Is film dead?

paper breath · Dec 11, 2015

Hello there! Is there any research or article where can i see which companies still making film cameras and films? I'm interested in facts, that's prove that film is not dead.
And also-can analogue photography can relate with vinyl revival?

Helinophoto · Dec 11, 2015

Short answer: Nope.

There are many film-options:

Kodak
Fuji
Foma
Rollei
Adox
Lucky (I think)
Ferrania
Kentmere
and off course Ilford

(I probably forgot some).

You can still get black and white, color (c-41) and transparency film (E6). You can still get chemicals (loads, depending on your need), equipment, both for taking photos, developing and enlarging your shots to paper.

Analog can, in some circles relate to vinyl, manly in the hipster and lomo communities, then again, many of them seem to shoot for scanning only, which loose half of the process.
There are many many more people that never stopped shooting film than there are hipsters and lomographers.

Film isn't dead, no, but it is becoming a niche, why? Compared to the olden days, before digital (millions of shooters), the film-community is small (I'd say several thousands now days, if I am going to guess).

Ken Nadvornick · Dec 11, 2015

Is Film Dead?

At this moment, and counting yourself, there are 77,881 registered members and 1,721,493 posts on just this one online site. Currently there are 945 logged in who are discussing.

So you tell me...

Ken

Sirius Glass · Dec 11, 2015

Do a search on APUG and you will see that the subject was beat to death years ago.

paper breath · Dec 11, 2015

Yes. years ago, but im interested in and looking for some latest research. about situation in nowadays. some new films, some new companies, statistic that show whats happening etc.

Paul Goutiere · Dec 11, 2015

Film had a couple of bad days a while back, but it has recuperated and is happily finding herself in more and more nice cameras every day.

Jeff Bradford · Dec 11, 2015

Don't forget New55, Impossible, Shanghai, um... CineStill (sort-of)

Prof_Pixel · Dec 11, 2015

paper breath said:
I'm interested in facts, that's prove that film is not dead.

The issue of film being dead depends on the market segment you are talking about. It's completely gone (and has been for over 30 years) in the TV news business; it's still hanging on (for now) in the feature film business; it's completely gone in the old 'bread and butter' consumer photo marketplace; and it still survives in the photo devotee marketplace (think APUG). What still remains to be worked out is what kind of realistic business model can be supported by the drastically reduced film marketplace. The 'jury is still out' on this.

PeteZ8 · Dec 11, 2015

Helinophoto said:
Short answer: Nope.

There are many film-options:

Kodak
Fuji
Foma
Rollei
Adox
Lucky (I think)
Ferrania
Kentmere
and off course Ilford

(I probably forgot some).

I think there may be more companies making film these days than (real) film cameras At least once you exclude the "toy" cameras (ie, Holga) and the large format stuff.

B&H has:
1: Nikon (35mm)
2: Leica (35mm)
3: Voightlander (35mm)
4: Fujifilm (MF)
5: Horseman (MF)
6: Linhof (MF)

For film they have:

1: Adox
2: AgfaPhoto
3: Arista
4: Bergger
5: Cinestill
6: Foma
7: Fujifilm
8: Ilford
9: Kentmere
10: Kodak
11: Lomography
12: ReraPan
13: Rollei

I know there are more camera makers out there but the point remains.

eddie · Dec 11, 2015

Iluvmycam said:
Nowadays, film is mostly for those that get their pride from saying I shoot film.

Is that why you shoot film? I don't personally know anyone who uses film for this reason. The people I know who choose film do so for other reasons, mostly having to do with how it better fits their creative goals.

btaylor · Dec 11, 2015

I shoot film because I enjoy the whole analog process. I like mechanical things. Working digitally requires that I look at a computer screen. I have to look at electronic screens all day at work.

Sirius Glass · Dec 11, 2015

I am with Eddie on this one. I shoot film because I enjoy shooting film, I enjoy the development and the printing, and I really enjoy the final product.

