[Snake]

All the photo enthusiasts out there, have you been keeping up?

Nikon announced they will discontinue production of all film cameras except the F6, ending 60 years of film camera production. They will also be ending production of all manual focus lenses (except 1 model) and ending enlarger & large format lenses:

http://www.dpreview.com/news/0601/06...nikon_news.asp

Konica / Minolta just announced they will get completely out of the camera business, "transferring" assets to...Sony!! Who (supposedly) will be making Minolta-compatible products

http://www.dpreview.com/news/0601/06...minoltaout.asp

Agfa went belly up last year. Kodak is holding on with massive reorganizations (ending most film & paper products). Kyocera has apparently called it quits with the Yashica & Contax brands:

http://www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-...?msg_id=00BMZY

And, of course, the recent Sony 5MP CCD fiasco impacting almost all major brands.

Will there be any industry left besides Canon, Nikon & Kodak?

 

[beerguy0]

I'm a Canon shooter for 35mm and digital, but I've been using Nikon LF glass for my 4x5's for many years now. It's not too surprising to see them dump the 35mm film stuff, but I am a bit surprised to see them dropping the LF glass. Pro's still use the LF stuff in the studio, either with film or digital backs, so that market still does exist.

So now the question becomes, do I buy any additional LF lens I might need now, or do I wait for the prices to go up and sell my stuff?

Maybe it's time to sell the 800 f/12 Nikkor?

Cheers,

bg

 

[Mr.PD]

I saw that about Nikon the other day.
I hadn't seen the deal about Minolta.

But on a lighter note, Samsung is now making cameras.

 

[tattoou2]

I was not really surprised about the Nikon announcement, but the Minolta announcement was somewhat shocking.

 

[vibin247]

Well, the time has come for digital to take over. Earlier last year Kodak stopped producing black & white papers, and eventually will stop black & white film, then chrome film, and then color negative films and papers. It's hard to find chemical developing labs anymore. I'm wondering about the other companies like Leica, Hasselblad, Mamiya, and Toyo are going to do. I wished that someday I might own one of their film cameras.

 

[markl]

Once again, superior analog technology replaced with worse digital. So sad.

One day, when digital cameras can equal or surpass the resolution of medium format film, I will give up on film, but not before.

 

[Edwood]

I think you need to see the results from a Hasselblad with a LEAF camera back. Because that would be comparing apples to apples. Well, an old cheap apple to an extremely expensive apple.

35mm film is pretty much on it's way out. DSLR's have gotten to the point where they look more like medium format. (not quite there yet). Although some people prefer the grain characteristics of 35mm film.

I remember when working for Kodak over 6 years ago, some VP made a bold statement that he firmly believed that digital would not overtake film in the forseeable future. Well, it took less than a year and half, and that VP was looking for employment elsewhere as Kodak's stock fell.

I still prefer the color fidelity of medium format film. But the sheer convenience of digital is what is winning the war.

With time, medium format digital will exceed the quality of medium format film. If Pentax releases their all in one medium format camera, it will help give medium format a boost on the budget end of the professional spectrum.

-Ed

 

[zachary80]

Quote:

Originally Posted by vibin247 Well, the time has come for digital to take over. Earlier last year Kodak stopped producing black & white papers, and eventually will stop black & white film, then chrome film, and then color negative films and papers. It's hard to find chemical developing labs anymore.

Most Walmarts develop and they are not hard to find at all

 

[LFF]

Interesting news. Someone told me that Nikon was going digital but I did not hear about the Minolta news. Too bad.

Less options = consumers lose.

 

[Citizen Z]

No, consumers arn't losing. Your average consumer can't shoot a shot for **** with a 35mm camera so the average digital output will be better because they can shoot a whole bunch and throw out the crappy ones (or not). Everybody and their dog is making digital cameras (my dog is making them, anyway) so it's not like those players leaving the market are going to hurt the consumer electronics industry one iota. What is happening is the film market is consolidating to reflect the negative growth they have and will continue to experience. I project that the ratio of film to digital cameras will be similiar to the ratio of turntables to CD players (or whatever technology fully replaces CDs) by the end of the decade.

There is nothing inferior about the high end digital cameras right now. If you really think so, I suggest you update your research. Cameras have come a ways since last year, even. Sure the $$$ required to get commensurate quality is pretty disparate still, at least on the extremely low end and extremely high end, but the main body represents a pretty freakin' awesome value for quality especially considering my first point, that most people don't know how to compose a shot or make adjustments.

 

[Senn20]

Gee, good thing I'm a Pentax man.

 

[granodemostasa]

I broke my old canon slr several months ago and i was about to get back into the film thing. Does all this mean i should try going into digital instead?

 

[Mr.PD]

Medium format digital is quite the thing now. A digital back for a medium format lens set up.
Digital has greater range of contrast than film, which can make a digital medium format amazing. It won't be long before even I can afford a medium format digital rig. When that happens, look out Ansel Adams fans!

Now, if someone would show me how to make slides from digital files.

 

[raisin]

Geez, history is happening so fast!

 

[vibin247]

Quote:

Originally Posted by zachary80 Most Walmarts develop and they are not hard to find at all

True, but the really good privately-owned labs are either going out of business or giving in to digital processing.

I don't mind working digitally because it's more convenient and saves you time. Film has a romantic touch that the digital format might achieve someday, which is why a handful of pros still use film. Anyone check out the new Hasselblad H2D-39? (as in 39 megapixels!)