Availability of film.

[theodore_papageorgiou]

What will be the future of film in the near future?Have you read something

about this?

I ask this, because digital cameras, spread with "supersonic" speed, and I am

afraid that there is a possibility of dissappearence of film.

I want to buy a used film camera, and I want to know, if I can find film in

the near future.

Regards,

Theodore.

[drjedsmith]

Hi Theodore,<BR>

The biggest question may be, "where are you located?". If you are here in the U.S.A., then you will have no trouble at all finding quality, professional films for a long time to come. I order all my film from B&H, but there are also 3 or 4 other very large distributers as well.<BR><BR>

For what it's worth, I now shoot Fuji Neopan Across 100 (B&W) and Fuji Velvia (slide) film on a weekly basis. Never had a problem yet - always fresh, and always in stock.<BR><BR>

What type of film camera are you interested in? Rangefinder or SLR? Manual focus? Auto Focus? Do you own any lenses?<BR>

Let us know, and we can help with suggestions. Now is a good time to buy; the market prices are quite low.<BR>

Good luck,<BR>

Jed

[ben conover]

Hi Theodore you can buy film here:

 

http://cgi.ebay.ie/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=110042696641&ssPageName=STRK:MESE:IT&ih=001

[Jochen_S]

I assume that at least some BW film and paper will remain available as mail orderable supplies for lunatic artists for a damn long time. - Today you can still get 8mm movie film or whatever you need for the long outdated tintype process. It'll take more than another decade until ordinary film photography becomes a similar weird hobby.

[theodore_papageorgiou]

I already have a F2A with some lenses,(50mm f1.4, 50mm f1.8, 28mm f3.5 , 105mm f2.5, 55mm f3.5 micro,Tamron 500mm mirror tele) and want to have a DP12 finder, to make it F2AS.

If I can not, I will buy one F2AS and one 24mm f2.8 NIKON lens.

Regards, Theodore.

[randall ellis]

No one can accurately predict the future, but based on recent trends, the film market appears to be fluctuating back up - very likely the market, as any market will do when change happens, is equalizing but fluctuating up and down. Both Ilford and Freestyle have reported film sales increasing in the last year, and Kodak spent money on a redesign of their Portra line of films as well as two new emulsions in Super-8. I would strongly suggest that you do what you want to do and not worry about the future of film. People still use every photographic process that has been used in the past, so there is little reason to expect that film will suddenly stop being available, unless of course you work for a digital camera marketing department, in which case you should certainly preach the death of film as loudly and frequently as possible.

 

- Randy

[diegobuono]

Oh no! Again!

[randrew1]

As tehcnology substitutions go, the speed of the switch from film to digital has been moderate. The switch from vinyl LP's to CD's was slower, but the switch from analog to digital cell phones was much faster. It seemed extremely fast to film users (and even faster to film designers and production people at Kodak), but that is only because we had over 100 years of history with film.

[victor_ho2]

Come to think of it, I still have records and a record player. Anybody out there still have one and use it? My kids don't even know it's called a turntable. I fear that film is headed the same way :(

[nolan_ross]

Hi Victor, I have a turntable and use it every day. I still seek out and purchase LP's. I have a long list of artist's I hope to find. It's a great hobby. Film photography is a great hobby also. I use manual focus, film camera's in different formats...I do like new things to....nolan

[robert_johnson15]

Nolan, if you have a local/nearby Tower Records, better hustle down and get your vinyl while you can. They just went belly up and are liquidating "as we speak!"

[nancychuang]

I think the difference with adoption rates depends on WHY older formats should still be used. There is not much reason to hold onto a landline...I know no one with one and the only time people wish they had one is when a problem strikes and cell phone service is briefly cut...once service is restored we all forget about it.

 

On the other hand, there are MANY reasons to keep a turntable, as some albums are not re-issued, or perhaps you don't feel a need to re-buy something you already own just to have it on CD, and some types of music are only released on vinyl. And of course we all have our own reasons for continuing to use film! I recently traveled with someone who shot digital and I shot film from both my old junky OM-10 and my Stylus Epic. Granted, she only has a P&S and it's a bit old for digital, but the difference in color and clarity for the same shots was shocking, even compared to my P&S shots.

