The future of digital cameras

[kenoh]

meanwhile i'm over here reading all about film cameras still. had a holga delivered today. almost done with my first roll in my nikon f100.

everyone just needs to use whatever camera they have and go take photos. and then share them all here with this group.

OOh..... Holga.... looking forward to seeing your output... have you taped it up to stop the leaks? when you nail a shot on the Holga it is wonderful.

Worth checking out Michael Kenna Holga and also a guy who lives in Ireland called Rafal Krohl http://rafalkrolphotography.com/

I really enjoy Rafal's work.

 

[bsamcash]

OOh..... Holga.... looking forward to seeing your output... have you taped it up to stop the leaks? when you nail a shot on the Holga it is wonderful.

Hey kenoh. Is that a summicron I spy?

 

[kenoh]

Hey kenoh. Is that a summicron I spy?

I don't know what you mean.... I used to be addicted to watches.... thankfully I am no longer afflicted with this. Now I am addicted to lenses instead... I have a few Summiluxes but the images tagged with Summicrons are either my Zeiss 50mm Planar or my Voigtlander 50mm Apo-Lanthar or the Nokton f1.1 so I get the right focal length in my EXIF info.

 

[bsamcash]

I have a few Summiluxes but the images tagged with Summicrons are either my Zeiss 50mm Planar or my Voigtlander 50mm Apo-Lanthar or the Nokton f1.1

That’s a heck of a collection!

 

[kenoh]

That’s a heck of a collection!

thats only one small part of the collection.

I wish I could be sensible and have one lens one camera. This is needless excess..... but they are awful nice....

 

[mollyc]

OOh..... Holga.... looking forward to seeing your output... have you taped it up to stop the leaks? when you nail a shot on the Holga it is wonderful.

Worth checking out Michael Kenna Holga and also a guy who lives in Ireland called Rafal Krohl http://rafalkrolphotography.com/

I really enjoy Rafal's work.

Will you still be friends with me if you know I will shoot color film and also want the light leaks??

 

[kenoh]

Will you still be friends with me if you know I will shoot color film and also want the light leaks??

Of course! even better.... will there be a lomo or holga thread on here?

 

[mollyc]

Of course! even better.... will there be a lomo or holga thread on here?

Maybe when I shoot and get them developed. Unless we should start one sooner. I was planning to wait to use the holga on our beach trip but I could be convinced to shoot a roll earlier than that. I’ll have to get a new roll first because the camera came with some Fuji 400H which is discontinued and I want that roll for the beach.

darn I have to order more film now.

 

[Darmok N Jalad]

I like how we're talking about old film cameras on a future of digital cameras thread. It's not that far off topic. If one assumes digital ILCs will be dead, then film must be super-dead by now, but you can still buy film and even at least Walgreens still develops rolls. I'm sure there are others.

 

[mollyc]

I like how we're talking about old film cameras on a future of digital cameras thread. It's not that far off topic. If one assumes digital ILCs will be dead, then film must be super-dead by now, but you can still buy film and even at least Walgreens still develops rolls. I'm sure there are others.

My point exactly. I think the OP was really considering the longevity of point and shoot digital cameras though, given that he categorizes ILCs as pro cameras. I do think the market for a dedicated P&S is shrinking due to phones.

I've started following a few film groups and interestingly, film P&Ses are still selling well in the used market since for a lot people, they just want film, and not the overhead of learning to shoot. Or they are using a P&S as a gateway into better cameras.

I'd love to see a camera brand (#coughcough Nikon) start to make film cameras again....I know Leica does but they are obviously very pricey. But I think a new film SLR from one of the more mainstream camera makers would actually sell like hotcakes. Of course, Nikon has it's own set of issues with camera production at the moment, so probably not the best for them, but they only stopped making the F6 last fall, so they have to have a lot of the production parts still around in terms of manufacturing a new camera.

 

[jwolf6589]

My point exactly. I think the OP was really considering the longevity of point and shoot digital cameras though, given that he categorizes ILCs as pro cameras. I do think the market for a dedicated P&S is shrinking due to phones.

I've started following a few film groups and interestingly, film P&Ses are still selling well in the used market since for a lot people, they just want film, and not the overhead of learning to shoot. Or they are using a P&S as a gateway into better cameras.

I'd love to see a camera brand (#coughcough Nikon) start to make film cameras again....I know Leica does but they are obviously very pricey. But I think a new film SLR from one of the more mainstream camera makers would actually sell like hotcakes. Of course, Nikon has it's own set of issues with camera production at the moment, so probably not the best for them, but they only stopped making the F6 last fall, so they have to have a lot of the production parts still around in terms of manufacturing a new camera.

