News from the "analog revival"

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Henning Serger

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Hello,
this isn't directly photography related (at least the first part of this posting), but a bit in an indirect way, and independent from that, certainly generally interesting for some members:
The first half of 2020 was the first half year since the mid-eighties in which revenue from vinyl record sales in the US significantly surpassed sales revenue from CDs.
232.1 million $ from vinyl versus 129.9 million $ from CD sales. Source:
https://www.riaa.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Mid-Year-2020-RIAA-Revenue-Statistics.pdf
If someone 15 or 20 years ago would have told you that will happen, most would probably have reacted by considering him being totally crazy......:wink:.
Meanwhile there are again about 40 vinyl factories running globally (including new ones), and most of them have difficulties to keep up with demand.
The demand development in this area is very encouraging, as not only vinyl sales are strongly increasing for years, but also countless new turntables in different price regions from cheap to absolute high-end have been introduced.

This is an example that demonstrates one further time that
- strong revivals and trend changes are possible
and
- that such "revivals are more marathons than sprints".
All that cannot happen overnight.
Patience, endurance, very hard work and a mid to long term perspective is needed.

As some of you may know, part of my job is also market and technology analysis, including the photo market. I have designed some analysing tools and methods by myself. So far they are working very well, all my forecasts have been right.
One result of my analysis has been that we will see a film revival. Exactly that has happened in the last years. But we are still in the start phase. There is more to come.
But this development will take its time. It is a process of many further years. Some film photographers are quite impatient and think that a market could be rebuilt in only a few years. But that is unrealistic, it takes more time (see the vinyl example).
Being more realistic, more relaxed and having more patience and a long-term perspective is helpful, I think. It reduces stress and dissappointment, and it increases the joy we have with film photography.
Just today I finished another analysis for one of my clients in the film photo industry. A market and product analysis for a product group that would be a huge step for that company and would have very positive effects for the whole film photography scene. An analysis based on market developments of the next 15 years, because essential long-term investments are needed for such products. That again made me realize how important it is to also have a look on the longer perspective (and motivated me to share parts of my assessment with you in this post).

Independent from that I have got some news in the last days concerning several new products. I will probably be able to give more details in the coming days. Please stay tuned.

All the best to you,
and
long live film :smile:.

Henning

Photography is not about megapixels, dynamic range, frames per second or specification sheets.
It is all about light, composition, memories, stories, creativity and the enjoyment of making pictures.
 

Andrew O'Neill

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If Kodak... or someone... comes out with a "real" infra-red film, like HIE, then I will know then that analogue has been truly revived. Time to pick up a new turn table, too!
 

Peter Schrager

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Thank you henning!!
Fuji also just bought out a new square format instead camera...
 

GRHazelton

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Wowzer! I still have my vinyl going back some 60 years, and my Acoustic Research ES 1 turntable with the last Shure V15 MR cartridge. Plus a record cleaning machine. I wonder how many folks discarded their vinyl and record decks only to regret that decision later on. Its interesting that book store chains, Barnes and Noble for exampe, now stock vinyl, generally expensive, and often wretched little "record players" which in all likelihood would inflict damage on a record with each playing.
 

David A. Goldfarb

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After a few troublesome years that led me to neglect it I got my Beogram 1800 working again a couple of weeks ago. It's good to have access to my LPs again.
 

Cholentpot

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I bought a fisherprice and a stack of 45's for my twerps. They love it, so much fun for them. The cassette player is more portable but it also has more issues.
 

George Mann

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You haven't heard what vinyl is capable of until you have heard a direct-to-disc pressing played back on a $300k analog front end!

It is a rich man's hobby. At least film photography remains somewhat affordable.
 

Dali

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You haven't heard what vinyl is capable of until you have heard a direct-to-disc pressing played back on a $300k analog front end!

Every support can sound great (even cassette) if you are in optimal conditions and if you don't have hearing problems ( I don't own an auditorium and I am half deaf so I don't care).

New, the vinyl revival looks like a fashion thing to me. What is the purpose of buying a LP made from something recorded digitally in studio?
 

radiant

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One result of my analysis has been that we will see a film revival. Exactly that has happened in the last years. But we are still in the start phase. There is more to come.

My "fear" that film rise is a bubble that will burst. I believe it is in hype because of 20-30 years old want to be "different" or "orignal" and not part of the mass. What happens when film is not a way to be "original"? How many will stay? Does film industry get new blood somewhere? I wish all the best for film industry but something says that this is a bubble we are living in ..

I personally have been away from digital music for 7 music, quitted Spotify and started to buy CDs and Vinyls. However I have now returned back to digital (Deezer) and feel it is great because I am not fixed to being near Vinyl player or ripping CDs to MP3's that I can listen on my phone..

I also built analog synth setup and started to record directly on C-casettes. Fun, authentic, different. Not digital. But then I realized how much easier it is to write songs on laptop with Ableton Live. The wiring of the synth setup and buying more effects to achieve all I wanted was just too heavy stuff. I have much more on my laptop which I can take anywhere and make music spotanelously.

Photography is not about megapixels, dynamic range, frames per second or specification sheets.
It is all about light, composition, memories, stories, creativity and the enjoyment of making pictures.

Yes, you are correct. It doesn't count what medium you are using, film or digital.
 

