Talk Of New Film Cameras

[George Mann]

a new quality film scanner - seems to elude all these nonsense discussions. How is anyone going to jump into new film camera production without a clear quality path to digitize that film?

New scanner technology is a fine thing to wish for. But I would rather see a solid return to the old analog processes such as affordable traditional printing methods that are readily available in the form of a commercial service.

 

[George Mann]

Well said. The single biggest bottleneck is negative to print. C-type printing is exotically rare commercially, and DIY enthusiasts have lost many of their favourite papers.

Yes, exactly.

 

[Sirius Glass]

The only way to get camera manufacturers to start making new cameras is for the existing used camera market drys up. You assignment is to go out there and buy up all the used cameras. Stop gabbing and get to work!

 

[Paul Howell]

They are disappearing, when the film camera market collapse I bought a lot of very good gear for next to nothing, hard to find decent bodies.

 

[George Mann]

hard to find decent bodies.

Which is exactly why we need new ones!

 

[blockend]

They are disappearing, when the film camera market collapse I bought a lot of very good gear for next to nothing, hard to find decent bodies.

It isn't a lack of good film bodies, it's collectors sitting on multiple examples. Pre-millennium most photographers owned one camera. Enthusiasts might have two, perhaps three. Now plenty of people own ten cameras, and some own fifty, a hundred or more. If we went back to owning two, there'd be enough to go round for the foreseeable future.

Ten to fifteen years ago, a good working SLR cost between £15 and £60. Professional models might make £100, for a very clean example. Would people be interested in a new 35mm SLR if it cost £1500 - 3000? The F4 launch price was just under $2500 US in 1988 money. That's $5500 today.

 

[George Mann]

Would people be interested in a new 35mm SLR if it cost £1500 - 3000?

Mid to upper level, yes. But a simple entry level model should not exceed $800 US.

 

[miha]

What sort of c-print is rare commercially? Minilabs use silver halid paper almost exclusively and most of these papers can be exposed in a home darkroom.

 

[miha]

Mid to upper level, yes. But a simple entry level model should not exceed $800 US.

Are you serious ?
An entry level camera?

 

[Paul Howell]

I don't want an entry level, but the folks who are just getting into film are paying premium for K1000s, Minolta 101, and Nikormates, they want an entry level camera.

 

[miha]

For 800 USD? I don't think many will pay that amount.

 

[Helge]

New scanner technology is a fine thing to wish for. But I would rather see a solid return to the old analog processes such as affordable traditional printing methods that are readily available in the form of a commercial service.

Scanning is equivalent to a contact sheet or cheap drugstore prints.
It lets you know what is actually on the roll.

And with a great scan, it lets you see the absolutely awesome quality film is capable of, instead of viewing it as quaint, fun “authentic” alternative to “the normal” of digital images.

That would wet (sic) the appetite for real prints.
Of course the process would need to be kept alive until the demand rose. So of course we need to support both the suppliers of chemistry and enlargers and also the labs doing it.
Use it or lose it. Very simple really.

 

[George Mann]

And with a great scan, it lets you see the absolutely awesome quality film is capable of

Daydreaming about a future possibilty as if it existed in the here and now.

 

[George Mann]

For 800 USD? I don't think many will pay that amount.

Well, they have no trouble paying this much for a (barely) mid-level digital camera that will be obsolete in a short time.

Besides, what do you expect to pay for a sufficiently well made entry-level model with an adequate set of features?

 

[miha]

Besides, what do you expect to pay for a sufficiently well made entry-level model with an adequate set of features?

I don't think there is a market for an eos rebel or a yashica fx3 2000 camera today.

 

[George Mann]

I don't think there is a market for an eos rebel or a yashica fx3 2000 camera today.

How about a point&shoot with a high quality lense, and a reasonable amount of manual control?

 

[miha]

How about a point&shoot with a high quality lense, and a reasonable amount of manual control?

Like hexar af or minolta tc-1??? Those cameras were rarity even in their day. No chance.

 

[Chan Tran]

How about a point&shoot with a high quality lense, and a reasonable amount of manual control?

Actually as long as I have film I have enough good cameras for the rest of my life.

 

[Jeremy Mudd]

From my experience in manufacturing and product develop/management -

There isn't a big enough ROI for any camera maker to go down the path of designing, tooling, and making a "new" film camera. The market just isn't big enough to support it.

I'm fairly certain that if you actually do the market research, figure out the # of film shooters based on the # of rolls sold in market, then extrapolate that out to figure out which users are willing to part with big $$ for a new film camera - you would find its not worth undertaking such a project. The only reason you could argue the point would be if you are an already well-established camera company and are doing it for purely PR or other marketing reasons. But as a project that would involve spending/investing for a return of dividends to the shareholders - no.

Don't get me wrong - its fun to talk about. Just not realistic. And I'm not talking about some lomo-type camera like the Sprocket Rocket or a Holga/Diana - I mean a real camera.

Jeremy

<DISCLAIMER - I own a Sprocket Rocket and several Holgas - the above was not meant as a dig on them. >

 

[blockend]

I'll hazard a guess many people on this forum own more cameras than they buy rolls of film in a year.

 

[Helge]

Daydreaming about a future possibilty as if it existed in the here and now.

But it does. I’ve seen a good scan and I was shocked the first time at the difference to lab scans and flatbed scans.
It just isn’t available to the masses as it should be.

 

[George Mann]

From my experience in manufacturing and product develop/management -

There isn't a big enough ROI for any camera maker to go down the path of designing, tooling, and making a "new" film camera. The market just isn't big enough to support it.

I come from a similar background, and although it would currently be a gamble, I believe that the market may be ripe for new film cameras in the not too distant future.

 

[4season]

Who knows if/when Lomography will get more, but these are all circa 2005 models still available as new old-stock from Russian sellers:
https://shop.lomography.com/en/zenit-122k-slr-camera
https://shop.lomography.com/en/zenit-km-slr
https://shop.lomography.com/en/zenit-412ls-slr

 

[miha]

Who knows if/when Lomography will get more, but these are all circa 2005 models still available as new old-stock from Russian sellers:
https://shop.lomography.com/en/zenit-122k-slr-camera
https://shop.lomography.com/en/zenit-km-slr
https://shop.lomography.com/en/zenit-412ls-slr

Thanks for bringing this up. One can get a new 6x6 camera for 550 usd. Lens included:
https://araxfoto.com/cameras/

 

[Jeremy Mudd]

Thanks for bringing this up. One can get a new 6x6 camera for 550 usd. Lens included:
https://araxfoto.com/cameras/

Man, I need another 6x6 camera like I need another hole in my head, but that looks enticing to buy and play around with. Assuming they've worked out the old Kiev kinks.

Anyone here purchase one and have any feedback?

Jeremy