There's still hope for analog photography

bvy said:

...As long there’s interest and sufficient demand, someone will find a way to make and sell film. The gloom and doom talk is tiring.

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AMEN, bruddah

On a more positive note, I purchased this book and it's a pretty fascinating and very well written/researched take on all things analog.

A great chapter on film, but you can broaden your view on this trend with other facets too, such as vinyl record, paper notebooks and more.

Worth buying.

https://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/05/books/revenge-of-analog-david-sax.html

Colin Corneau said:

On a more positive note, I purchased this book and it's a pretty fascinating and very well written/researched take on all things analog.

A great chapter on film, but you can broaden your view on this trend with other facets too, such as vinyl record, paper notebooks and more.

Worth buying.

https://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/05/books/revenge-of-analog-david-sax.html

Click to expand...

I certainly hope all of you are right and I am wrong. It will take a while for all this to play out so I still have time to enjoy my photography. I really have no intention of preaching doom and gloom but I personally don't see much of a comeback for film. A temporary reprieve fueled by some retirees and a few young people will not overcome the loss of the movie film market.

I have read David Sax's The Revenge of Analog as well and it is a decent read. I suspect that the author's chapters regarding vinyl and analog gaming may have been better researched than the chapter on film. The section on notebooks was a bit interesting but there was never a chance that the notepad was ever actually in danger. Moleskine perhaps but definitely not the ubiquitous yellow legal pad.

Although mentioned in the book we are still waiting on Ferrania to come up with some color film, though they do appear to be making some halting progress with black and white. I don't fault them for trying but color film is a frightfully complex product, obviously difficult to get back into production once it is halted. There is a good reason that Ilford has stuck with black and white.

Kodak continues to send out their normally confusing signals. It is nice to see TMax 3200 on the comeback trail though a bit late for me. I'll continue to back Ilford on their 3200 film rather than chance yet another Kodak blunder. Though it would seem that some within Kodak appear to be trying to accomplish something I strongly suspect that Kodak's monumental mismanagement will yet win the day and sink the yellow box once and for all. This will be sad since Portra and Ektar is the finest color film ever produced, not to mention that all the hard work to get Ektachrome back into production will most likely be a short lived success.

I do truly hope that this really is a Spring-Time renewal for film but I have a strong feeling it is only an unexpected Indian Summer. Either way I intend to enjoy it to the fullest.

Dan: I suppose you'll remember painting didn't die out when photography emerged? My guess is that all that's really needed is a couple of camera makers and film makers. I'd bet large format (4X5), 120 and 35mm will survive similarly. Will it be different than the era of everyday film at drugstore? Sure it will. Those days aren't coming back, true. But today's film shooters and those going forward shoot film as a choice rather than a necessity. Pessimism is unwarranted. Yes, if you add up all the negative, the human race disappeared 3,000 years ago. And yet here we are. Duh. And guess what? In some places, they still use scrolls instead of books. Lose the gloom. Deal with reality: It is far more varied than you can expect.

Colin Corneau said:

...
Worth buying.

https://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/05/books/revenge-of-analog-david-sax.html

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Seems interesting. Will download it tonight.

FIlm photography manufacturers will survive if they understand economies of scale, which David Sax pointed out in his book.

Film will be a niche but a niche can be healthy and lucrative if managed well.

JWMster said:

Dan: I suppose you'll remember painting didn't die out when photography emerged?

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Painting is a different art form, with different uses, advantages, and disadvantages. Maybe the portrait painting business took a hit, but aside from that, photography couldn't replace what most painters were trying to accomplish. That's not the case for the technology shift in photography.

moose101010: You make a good point, but I'm not talking about paint vs. photography at all. So to my way of thinking, I guess I wasn't clear and led you astray. act is when you talk about "painting" there are lots of different "technologies": Watercolors? Acryllic? Oils? Pastels? Pen and Ink? Charcoal? Fine Art or Graphic / Commercial Art? Each is a different medium, a different intention, and requires different prep of the canvas and treatment afterward. Fine art frame and wall hanging, refrigerator art or corporate logo? Variety is extremely wide.

You can run with that if you like, or disagree. I'm not going to belabor it. What I'd suggest is that perhaps the differences between film and digital may eventually divide similarly according to intention / utility as well. To some extent, this has already happened. But fairly from the outside and to those not involved or engaged in the creative process or familiar with more than one, it all will ALWAYS look as if they're doing the same thing. Watercolors give you one shot and no mistakes. Oils - like digital - you can keep on processing until the end of time. And there's always multi-media... or hybrid.

Why are we even having this conversation? Just look at the date of the OP. It was seven years ago, and yet there is lots of different kinds of color and black and white film readily available, and will be for the foreseeable future. Sure, some manufacturers have consolidated their offerings, but that is to be expected given the vast decline in film use. If you like film, shoot film, and resist the urge to continue the hand-wringing.

Good point. Maybe 'cause it beats looking at the rest of the "news" from OZ

Hell, some fool is making photographic plates again, too. Rumor has it he has more orders than time to fill them. Most of the customers are younger folks... or so I hear.