody who can do it even if Kodak wants to produce film

[gofour3]

Really good read about the resurgence of film and the difficulties and opportunities companies are facing.

https://www.zorkiphoto.co.uk/2017/02/2017-the-year-that-film-returned/

Thanks for posting! It's good to see slide film making a comeback with Ferrania & Kodak releasing new colour emulations, as well as Agfa Scala b&w slide film being re-released under the Adox name.

I see more and more people here in Vancouver shooting film, as well as coming in to my local film supply store and processing labs. Old and young and every age in between. The local camera swap meets are also packed with film shooters.

Same goes for vinyl, local record stores are phasing out CD's and restocking new & used LP's. Also turntables are available all over the place including cheaper ones at a local drugstore chain, as well as the high end ones at the local audio stores. Lots of rich folks here in Vancouver with money to burn on luxury cars and high end audio, so it's nice to see turntables prominently displayed and CD players being phased out.

All in all a good time to love analog!

Phil.

[rjm007]

I find myself somewhat bemused by some of the comments. It's as though some see any mention of film as a challenge to the supremacy of digital - ironic as this is the film camera section of PF. Whilst it is indeed now (and will remain) a marginal part of the photographic hobby/art it's good to see there is still the possibility to use a film camera stimulated by creativity / nostalgia / a desire to be cool and hip or whatever. I look forward to trying some of the films that are still (and becoming) available but no, it's not going to switch me from digital. I suspect Fuji for one is laughing all the way to the bank over the dismissal of film having seen Instax being one of the best selling products on Amazon last year.

I thought the article a well written and perceptive review of where film stands at the moment and a good explanation of how it got there and the damage left trailing it's demise.

[Danaher Dempsey]

I remember the slide projections at home in the 1950s and 1960s as well as my father's B/W prints from his darkroom in the basement. He had an Exacta bought new and a Rollicord from the classified for $75. He produced some amazing photos.

For me the best bang for the buck today are slides. I bought a barely used Mamiya CabinPro 6x7 projector. No scanning needed or wanted.

Film hit its peak in 2003 and today the market is 2% of the 2003 market. Cell phone cameras are where the big money is today, not in film.

Most everything changes over time. Enjoy what you have today and plan a little for the changing tomorrow.

Pentax k1000 se, Pentax ZX-5n, Pentax k100D, Bronica RF645, Bronica GS-1, Motorola X pure edition cell phone

[pathdoc]

Enjoy what you have today and plan a little for the changing tomorrow.

One thing is for sure - film may yet die, but if the last couple of years are anything to go by, history will record that it went down fighting.

[skierd]

One thing the article brought up that is extremely important... who will release, when will we see, and what will be the next generation of film cameras? Nikon has their F6 and FM-10, Leica still make a film M, and Voitlander makes copies of Leica, and Lomography resells cold-war era toys or soviet copies.


A modern film camera? - PentaxForums.com

[Eyewanders]

and Voitlander makes copies of Leica...
A modern film camera? - PentaxForums.com

Not as of about a year and a half ago. Cosina shut down manufacture of all their film cameras.
(and I would not ever call them Leica "copies" - they are rangefinders and take M-mount (some LTM) but they are all distinct cameras in their own right.)

[redrockcoulee]

Lots of brand new large format cameras being made, some by some very new companies. AS long as used 135 and medium format cameras are so cheap cannot see how anyone can really compete by manufacturing new ones.

I for one will not demean anyone, especially young people, getting into film photography nor dismiss any of their choices of cameras. The more that shoot film the more likely it will be available for me and if someone thinks shooting a Holga is what they want to do so be it as I too shoot Holgas and Dianas as well as large format and a Hasselblad.

[eddie1960]

Not as of about a year and a half ago. Cosina shut down manufacture of all their film cameras.
(and I would not ever call them Leica "copies" - they are rangefinders and take M-mount (some LTM) but they are all distinct cameras in their own right.)

THat was a complete shame they were great cameras and e last of a breed an affordable rangefinder

---------- Post added 15th Feb 2017 at 21:14 ----------

Lots of brand new large format cameras being made, some by some very new companies. AS long as used 135 and medium format cameras are so cheap cannot see how anyone can really compete by manufacturing new ones.

I for one will not demean anyone, especially young people, getting into film photography nor dismiss any of their choices of cameras. The more that shoot film the more likely it will be available for me and if someone thinks shooting a Holga is what they want to do so be it as I too shoot Holgas and Dianas as well as large format and a Hasselblad.

I still have and shoot a variety from holgas to fed to pentax and Nikon 35mm bronica and mamiya medium format. I'm itching for a gw690iii now it's a matter of time
I don't fool myself that the current resurgence is much more than a dead cat bounce though , I don't think it will disappear entirely in a few years but possibly in a decade or even two

[gofour3]

I still have and shoot a variety from holgas to fed to pentax and Nikon 35mm bronica and mamiya medium format. I'm itching for a gw690iii now it's a matter of time
I don't fool myself that the current resurgence is much more than a dead cat bounce though , I don't think it will disappear entirely in a few years but possibly in a decade or even two

Actually I think the opposite will happen in 20 years. Film & vinyl sales are now going up and DSLR & CD sales are going down.

In 2037 there will still be a robust analog crowd who keep film and vinyl alive, while the other 95% of people will use their 2037 version of a smart phone for everything else. The cameras in these devices will be better than today's DSLRs and all your music will be stored on a server somewhere with unlimited disk space, so compressed music will be gone and the same with CD's. Also no way someone will also go out in 2037 and drop lots of money on a separate digital camera to lug around.

Phil.

[Jonathan Mac]

A good article which summarises all the recent developments (no pun intended) of the last few years.

I'm glad to be part of the film resurgence and to see innovative people and companies allow me to continue to use such beautiful film gear.

I didn't know about Bergger producing film in France. Apparently they released a new film recently, which is strange because according to their website they only have one product (B&W 400).