What film cameras are still available new.

[artonpaper]

I've been having an e-mail exchange on the perennial subject of how long will film continue to be available. So I'm wondering, while demand is a big part of it, we must have cameras to use it in. As so many cameras age into being no longer supported by the manufacturers as far as parts go, it's got me wondering what film cameras are still available new. Especially medium format. Am I wrong, are there no more medium format cameras being made other than plastic ones?

 

[brianmquinn]

As far as plastic cameras are concerned if you go to the Lomography web site you can see they offer some higher end medium format cameras such as the Lubitel 166+ and the Horizon Perfekt. They maybe mostly plastic but I would not call either of these cameras plastic junk.

Also don't forget the Fujifilm GF670. It is real pro quality.

 

[Ed Bray]

Hasselblad 503CW and V series lenses are still available, Hasselblad H4X is the latest in the H series which still accepts a film back.

Very little plastic in the 503CW a bit more in the H4X but still by no means plastic feeling.

 

[TheFlyingCamera]

Mamiya is still making the RZ, IIRC, and the 7 II. Some of the boutique manufacturers are still cranking out product too, I believe. And then there's the "gray area" cameras like the Ebony 23 series, which are a view camera design but built to take 6x7/6x9cm negatives on either cut sheet film or roll film with a roll film back.

 

[Moopheus]

Basically, a number of pro-grade cameras are still made; i.e., cameras that can be sold at a high enough price to justify limited production. Consumer-grade cameras depend too much on the economies of large-scale production.

 

[xdielanx]

Nikon still makes the FM10 and the F6.

 

[donkee]

You have these guys still making cameras.

http://www.kenkoglobal.com/cameras.html

 

[cliveh]

I would hope not many, as after about 1970 optimisation of film camera design went down hill.

 

[amsp]

As far as I know Hasselblad ceased production of the 503cw in 2008 and I doubt Mamiya are producing new rz67 or 7II's either, the kits still sold in stores are most likely old stock. I would love to be proven wrong though.

 

[MattKing]

Mamiya is still making the RZ, IIRC, and the 7 II. Some of the boutique manufacturers are still cranking out product too, I believe. And then there's the "gray area" cameras like the Ebony 23 series, which are a view camera design but built to take 6x7/6x9cm negatives on either cut sheet film or roll film with a roll film back.

It doesn't look to me like Mamiya is still producing any of the film cameras. The only web presence left for Mamiya is strictly digital, and all the web support information for all the Mamiya film cameras is gone.

 

[pbromaghin]

The Freestyle catalog lists the Nikon FM10 and Vivitar v3800. Who makes the FM10?

 

[tocalosh]

The camera shop chains in Japan (BIC camera + Yodobashi camera) all have new film cameras for sale, in stock and on display. The Mamiya's as suggested before. Pentax 67II and 645nII with almost ever lens they made. Hasselblads. Ebony 5x4 and 10x8. Plus other large format cameras. Leica m7 and mp in every colour combo you can think of. The nikons and those little fuji 35mm fixed lens cameras. Voigtlander rangefinders. And sh*t loads of film to put in them! Including fuji film in 220 and 4x5 ready loads, with long dates on them.

 

[tocalosh]

 

[pbromaghin]

Wow! That's about how much film is on the shelves of all the stores in Denver combined.

 

[steven_e007]

You can still buy a lot of Russian (Ukranian) cameras fro the companies that refurbish them, such as Arak and Hartbei. I've no idea when the cameras were manufactured, maybe some time ago, but in effect they are are 'new', being rebuilt new stock.

I'm quite keen on the idea of a Kiev 88 ;-)

 

[tocalosh]

Yodobashi Camera in Akihabara, Tokyo , where this photo was taken last December is amazing. The fridge actually continues to the left a bit more and has all the ilford film in. 35mm up to 10x8 in every flavour. There also a floor just for darkroom gear. New enlarges, trays, timers etc. The shop in Akihabara is the biggest, but there's probably 5 other big stores around Tokyo, plus the other major cities. Kyoto had a great selection too. I wasted a lot of time looking at all the stuff they sell.

 

[brianmquinn]

I went to the Adorama web site and found this.
Dead Link Removed
I've seen lots of new 35mm film SLR cameras.
But I have not seen and AF P&S 35mm camera for sale in years.
I figured that the quality P&S 35mm camera was gone for good, killed by digital and the fact that used ones are all over ebay and yard sales for $10 or less.

I just picked up a mint Olympus infinity stylus zoom for a dollar with a working battery! It was over 100 times that much new a few years ago.

 

[Ed Bray]

As far as I know Hasselblad ceased production of the 503cw in 2008 and I doubt Mamiya are producing new rz67 or 7II's either, the kits still sold in stores are most likely old stock. I would love to be proven wrong though.

Your wish is my command.

Hasselblad uk 2012 Price list

Page 13 for V series kit.

 

[Richard S. (rich815)]

I don't think I've bought a new film camera is probably 15 years or more. And I have dozens of them. There's enough older and robustly built (or not too hard to repair) film cameras around to last our lifetimes and then some....

 

[Oren Grad]

The only web presence left for Mamiya is strictly digital, and all the web support information for all the Mamiya film cameras is gone.

Dead Link Removed

But yes, a lot of the detailed support information they used to have is gone.

 

[semi-ambivalent]

I don't think I've bought a new film camera is probably 15 years or more. And I have dozens of them. There's enough older and robustly built (or not too hard to repair) film cameras around to last our lifetimes and then some....

"When the market is ready, the product will appear"

- Buddha (or somebody)

 

[MattKing]

Dead Link Removed

But yes, a lot of the detailed support information they used to have is gone.

Thank you Oren!

Would you believe that I checked again late last week for information of this nature (on the Mamiya Leaf site) and as far as I could tell it was still not there?

Sadly though, anything film related is referred to only as a "Legacy" product.

 

[amsp]

Your wish is my command.

Hasselblad uk 2012 Price list

Page 13 for V series kit.

Huh? I know they are for sale, but as far as I know they are old stock. Have you seen a 503cw with a production code from the last couple of years?

 

[Oren Grad]

Thank you Oren!

Would you believe that I checked again late last week for information of this nature (on the Mamiya Leaf site) and as far as I could tell it was still not there?

Sadly though, anything film related is referred to only as a "Legacy" product.

The new Mamiya Leaf website went up January 16, and initially had no information at all on film cameras. I remember it well, because I gave the Leaf rep on GetDPI an earful about it and also emailed MAC to ask about it. I'm sure others did too. The "Legacy" section was added two weeks later, at the end of January. It's still not what you'd call prominent, but at least it's there now. And MAC is still providing service - quite good, by all accounts - and technical support by email and phone.

 

[Kokoro]

http://www.vivitar.com/products/8/professional-and-slr/34/v3800-50 Vivitar
http://www.canon.co.uk/For_Home/Product_Finder/Cameras/SLR/EOS_1V/ Canon
Leica MP aswell as the M7.
Fuji Instax cameras and film.
single use cameras by fuji.

Not MF though.