dennis_couvillion Posted June 30, 2005 Share Posted June 30, 2005 The morning mail just arrived here at my office and I received a thick (inch and a half), heavy B&H catalogue called the "The 35mm SLR Photo Source Book". It's devoted entirely to 35mm film photography products, cameras, lenses, accessories, and has 22 pages on Leica products alone. Hmmmm.... Any thoughts on why B&H would spend the money on such an extensive catalogue if film photography products were no longer the money makers that digital has presumably become? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
m_. Posted June 30, 2005 Share Posted June 30, 2005 dennis, i have been getting this from b&h for a couple of years now and have no idea why. i guess i buy films from them from time to time and my name is in their system or something. i always thought that the book also include digital but, honestly, i hardly ever open the book. i think it explains why our film shipping fee is so high from b&h. they need money to print this thing that no one reads. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dennis_couvillion Posted June 30, 2005 Author Share Posted June 30, 2005 M: I also get the general B&H catalogue every year which contains products of all manner of photography including digital. But the catalogue I just received is a 686 page brick devoted to 35mm photography... not a mention of anything digital as far as I can tell. I just found it surprising... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dennis_couvillion Posted June 30, 2005 Author Share Posted June 30, 2005 Peter A: I just noticed in the upper right hand corner of the cover there is a price... $6.95. So apparently you can buy the catalogue. (I got mine FREE... Ha!) ;>) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattalofs Posted June 30, 2005 Share Posted June 30, 2005 " I could go on delivering these pearls of wisdom - but I think I can already see your eye balls rolling back into their sockets..." No, please continue. I want me a gude financial edumacation. Seriously! Peter, for some reason I usually end up with 2 of everything that B&H sends out. If that holds true this time, I can send you one via the slowboat to Australia. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dennis_couvillion Posted June 30, 2005 Author Share Posted June 30, 2005 M: FWIW, this book contains photos, descriptions and specs of entire lines of products. It is, as it's name suggests, more of a "source book". I'm not trying to start a film versus digital thing here, and I hope that doesn't occur. I was just surprised when I saw this huge book arrive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
m_. Posted June 30, 2005 Share Posted June 30, 2005 but peter, be careful, they will track you down. heard of b&h eye that's inserted in the pages of the materials they mailed out? and then you can't get rid of them. it is until last summer i moved from the house that they stopped mailing me. i haven't gotten anything from them since and i will stay put for a while. enough film supply to last me a while. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevin_mcdonald1 Posted June 30, 2005 Share Posted June 30, 2005 But, is it as absorbant as the old Sears catalogs? ok, couldn't resist.... I got mine late last week, haven't looked at it yet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
m_. Posted June 30, 2005 Share Posted June 30, 2005 dennis, now that's more scary than i thought. you mean b&h can also read your mind? :) damn! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john_shriver Posted June 30, 2005 Share Posted June 30, 2005 Yeah, that catalog arrived at my house, too, which already has enough paper, thank you. It is very well produced, I must say. Camera equipment is surprisingly expensive when bought new these days! If you look in the front pages, you'll see this is one of six different sourcebooks. One of them is so big that it's two volumes. (I think the Digital Photography one.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wmwhee Posted June 30, 2005 Share Posted June 30, 2005 It might be possible to send an email to B&H, via the B&H site, requesting to be removed from catalog mailing list--a "thanks, but no thanks" message. Just a thought. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve_york1 Posted June 30, 2005 Share Posted June 30, 2005 It was probably a catalog which was sent to you 10 years ago, but has been lost in the mail, and is only now reaching your doorstep. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kajabbi Posted June 30, 2005 Share Posted June 30, 2005 Must have been printed last year. No Summilux ASPH, no 75mm Summicron. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