[theodore_papageorgiou]

As I am a beginner in your forum, can I ask you what do you mean by P&S shots?

Regards,

Theodore.

[nancychuang]

Sorry, "point-and-shoot." It seems to me many people on this website who have switched to digital are using very nice digital SLRs and getting good results. But someone who just wants a camera to carry around for snapshots and take on a vacation, they'll most likely buy one that costs under $200 and fits in a pocket. Some are better than others...one of my friends has a TINY sleek one from Fujifilm, bought it last year and gets great results. The camera also has many options for perfecting the shot under different lighting conditions. My friend that I traveled with has a clunky one from Canon, a few years old, very few options, and gets mixed results. More bad shots than good, all with that overly-blue cast.

[bob oldendorf]

I agonized a while before making the plunge and buying into the Nikon system. A guy in

my office thought it was a bad decision: digital photography was the clearly the wave of

the future.

 

The year? This was back in 1984. I've had that camera for 22 years, and I've run a LOT of

film through it. (There really WERE digital cameras back then; but still, it was a very LONG

time before they were seriously competive with film.)

 

Film will be around at least as long as your interest in film photography. In the short term,

most of the stores have already made the deep cuts in their inventory - but there is a huge

installed base of cameras out there, and SOMEBODY in town will stock a few rolls of film.

Even if it gets hard to find locally, film should be available by mail-order for a long time.

 

When film finally becomes impossible to find, digital photgraphy will be so advanced that

you won't miss film. But in the meantime, don't be afraid to invest in film photography.

 

Somebody above noted that they still own records. It's better than that: they still MAKE

vinyl records, 23 years after the CD "replaced" records.

 

I commute past a tack shop, a century after cars replaced horses.

 

They still make oil paints, 160 years after photography replaced painting.

 

You can still buy sails, 200 years after steam replaced sailing ships.

 

Film will be around for a while.

[victor_ho2]

Geez. Tower Record is gone? Hey Nancy - talking to you on the other thread you started.

Theodore - I didn't know you're new. What skill level do you have and what do you want to photograph? The future for now is in digital. Film has nearly been supplanted by digital. There will still be film for a long time, so that's really not an issue if you choose to shoot film. Over time the cost of shooting film is more expensive than digital. Either path requires some planning. You already have the basics. Is there a reason to get another film body? In any case you're at the right point in time. You should be able to get a used film camera equipment for little money. B&H, Adorama, Calumet etc.

[edward_karaa1]

While there is no doubt that digital will eventually surpass film, there has been some trend recently of the digital generation (people who started photography with digital) to start being interested in film. Many people who discarded their SLRs and bought into digital are returning partially or completely to film. Many professionals use both as per the requirements of the clients or the particular subject. My local used camera equipment shop used to be full of older SLRs, now you can hardly find any and the prices soared up. I bought recently 2 Contax bodies and 10 lenses, in fact emulating my old Contax equipment I have sold very cheaply 5 years ago when I switched to digital. I paid now for the almost same used equipment almost double the sum I paid when I first purchased my new Contax gear. My local pro-lab told me they having getting an increasing number of film customers after an initial drop, most new clients are hobbyists but the trend is there.

[theodore_papageorgiou]

I have a F2A body with motor drive, for many years, together with a 50mm f1.4, 55mm f3.5 , 105mm f2.5 , 28mm f3.5, and a Tamron 500mm mirror.

Now, I want to find a used DP12 finder, and a 24mm, or 20mm lens, if I find them in good price. Perhaps a zoom as well.Or a 300mm IF.

Regards,

Theodore.

[nancychuang]

I've noticed that too, Edward, although not from people who bought expensive DSLRs but from younger people who have only ever really owned a P&S digital. When I'm backpacking I joke to others about my little OM10 is "theft-proof"--no bells and whistles, quite beat-up, and not even a "collectible" Olympus model, yet they all ooh and ahh and wistfully say they want an older camera like that too.