When all of the used film cameras are gone...

Sirius Glass · Jul 14, 2018

MattKing said:
Only if they are buried with you!
Most of us here haven't a chance to see the last one going, because there is a very great likelihood we will be gone first!

1) I will not go without a fight and I will take them with me.
2) I agree with your last sentence.

Berkeley Mike · Jul 14, 2018

faberryman said:
What is the alternative?

That may be a piece to the initial question.

Chan Tran · Jul 14, 2018

I can make my own camera. I can not make my own film. So if there will still be film I still can shoot film.

awty · Jul 14, 2018

Unfortunately the elective film coarse will probably die long before you run out of used working cameras. These coarse's died out in Australia a long time ago, only couple of places left still teaching and nothing within a 1000 kms of where I live.

jvo · Jul 14, 2018

buggy whips are passe'... regrettably film camera's may become the same.

the camera's and parts are currently "out there" - it just that the path between those with them on the shelf and those who want them to cla, repair and use is not very broad. some day it may get there - or the whole enterprise will die!

BrianShaw · Jul 14, 2018

Buggy whips are still needed and used by buggy drivers. They are still available:

https://www.google.com/search?clien.......0....1.......0..46j0i131j0i10.7ZWklyl952U

eddie · Jul 14, 2018

I don't know how old your students are but, when I taught, mine were high school kids. We used K1000s. They were robust and held up to the abuse teens heaped on items which weren't their own personal property. Granted, it was in the pre-digital days, and repairmen were easy to find. We rarely had issues, though.

Another thought: As long as they make pins, there will be pinhole cameras.

RalphLambrecht · Jul 14, 2018

Berkeley Mike said:
As our original stock of film cameras have slowly disappeared, we employ used 35mm film cameras, all donated, for the Elective film part of our Photo program. I am watching them slowly fail; exhausted I guess. New 35s are now limited to Leica (M-E, M-P) at $4500 & Nikon (F6) from $2500 and other "toy" cameras. I can buy 6 Canon Rebel T6s or Nikon D3300s with 18-55 zooms, for the price of 1 6D.

A substantial portion of new film-users enter this part of the craft with hand-me-down cameras or bought very cheaply on the used market. If my stock at school is any indication these cameras will fail soon enough. Maybe all they need is a CLA (clean/lube/adjust) but that is $80-$150.

As the used film cameras fail/disappear, what is going to happen?

I expect my NikonFMs and my Hasselblad to last for around a million frames.after that, my body will need more help than my camera bodies.

slackercrurster · Jul 14, 2018

Pretty much never ending supply on ebay. They are still shooting cams from the 40's.

removed account4 · Jul 14, 2018

erian said:
If you do not have bread then eat cake.
I do not think that it is possible to get very affordable LF system (lens + camera) compared to the used 35mm cameras.

I think that the most sustainable solution is to use existing cameras with respect and make repairs when necessary (even when it might by more cost effective to throw away and buy a new one).

a LF camera that shoots paper negatives can be made ( with lens ) for less than 10$
a used LF camera, like a press camera can be bought for less than a 35mm camera, and
lenses can be made or bought for not too much money. film holders ( or paper holders if paper negatives are used )
cost between 5 and 10$ each ... paper is processed / developed in a red safelight .. and sheets of paper cost pennies
compared to film, any film. 35mm film costs what 5-10$ a roll ?
no one needs to buy a sinar or ebony unless they need to.

Patrick Robert James · Jul 15, 2018

Film will disappear long before the cameras that shoot film will be gone.

Paradoxically, the older the camera, the more likely it will be to survive years into the future.

Pentode · Jul 15, 2018

I'm not 100% sure where the OP is going with this. We're talking about an elective film program at a school. That suggests that the students are electing to shoot film.
Perhaps many are electing it simply out of curiosity while only some are already dedicated to shooting film. Those that are already dedicated have probably already figured out that their gear needs to work.
Those that are just dipping their toes in the water don't yet have any point of reference. Why would they?

