Fuji will be an issue within the next 24 months. Film culture is very strong in Japan, more than perhaps anywhere else on the planet. It's hard to say if Fuji can cost-shift film production costs from other areas out of a sense of loyalty and probably near-monopoly. Very tough to see because there is obviously a very deep commitment to film as it made Fuji as much as it made Kodak. Fuji is just better managed.
Well, let's bear in mind that the digital market has stagnated too. After a flurry of upgrades/updates and new this and that, the past year has seen very little from the likes of Canon and Nikon. (and Olympus is in big trouble, for different reasons) In terms of actual capability, you could argue that it's been stagnant for a while. Various new models have been rumored for some time, but held back, probably because of low consumer demand and also the floods in Asia and the tsunami etc.
Demand for these kinds of non-essential consumer goods has been an unprecedentedly low, across the board. This period hasn't been bad just for film, and there's no real reason for film to perform any better in a downturn. Yeah it's lower cost but processing is vanishing and has thus become more expensive...
Well, let's bear in mind that the digital market has stagnated too. After a flurry of upgrades/updates and new this and that, the past year has seen very little from the likes of Canon and Nikon. (and Olympus is in big trouble, for different reasons) In terms of actual capability, you could argue that it's been stagnant for a while. Various new models have been rumored for some time, but held back, probably because of low consumer demand and also the floods in Asia and the tsunami etc.
Demand for these kinds of non-essential consumer goods has been an unprecedentedly low, across the board. This period hasn't been bad just for film, and there's no real reason for film to perform any better in a downturn. Yeah it's lower cost but processing is vanishing and has thus become more expensive...
With respect, you really should look a bit deeper into data that allow an understanding of trends instead of offering generalities:
http://www.cipa.jp/english/index.html
The digital market has nowhere near stagnated.
Smart phone sales? Show me "stagnation" there.
I didn't say smartphone sales were stagnating. I said that smartphone sales have probably eaten away some of the digital camera market... Cameramakers seem to have mostly missed the transition to online sharing as opposed to at-home printmaking. The social networking wave has probably clobbered printer sales. And then Kodak jumps into the printer market.... bad move. Imagine where Kodak would be if they had a strategic partnership with apple a few years back to, you know, revolutionize iPhone cameras or whatever.
As for "stagnation", let me refer you to a really wonderful little book by Tyler Cowen. (And no I am not his agent, although I will admit mentioning it here many times) Please have a look. I think it'll really ring a bell with many on here. It's not about little ups and downs in innovation and demand, it's about the problem of long-term stagnation in technology and how "low hanging fruit" brought us to where we are. On this subject, my blog on the need for "real Jobs" is on this issue as well. The point is that the fashion of replacing electronica with other slightly different electronica leads to zero job growth and long term problems for sci and tech.
Sorry, I've no political or intellectual affinity with Cowen whatsoever. Try some Paul Krugman?
Oh please, Krugman! Perfect example of an economist who stares at charts all day and doesn't actually know anything about the real economy. Yeah, we're deflating instead of inflating, I get it. Krugman's solution: just let our debt go way past 100% GDP and assume that what worked in the 1950s will also work now. And if he's wrong then the next generation will be effed beyond all belief, like Greece. But guess what, Krugman won't be around to take the rap.
If you'd look at Cowen's book you'd see that there is an underlying reasons for where we find ourselves. Krugman doesn't consider the underlying reasons at all, he just gets pissy and complains about some right-wing morons, as if that will make any difference.
Kodak's 2010 Annual report shows 1.7B in sales for their Film, Photofinishing, and Entertainment Group (movie film etc) out of around 7 billion total for the corporation. They had earnings of 64 million dollars in the film group. These numbers have been declining. However, the main problem is that the corporation is operating at a substantial loss. If they could go through bankruptcies and throw off their losing crap and legacy costs, they could have a small but profitable film industry, probably growing smaller though as time goes on. Or, some one like a Ilford or Fuji could buy out that portion in bankruptcy. Maybe we should take up a collection and go into the film business ourselves. Anyway here's the link. Check pg 95 after you open the PDF document.
http://phx.corporate-ir.net/External.File?item=UGFyZW50SUQ9ODc4NDl8Q2hpbGRJRD0tMXxUeXBlPTM=&t=1
I don't see Kodak selling the film business.
I don't think it has started to level off. The reason? There is more old people stopping shooting film than young people starting. I will say that in maximum 5 years the majority of the generation of old people photographing with film camereas has stopped doing so. The next generation of old people started to use digital when they were younger, so they will not have any problem with using a basic p&s camera. When that transition is over the things will level out, maybe even increase a little again.
Kodak claims their film division is making money. I think Ilford is hurting due to the high value of the English Pound. There are a dozen or more companies worldwide still making B&W film and paper. The price of decent film cameras has been rising for the past 2-3 years. However, film is now a niche market and only fairly large internet dealers are making a profit at serving it.
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