george_b1 Posted June 30, 2005 Share Posted June 30, 2005 It has more than you'd ever want to know or to learn about filters. George (The Old Fud) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobatkins Posted June 30, 2005 Share Posted June 30, 2005 <em>Any thoughts on why B&H would spend the money on such an extensive catalogue if film photography products were no longer the money makers that digital has presumably become</em> <p> Yeh, it's obvious. They sell lenses too. And lighting equipment. And DSLR bodies. And tripods. And camera bags etc. etc. <p> About 1/50th of the catalog deals with 35mm film bodies. That seems about right... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dennis_couvillion Posted June 30, 2005 Author Share Posted June 30, 2005 "About 1/50th of the catalog deals with 35mm film bodies." Actually, Bob, at the risk of sounding pedantic, I think about 10% of the catalogue is devoted specifically to the approximately 38 film camera bodies and body accessories discussed and described in the 686 pages. The rest is lenses, filters, flashes, tripods, bags, etc. But my point was that I was surprised that B&H even had a 35mm "Source Book". I get double B&H catalogues... they send them to my home and my office. But I had never seen one devoted specifically to 35mm photography. I was just wondering what their marketing strategy was behind it. Perhaps you are correct that lenses, which can be used on digital SLR bodies, is the real focus. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michael s. Posted June 30, 2005 Share Posted June 30, 2005 Pete - <a href=http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home;jsessionid=CGqGC0MnyP!-1617699300?O=RootPage.jsp&A=getpage&Q=FreeCatalog.jsp>B & H Catalog Request form</a>.<p><p> Got mine awhile ago, indicating my status as a highly valued customer -:) and what surprised me, as it evidently did Dennis, is that, while B & H obviously sells dslr's and digital-specific lenses and copious quantities of all sorts of digerati, those items appear to be neither pictured nor listed nor priced in this 686 page book.<p><p> The intro letter that's part of the front cover begins by saying, "35mm SLR system photography is in many ways the most important part of our business ... "<p><p> "In many ways" perhaps, but I very much doubt that's the case on the bottom line.<p><p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dennis_couvillion Posted June 30, 2005 Author Share Posted June 30, 2005 Michael, I found one digital product. On page 67, the Leica Digital Modul-R, the Leica R digital back, is described in on-half page. But have you seen the really cool "Full size, Professional Rotary Link Bracket" on page 265? It has "Dual American walnut grips". Awesome... ;>) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michael s. Posted June 30, 2005 Share Posted June 30, 2005 Yup - I stand corrected. I see the dig back for the R9. There's a delicious irony hiding in there somewhere, though. Will that nifty bracket help me in bracketing my exposures ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
absinthe Posted June 30, 2005 Share Posted June 30, 2005 I got it last week. I gave it to my father who likes lists of things. A few years ago I got their lighing catalog (just as big) and I used it to prop up a reading lamp in my livingroom :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dennis_couvillion Posted June 30, 2005 Author Share Posted June 30, 2005 I'm sorry, Michael, what was the question? I'm a little busy right now ordering a "SMOQUE" filter (page 417)... to "Create the Look of Smoke Without the Hassle." God, this catalogue is awesome! ;>) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michael s. Posted June 30, 2005 Share Posted June 30, 2005 Snake charmers here, Pete, are selling puts (not Puts) and various debt instruments and equities of dubious value. Buying the actual snakes would be safer and healthier. And could somebody please stop Dennis before he buys any more of that stuff. He's like a kid in a candy store ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
constance_cook Posted June 30, 2005 Share Posted June 30, 2005 I got both the film book and the digital book this week. Both marked at $6.95. I do order from B&H but last fall I got the lighting book and that one baffles me because I have never used any lighting equipment. I now have about 12 lbs. of books from B&H on my serving window. Maybe I can peek in this weekend. Conni Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dennis_couvillion Posted June 30, 2005 Author Share Posted June 30, 2005 Michael, did you know that a Tamron SP AF14mm f2.8 IF lens weighs 23.8 ounces??? Amazing stuff here...! ;>) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scott_mcloughlin Posted June 30, 2005 Share Posted June 30, 2005 I got mine, and I think it's great! Makes me want to run out and buy some cool film gear, actually. B&H is a great resource. Scott Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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