A 35mm Camera at WalMart

Ektagraphic · May 16, 2009

Frank Szabo said:
It's made in China, like almost everything else sold at WalMart. Not sure what else you would expect from a company whose inspiration is Chairman Mao.

I refuse to enter a WalMart or Sam's for that very reason - even if I get to pay a little more elsewhere, at least I'm not supporting the treasonous Walton family.

... and, I read labels, avoiding Chinese goods when it's possible.

I am the sort of the same way. The camera is made in China. I HATE things made in China, but sometimes it is impossable to buy some things American made. There is still stuff you can find at WalMart made here. Those are some of the only things I will buy. The main reason I was in WalMart was to drop off my American made super 8 film for Americans to process it using American chemicals. Not one ounce of made in China with movies. Even the reels the film comes back on are made here! All of my photography is about 90% American. The only thing I can't avoid is the fact that Kodak sends their film which the make here down to Mexico to be rolled. Let's put it this way. 95% of all of the photography I do is using American supplies. The other 5% is the Instant film I use made by Fuji in Japan.

srs5694 · May 16, 2009

Ektagraphic said:
All of my photography is about 90% American. The only thing I can't avoid is the fact that Kodak sends their film which the make here down to Mexico to be rolled.

I guess you don't do traditional B&W prints, then. AFAIK, there are no B&W papers being made in the US, aside from very small-scale stuff like what PE does. (I'd call that "hobbyist," but PE has professional expertise.) AFAIK, all the B&W papers you can get from B&H, Freestyle, Adorama, etc. are made in Europe or Asia.

Ektagraphic · May 16, 2009

I have not shot that much black and white, but all I have shot so far has been printed on color paper. . I hope to change that soon. Out of the black and white I have shot I prefer using ADOX which is not USA. I don't mind my photo stuff coming from Europe. I guess it would be safer to say my color photography is 90% American.

elekm · May 16, 2009

I've tried, but it's impossible to go through the day without using something made in China.

I was disappointed to see that Ray Ban is making eyeglass frames in China. When it comes down to it, the companies are more interested in boosting profit by cutting production costs through any means possible.

I also check labels, and that's why I know that "Made in China" is part of our daily lives. No matter how much this irks me, you just have to accept it.

However, I don't begrudge the Chinese workers who are trying to create a middle-class society. That can only be a good thing for the future of their nation. Hopefully, the Communist regime will wither and die in China and especially in North Korea. I never buy gasoline from Citgo (because of the Venezuela and Hugo Chavez connection). I doubt my own actions will create any change in those countries or in others led by repressive and/or corrupt regimes (Iran, Myanmar, Zimbabwe, Syria, etc., etc.).

I shoot a good bit of Kodak Gold 200, Portra NC 160, TMax 100, Tri-X and Plus-X, and I also shoot Ilford, Adox and Rollei. I occasionally shoot Fuji color film but rarely shoot Fuji B&W (one roll in the past 35 years).

At the moment, everyone in my family and my wife's family drives American autos, although we've owned Japanese cars in the past: Nissan, Honda and Subaru (one each).

I also try to support my local photo retailer when possible, even if it means paying a bit extra for film and supplies.

johnnywalker · May 17, 2009

People buy stuff made in China because it's frequently the best bang for the buck. You can't have your cake and eat it too. When someone in another country can do something better and/or cheaper than is done locally, the first reaction of the local company is to yell "subsidy". Steel and lumber are good examples outside of the photo business.
In other words you can't preach the benefits of a free market economy on the one hand and throw up tariffs or other artificial barriers to trade on the other.

nyoung · May 17, 2009

You can't buy very much of anything - other than food - made in the USA anymore simply because the unions have killed manufacturing in this country. I too have - up till now - bought and driven only American cars but now that Chrysler (and soon GM) are UAW/government owned I'm done.
In the 80s I held a AFM union card in the Vegas local and watched up close how the union's insistance that each showroom employ a "relief band" - essentially two men on the payroll for every job - caused the showrooms to replace 15 musicians with one or two guys and a bank of electronic keyboards every time a contract came up for renewal.
The parasite always kills its host. It's a law of nature.

frdrx · May 17, 2009

The parasite always kills its host. It's a law of nature.

:confused: Words like `always' and `law' are almost always, as if by law, out of place in biological contexts . Anyway, only a really bad and irresponsible parasite would ultimately kill its host. I think you intended to equate union workers with parasitoids rather than parasites (not that I agree with this comparison).

