Large Format Camera Sales

[roteague]

The November/December issue of View Camera has part one of an article on The Future of Large Format.

Thanks Steve. I'll keep an eye out for that issue, although I always buy it anyway.

 

[photobackpacker]

I look forward to that article. Steve, your 16,000 subscribers is another factor I considered in my guesstimates. I think you magazine is supurb and is a strong indicator of the size of the lf active shooter market. My guess is that 15 to 25% of shooters subscribe to your fine publication. I used 25% as to reinforce the conservative estimate although I have no idea what is your international subscriber base. That could skew things. Are you throwing out any informed SWAGS or are these too a closely held secret?

 

[Frank Petronio]

Just to play devil's advocate, isn't it in the magazine's interest to inflate the subscription numbers in order to attract more advertising revenue? Especially for a niche magazine, where third party oversight is thin if not non-existent.

 

[laz]

The 4x5 field market seems to be doing quite well, if the numbers of screens we sell are any indication, I would say on average 1 of our 10 orders comes from a person that tells me they are brand new to LF, now this could be they bought a new camera or a used one, the prevelant new camera right now seems to be the Shen, I suspect, they are doing okay, mainly due to price point, I drop into the Mamiya forums everyonce in a while and the Toyo sales seem to be pretty good as well, but I would doubt there are more buying than getting out at this time, which seems to maintain the same level of participation as it has been for the last 20 years
Dave

When I first looked at the title of this thread I thought of you Dave. My guess would be that a S.S.S. index (Satin Snow Sales) would be a very good way to guage both the sale, use and interest in LF.
-Bob

 

[Phillip P. Dimor]

I agree with most of what has been said. Crown graphics can and do reach unreasonable prices. I paid too much for my near-mint 4x5 pacemaker top-rf crown with graflok and 135 optar. I bought a pretty well used but fully functioning pacemaker speed with spring back for $99. That was the deal of a lifetime for me.

I think that lf, atleast within the apug community is picking up. It seems that we have posts from people who have only shot 35mm become interested in what others are doing. I think this is great!