Prof_Pixel · Dec 11, 2015

Take a look at http://www.thephoblographer.com/201...state-film-photography-industry/#.Vmt_XGQrKqk

Poisson Du Jour · Dec 11, 2015

Iluvmycam said:
Nowadays, film is mostly for those that get their pride from saying I shoot film.

What a disturbingly silly comment.
I shoot film because it provides superior results to what is achievable with digital.
Pride is not something that comes to mind at all.

removed account4 · Dec 11, 2015

sorry to rain on your parade -

the "film" / wet darkroom community is a small community.
to the general public film photography is dead, even though
there are websites film and paper companies and gear makers
who cater to us.
if you go on the street with a film camera you will be asked
if "they still make film" or " you can still get film for that" ..

we know its not dead, but a lot of people don't

rowghani · Dec 11, 2015

Come on Kodak. Bring back Kodachrome on a small but pricy scale.

aRolleiBrujo · Dec 11, 2015

When you quit film, a piece of it dies, please, oh please, don't kill film!

MattKing · Dec 12, 2015

Film itself is far from dead:

That is from a local store.

But the markets that once supplied film to everyone, as close as their local drugstore, have changed fundamentally.

What was once a commodity as prevalent as milk and eggs is now much more of a niche product.

However, with the rise of the internet, that niche product is still quite accessible.

At one time film was a luxury item, then it became an everyday item, and now it is more of a special interest item.

A significant portion of the industry that supported the everyday item is either dead or radically changed.

But there is still millions of dollars of business related to film and other analog photographic processes.

Sirius Glass · Dec 12, 2015

Matt how do you keep the front of your shoes out of a fisheye photograph?

MattKing · Dec 12, 2015

Sirius Glass said:
Matt how do you keep the front of your shoes out of a fisheye photograph?

Use a self-timer.

That shot is taken from Beau Photo's website. Their film and darkroom section is now slightly different, but still similar.

benjiboy · Dec 12, 2015

It strikes me to post the original question on a a purely film based photography site is crass to say the least.

blansky · Dec 12, 2015

Is God dead?

Sean Mac · Dec 12, 2015

If an audio analogy is appropriate I think film is comparable to tubes, as well or better, than a comparison to vinyl.

"Can you still get tubes for that?" replaces "Can you still get film for that?"

As a mainstream consumer technology it is gone. For certain purposes it is the only acceptable choice.

Just a thought....

aoresteen · Dec 12, 2015

Well, 220 is dead. 70mm is near dead. 127 IR is dead. 116 & 620 are dead as is 126 & 110. Kodachrome is dead.

35mm & 120 & 4x5 are doing very well. So I'd say that film is alive & kicking.

Richard S. (rich815) · Dec 12, 2015

Iluvmycam said:
Nowadays, film is mostly for those that get their pride from saying I shoot film. For many of the film devotees the glory comes from the process, more so than the results. We see people scouring expired film of eBay and the continual discontinuation of favorite films. Film is not dead, but it is on a steady decline. Maybe the decline has settled out, I don't have the numbers. But in all my travels I've only seen 1 person shooting film out of a Leica M3 in Venice CA from as far as I can remember over the last decade.

Then you're not getting around much. In my travels around the Bay Area, Los Angeles, San Diego and thereabouts I see a film camera almost every week, or at least once a month or so. Not much vs the DSLR or phone shooters who are usually chimping their screens rather than actually making photos but there you go. Film is obviously a micro-fraction of its hey-day but is still a multiple hundreds of million-dollar business world-wide. As is horse-shoeing.

Is film dead?

paper breath

Helinophoto

Ken Nadvornick

Sirius Glass

paper breath

Paul Goutiere

Jeff Bradford

Prof_Pixel

PeteZ8

eddie

btaylor

Sirius Glass

Prof_Pixel

Poisson Du Jour

removed account4

rowghani

aRolleiBrujo

MattKing

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Sirius Glass

MattKing

Moderator

benjiboy

blansky

Sean Mac

aoresteen

Richard S. (rich815)

Is film dead?

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