Science aside, now that even some quality Nikkor lenses are being made in China, I feel that I have to start accepting Chinese-made products like Japanese or South Korean ones, which people have learnt to accept over time. Still, when I buy my film made by Fuji, I feel a bit guilty for not buying it from Foma or some other European producer instead. But never mind, Europe is just a small peninsula of Euroasia.

jolefler · May 17, 2009

You know, I thought this thread...

was meant to CELEBRATE the fact the OP found a NEW FILM camera for sale at a place that tailors it's inventory for John Q. Public.

Not an anti-Walmart rant.

Not a Sino-American diatribe.

Sheesh....I'm delighted to know that they'd consider a film camera salesworthy enough to include in their inventory. Good on them, film and the American way!

No matter how grumpy I get, I'm not big enough to hurt Walmart. Nor do I think I want to do that. Let's just see where this all takes us; if Walmart's not a success lots of locals lose jobs, lots of local price-point shoppers lose a source, lots of local gov't lose revenue.

Jo

AgX · May 17, 2009

Boycot on international forum...

Well, you boycotters, you are posting on this international forum as well as receiving information and advice from abroad; the same time you are advocating a transnational boycot.

Very strange indeed...

Pumal · May 17, 2009

I thought this was a Photography Forum.

PHOTOTONE · May 17, 2009

The USA has no small-format camera industry, none, and hasn't had one for decades. What really is the difference between buying a German, Japanese, or Chinese camera? They are all imported. There are no comparable products made in the USA. Only if you want a Large Format wood field camera (or metal) can you find "made in USA" product..but then, there are no domestic lenses made anymore, for USA lenses, you would have to buy used gear.

numberoneoppa · May 17, 2009

Pumalite said:
I thought this was a Photography Forum.

What on earth gave you that silly idea?

mudman · May 18, 2009

yeah didn't someone tell you film was dead? This forum is for hypotheticals and collectors (BIG JOKE)

Pumal · May 19, 2009

McFortner · May 19, 2009

mudman said:
yeah didn't someone tell you film was dead?

Yep, it is very, very dead. So if you have any 35mm film floating around in your home, send it to me and I'll put it in my fridge, I mean Morgue, for you!

Michael

Prest_400 · May 22, 2009

McFortner said:
Yep, it is very, very dead. So if you have any 35mm film floating around in your home, send it to me and I'll put it in my fridge, I mean Morgue, for you!

Michael

Since you say it's dead, send me your cameras. You won't mind anyways...

srosenow_98 · May 24, 2009

Frank Szabo said:
It's made in China, like almost everything else sold at WalMart. Not sure what else you would expect from a company whose inspiration is Chairman Mao.

I refuse to enter a WalMart or Sam's for that very reason - even if I get to pay a little more elsewhere, at least I'm not supporting the treasonous Walton family.

... and, I read labels, avoiding Chinese goods when it's possible.

Not only am I awed by your stupidity in that post, I'm also appalled, and offended.

Partly because not all Chinese-made goods are bad (I've actually came across some that are pretty decent), and the other reason? I'm a three-year Walmart associate.

You need to study Sam Walton a little better if you think that's all what he was about. He wasn't about importing stuff and selling it cheaper because of it being "imported from China." That's far from the truth.

In fact, there's a LOT more product at Wal-Mart that's made in U.S.A. than you think.

I'll just leave it at that.

PentaxBlue · Jun 6, 2009

srosenow_98 said:
Not only am I awed by your stupidity in that post, I'm also appalled, and offended.

Partly because not all Chinese-made goods are bad (I've actually came across some that are pretty decent), and the other reason? I'm a three-year Walmart associate.

You need to study Sam Walton a little better if you think that's all what he was about. He wasn't about importing stuff and selling it cheaper because of it being "imported from China." That's far from the truth.

In fact, there's a LOT more product at Wal-Mart that's made in U.S.A. than you think.

I'll just leave it at that.

I appalled that you would advocate conditions that are once removed from slave labor. As far as Sam Walton goes, he dead. Plus, in the 80s he pushed the Made in U.S.A program. I guess that flew by the way-side when Sam died and K-Mart got beat down.

removed-user-1 · Jun 8, 2009

Boy, where to start? I currently live in a small college town, and I remember when the local WalMart came in back in 1997, a lot of small businesses here disappeared. I understand that something similar happened here in the 1970s when Kmart moved in (that was before my time). So, I don't boycott Chinese goods specifically, but I do make an effort to shop at locally-owned businesses if possible. Having said that I think it's great news that WalMart is stocking a 35mm SLR with a 50mm lens!

A 35mm Camera at WalMart

removed-user-1

Privacy & Transparency

Privacy & Transparency