Film cameras are dead. When I was a teenager they were alive and 1-hour photo places where everywhere. These days most use digital.

 

[mollyc]

Film cameras are dead. When I was a teenager they were alive and 1-hour photo places where everywhere. These days most use digital.

They are most certainly not dead. There aren't many new film cameras being manufactured, but I know several in demand portrait photographers who shoot film exclusively.

My fifteen year old daughter has two film cameras. She shot seven rolls of film on a week long trip and she is dying to get her film back.

Film is not dead. Heck Kodak recently ramped up film production because they can't keep up!

 

[jwolf6589]

They are most certainly not dead. There aren't many new film cameras being manufactured, but I know several in demand portrait photographers who shoot film exclusively.

My fifteen year old daughter has two film cameras. She shot seven rolls of film on a week long trip and she is dying to get her film back.

Film is not dead. Heck Kodak recently ramped up film production because they can't keep up!

A few niche cases? Yeah so what. I know a few dentists of thousands that use film so that must make film alive and well.

 

[mollyc]

A few niche cases? Yeah so what. I know a few dentists of thousands that use film so that must make film alive and well.

Leica (priced at $5,295) and Kodak (doubled film production between 2015 and 2019) would disagree with you. I think I'll take their opinion over yours.

 

[kenoh]

A few niche cases? Yeah so what. I know a few dentists of thousands that use film so that must make film alive and well.

Niche? no, far from dead. It is most definitely having another comeback. Like Vinyl records and valve amps.

 

[kenoh]

Leica (priced at $5,295) and Kodak (doubled film production between 2015 and 2019) would disagree with you. I think I'll take their opinion over yours.

Nice. The M-A doesnt even have a light meter in it.

 

[MacNut]

A few niche cases? Yeah so what. I know a few dentists of thousands that use film so that must make film alive and well.

There are Hollywood directors that still use film. It's not going anywhere.

 

[jwolf6589]

There are Hollywood directors that still use film. It's not going anywhere.

Let’s bring back cassette and video tapes and use them over SD cards.

 

[MacNut]

Let’s bring back cassette and video tapes and use them over SD cards.

SD cards are going away soon too.

 

[Darmok N Jalad]

If we use marketshare as an indicator of what is dead and alive, then every luxury brand on earth is dead. Some things never (or no longer) target the masses and still do just fine. Macs have never been targeted at the mainstream, and are still here after 20 years of consistent, low marketshare.

 

[MacNut]

If we use marketshare as an indicator of what is dead and alive, then every luxury brand on earth is dead. Some things never (or no longer) target the masses and still do just fine. Macs have never been targeted at the mainstream, and are still here after 20 years of consistent, low marketshare.

Technology will decide what lives and dies. As we require faster speed and data rates newer technologies will come along and the older stuff becomes obsolete. As for Apple they almost killed themselves off 30 years ago.

Film as a medium died because digital was more convenient, not because it was inferior. Cassettes and VHS were inferior. Vinyl is in the ear of the beholder.

 

[mollyc]

Technology will decide what lives and dies. As we require faster speed and data rates newer technologies will come along and the older stuff becomes obsolete. As for Apple they almost killed themselves off 30 years ago.

Film as a medium died because digital was more convenient, not because it was inferior. Cassettes and VHS were inferior. Vinyl is in the ear of the beholder.

But for film there are enough people who don’t care about “technology.” They want the craft and art and slowness.

 

[MacNut]

But for film there are enough people who don’t care about “technology.” They want the craft and art and slowness.

Agreed, but it's nowhere near the numbers it was 20 years ago. The same reason P&S are a thing of the past. People find a phone more convenient.

 

[kenoh]

Agreed, but it's nowhere near the numbers it was 20 years ago. The same reason P&S are a thing of the past. People find a phone more convenient.

Until they want 70mm focal length or longer.... ?

 

[mollyc]

Agreed, but it's nowhere near the numbers it was 20 years ago. The same reason P&S are a thing of the past. People find a phone more convenient.

Well none of us are arguing that film is more popular than digital. But some of us are saying it is making a comeback.

I researched film cameras for a couple of years before buying one, and while mine is a relatively inexpensive model out there, I still paid anywhere between $75-100 more last month than I would have if I'd bought it a couple of years ago when I first considered getting one. New film cameras are rare, so the film people are buying used cameras. But of course finding a well maintained film camera is also hard to do, so the price on them just keeps appreciating.