VinceInMT

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I never quit on vinyl, nor reel-to-reel, and not even 8-tracks. I still use the Dual turntable I bought in Germany when I was in the army in the mid-70s and a B&O Beogram 5000 that I picked up later. For reel I have over a dozen machines to choose, from a Brush BK-401 to a Tandberg TD20A SE and lots of Akais in between.
I don’t do battle over sound quality since that is a bottomless pit for both money and acquisition and with my aged hearing not really important to me.
On that latter note, for me, it’s akin to my photography in that I concern myself that the final composition conveys what I want it to say rather than splitting hairs over pops and hiss or grain size and lens resolving power.
 

Cholentpot

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You haven't heard what vinyl is capable of until you have heard a direct-to-disc pressing played back on a $300k analog front end!

It is a rich man's hobby. At least film photography remains somewhat affordable.

Might as well go to master tapes at that point.

My "fear" that film rise is a bubble that will burst. I believe it is in hype because of 20-30 years old want to be "different" or "orignal" and not part of the mass. What happens when film is not a way to be "original"? How many will stay? Does film industry get new blood somewhere? I wish all the best for film industry but something says that this is a bubble we are living in ..

I personally have been away from digital music for 7 music, quitted Spotify and started to buy CDs and Vinyls. However I have now returned back to digital (Deezer) and feel it is great because I am not fixed to being near Vinyl player or ripping CDs to MP3's that I can listen on my phone..

I also built analog synth setup and started to record directly on C-casettes. Fun, authentic, different. Not digital. But then I realized how much easier it is to write songs on laptop with Ableton Live. The wiring of the synth setup and buying more effects to achieve all I wanted was just too heavy stuff. I have much more on my laptop which I can take anywhere and make music spotanelously.



Yes, you are correct. It doesn't count what medium you are using, film or digital.

I don't think the we (the 20-40 year olds) are giving up film so fast. Once you start developing yourself there's no going back.
 

radiant

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I don't think the we (the 20-40 year olds) are giving up film so fast. Once you start developing yourself there's no going back.

How many new shooters are developing themselves?

Last time I talked with Kamerastore lab guys they said the most biggest boom group was young girls who wanted to post film style photos to instagram. Some of them didn't realize you have to insert a film reel inside the camera to shoot. Without complete setup (buying camera camera, film, developing, scanning, get the photos straight to your phone) those customers wouldn't be using their business at all. So you must have everything. And that leads to the question above ..
 

Cholentpot

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Local shop can't stock chems fast enough. Try buying a C-41 kit and see how fast they're selling out.

A sizable percentage is jumping all in. Enough to drive sales of developer and other processing chemicals. The 'grammers you're talking about are the ones that are dropping 15.99 on a roll of 24 c-41 bringing in for development, scans and prints. They spend almost $100 on a single roll of film. They're the modern version of dentists buying a 500C and not knowing how to load it. They keep everyone else afloat.
 

warden

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I don't think the we (the 20-40 year olds) are giving up film so fast. Once you start developing yourself there's no going back.

I think you're right. The volumes will be small but hopefully steady and large enough to keep some film and chemistry in production. It seems Vinyl and CDs have settled in at a low but predictable volume of sales and that's enough to keep making product for the industry. Maybe film will be the same.

I liken DIY film photography to other artistic pursuits (painting, pottery, sculpture, glass blowing, etc) which are impossible without certain equipment and consumable supplies. Developing your own film is intimidating but once the basics are understood I agree that there is no going back. It still amazes me.
 

Fraunhofer

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Not to burst anyone's bubble: wouldn't be a much more natural explanation for this, that digital streaming decimated the sale of CDs. I am pretty sure that $200 million is not even close to what vinyl made in its heyday... less of a revival, but less dead than the competition?
 

Cholentpot

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Not to burst anyone's bubble: wouldn't be a much more natural explanation for this, that digital streaming decimated the sale of CDs. I am pretty sure that $200 million is not even close to what vinyl made in its heyday... less of a revival, but less dead than the competition?

CDs were inflated. A bunch of people going out and buying The Beatles for the third time in a new format. And then you needed to buy a new one a few years later because it got all scratched up. Digital music really killed the industry because it was the first medium that was truly buy once. Vinyl wears out, tapes rip and CDs get scratched. Digital files unless lost or corrupted can be copied and stored safe and you don't need to buy again.

I think you're right. The volumes will be small but hopefully steady and large enough to keep some film and chemistry in production. It seems Vinyl and CDs have settled in at a low but predictable volume of sales and that's enough to keep making product for the industry. Maybe film will be the same.

I liken DIY film photography to other artistic pursuits (painting, pottery, sculpture, glass blowing, etc) which are impossible without certain equipment and consumable supplies. Developing your own film is intimidating but once the basics are understood I agree that there is no going back. It still amazes me.

B&W film will be around 100 years from now. Color? Who knows.
 

Ko.Fe.

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LP? I gave my working set to one of our daughter. She listen regularly.
Another is using my film cameras.
I'm not into film for now and need to fix my second TT.
 

George Mann

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What is the purpose of buying a LP made from something recorded digitally in studio?

The majority of pressings are 100% analog. Digitally sourced pressings are notably inferior, but easier to listen to than digital formats.
 
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