Nikon To Discontinue Most Film Cameras and Related Accessories

[Dave Parker]

Should I combine all three "Nikon to discontinue all film cameras" threads and then make it sticky?;-p

I think that would be a good idea, then it gives us one place to discuss this particular subject, and I feel it is important enough to warrent a sticky..

Dave

 

[jd callow]

We now have one Nikon thread. I'll leave it unsticky for now and hope that it will be noticed prior to the start of a forth "Nikon to discontinue all film cameras" thread.

 

[ajuk]

Interesting times. Clearly we are on the cusp of a wave. Nikon have reduced their film presence to the minimum, but the have not completely abandoned it. Time will tell how this one settles, but the fact is that analog photography will be around for as long as human beings want to use it. Who knows, in a decade or so there may even be an analog revival, when digital reaches some kind of plateau. Stranger things have happened... Right now, look on the bright side. It is a great time to be an analog photographer!

look at the resergence of Vinyl, Most record shops sell it and If I go into the back streets of bristol I can find shops that stock nothing but!

Its the digital show at the moment, I am not saying digital is a fad it is here to stay, but film is out of fasion.

Nikon are yet to make a FF DSLR, but Kodak used to make a FF DSLF with an F mount, so I know it is possible.

 

[roteague]

Nikon are yet to make a FF DSLR, but Kodak used to make a FF DSLF with an F mount, so I know it is possible.

True, but Nikon didn't make the sensors for those cameras, Kodak did. Nikon only provided the body. The problem with FF sensors is the high reject rate - last I heard it was over 90%. That is why the Canon FF sensor cameras are so expensive.

 

[jd callow]

True, but Nikon didn't make the sensors for those cameras, Kodak did. Nikon only provided the body. The problem with FF sensors is the high reject rate - last I heard it was over 90%. That is why the Canon FF sensor cameras are so expensive.

the kodak camera was pretty universally regarded as being crap (Actually you had to talk to people who had used it -- the mags just recycled the PR) and was pulled from the market.

 

[Andy K]

We now have one Nikon thread. I'll leave it unsticky for now and hope that it will be noticed prior to the start of a forth "Nikon to discontinue all film cameras" thread.

There were three? I didn't notice. I'm getting a bored with all this pessimism. I know it is better to be a pessimist than an optimist, but even so, enough is enough!

 

[MattCarey]

True, but Nikon didn't make the sensors for those cameras, Kodak did. Nikon only provided the body. The problem with FF sensors is the high reject rate - last I heard it was over 90%. That is why the Canon FF sensor cameras are so expensive.

This makes me wonder whenever I hear people talk about digital LF gear. What makes lithography economical is the parallel-processing side of it. You get a lot of chips out of a single wafer. That's why semiconductors have been moving up in wafer size.

How many 4x5 sensors can you get on a wafer? An 8x10 sensor would take up an entire 12" wafer, basically. Who would do that for such a small market?

Matt

 

[Uncle Bill]

I am going to remain the optimst here. Film photography will be around for a long time to come, there is a huge ever evolving market for used gear of all brands and price points, its called Ebay. Ilford is still around as is Fuji and JandC Photo are doing really interesting stuff, even Kodak in its confused identity crisis is still pumping out Tri-X and Plus-X. I just got a Nikon F2 last week and its off to get its CLA, its not an FM3a but it did not cost the same as one either and it last pretty well near forever compared to the current digital lineup which maybe last 5 years and then get landfilled.
LP's are back with a vengance, I know where I can get here in the GTA a decent turntable for about $600 and play my dad's jazz lp's.
Bill

 

[roteague]

This makes me wonder whenever I hear people talk about digital LF gear.

Most digital LF uses a different technology. Instead of one big sensor, which isn't practical to produce, they use a scanning technology, similar to that found in a flatbed scanner.

 

[roteague]

I am going to remain the optimst here. Film photography will be around for a long time to come, there is a huge ever evolving market for used gear of all brands and price points, its called Ebay. Ilford is still around as is Fuji and JandC Photo are doing really interesting stuff, even Kodak in its confused identity crisis is still pumping out Tri-X and Plus-X. I just got a Nikon F2 last week and its off to get its CLA, its not an FM3a but it did not cost the same as one either and it last pretty well near forever compared to the current digital lineup which maybe last 5 years and then get landfilled.
LP's are back with a vengance, I know where I can get here in the GTA a decent turntable for about $600 and play my dad's jazz lp's.
Bill

True Bill, but even that requires a change of thinking. No more will you be able to go into a camera store and buy a 35mm Nikon "NEW". Personally, I prefer to purchase new equipment, whenever possible.