Canon exodus from film photography

[Zeabned]

If there is a niche market of buyers at $31 a roll for film there will be a niche supplier. I am sure that a tidy profit can be had at even very low volumes at this price point.

Film cameras are still being produced in abundance in China and Russia and will likely be available new for many years.

LWW

Precisely, but only die-hards will pay $31 per roll, and how good a quality can be expected from these niche-suppliers? How good are those cameras being produced in China and Russia?

 

[JamesD]

Not everybody can afford digital cameras, or will be willing to spend the money on one when a $2.99 disposable can do the same job, so film will continue to be available. As long as there's film, there will be a demand for film cameras. As long as there's a demand for film cameras, there will be demand for film (in addition to the disposables). The technology isn't going anywhere any time soon.

However, the number of digitals will continue to increase. And, sooner or later, someone's going to figure out how to fit a digital system into a package the size and shape of a film canister, and make inserts to retrofit 35mm cameras. Then film sales might take a serious dip, though I think that anyone willing to spend the money on the retrofit would probably just buy a digital camera. And there will still be people who simply don't want to shell out the cash for a digital system, when a roll of film at a minute fraction of the price will do the job just as well.

I'll tell you what, though... if all manufacturers quit making film cameras altogether, and all manufacturers quit making film altogether, then I'll go into business making new cameras if someone will go into business making film. It'd be an interesting project.

 

[bigfatbadger]

A lot of landscape professional landscape photographers continue to shoot on large format cameras because of the control given and the quality that arises. And of course, large format is dead, replaced by more convenient forms such as medium format and 35mm, oh, and digital.

Some people just won't be told

 

[ahelg]

I don't think the fact that Agfa dropping film means that it's about to happen to others as well. Agfa was the samller of three big film producers. Kodak, Fujifilm and Agfa. I go to my local photography store regularly and they still sell loads of film, mostly fuji, so I expect to see Fujifilm around for at least another decade. After all, as long as there is a demand, someone will fill the void, and I expect fuji will live the longest. But I do admit that I miss the old Ektachrom from Kodak.

 

[DocFrankenstein]

A lot of landscape professional landscape photographers continue to shoot on large format cameras because of the control given and the quality that arises. And of course, large format is dead, replaced by more convenient forms such as medium format and 35mm, oh, and digital.

Some people just won't be told

Amen

Film won't "die" because it's relatively easy to make. At least the silver halide - and that's the only I mostly care about.