I have to assume that the course curriculum would want to stress the differences between digital and film photography.
Wouldn't the content of the curriculum also want to stress the importance of keeping one's equipment functional? In fact, wouldn't that be equally important in an all-digital program?
It seems to me that the OP is lamenting the students' disinterest in maintaining their own equipment. These are values that need to be addressed in the classroom.
If the students don't know any better, how will they understand the importance of maintenance? They've grown up in a disposable society. They don't yet understand the idea of longevity.
If film photography is being offered as a course, part of that course should involve the importance of being self-sufficient and keeping one's gear in order.
Perhaps the course description (which, I assume, also lists required materials) should recommend that any camera used in the course should get a CLA. Many textbooks cost more than $125.

Just my opinion, of course!

dwross · Jul 15, 2018

Patrick Robert James said:
Film will disappear long before the cameras that shoot film will be gone.

Paradoxically, the older the camera, the more likely it will be to survive years into the future.

Film will "disappear" only if people stop making it. Fortunately, it's as easy as baking a layer cake from scratch to make excellent quality film.
d

guangong · Jul 15, 2018

Back to the question asked by the OP: You should live so long. There are so many high quality cameras available and as older MDs and liers (oops, lawyers) as well as others who only bought “the best”, pass on, still more will enter the used market. I haven’t noticed any diminishing availability of quality equipment on the used market. Naturally the cheaper stuff made of cheaper materials have not lasted.
The real problem is highly qualified repairman.

Sirius Glass · Jul 15, 2018

Patrick Robert James said:
Film will disappear long before the cameras that shoot film will be gone.

Paradoxically, the older the camera, the more likely it will be to survive years into the future.

I agree.

Sirius Glass · Jul 15, 2018

dwross said:
Film will "disappear" only if people stop making it. Fortunately, it's as easy as baking a layer cake from scratch to make excellent quality film.
d

Did you mean "only if people stop buying it"?

Alan Johnson · Jul 15, 2018

There is probably a large stash of film cameras hidden away which cameras at present have such a low value that the owners cannot be bothered to sell them.
I have quite a few like that.

Luckless · Jul 15, 2018

Alan Johnson said:
There is probably a large stash of film cameras hidden away which cameras at present have such a low value that the owners cannot be bothered to sell them.
I have quite a few like that.

And the real question for long term access to film and working cameras for the community in general: How many of those hoards of otherwise working but 'too cheap to bother dealing with' cameras will actually be made available to the wider markets, vs how many of them will be tossed in a bin and sold as general scrap metal prices or merely sent to a landfill due to the individual cameras being 'too worthless to bother with'?

Alan Johnson · Jul 15, 2018

A large proportion will get recycled via charity shops if they work. They make the effort to sell them.

BrianShaw · Jul 15, 2018

dwross said:
Film will "disappear" only if people stop making it. Fortunately, it's as easy as baking a layer cake from scratch to make excellent quality film.
d

That easy... for who?

dwross · Jul 15, 2018

Sirius Glass said:
Did you mean "only if people stop buying it"?

Commercial factory film, perhaps. Yes, they need a large(ish) customer base. But, no, I meant "making it." Unless one is absolutely wedded to a brand and type, excellent film is within the capability of a home darkroom. I've heard handmade film called "crap." I would beg to disagree. Here are few examples: http://deniseross.zenfolio.com/. I don't claim to be a photographic artist. The pics are just me using my film in the various cameras in my collection. Having fun.

dwross · Jul 15, 2018

BrianShaw said:
That easy... for who?

Just about anyone who is willing to learn to make something. No different from any other craft. A good carbon print is harder to make.

BrianShaw · Jul 15, 2018

dwross said:
Just about anyone who is willing to learn to make something. No different from any other craft. A good carbon print is harder to make.

Ah, you mean “you”. Sure, it can be done. You seem to have been quite successful. But I don’t think those skills, or maybe those interests, are as widespread or common as you seem to think they are. I’ll stick to image making, using whatever technology easily supports it, and cake baking myself.

Theo Sulphate · Jul 15, 2018

Pentode said:
...
If the students don't know any better, how will they understand the importance of maintenance? They've grown up in a disposable society. They don't yet understand the idea of longevity.
...

Today's society is such that if the students are using donated K1000's that are starting to fail, perhaps they think the new K2000 will be coming out next year.

Sirius Glass · Jul 15, 2018

dwross said:
Commercial factory film, perhaps. Yes, they need a large(ish) customer base. But, no, I meant "making it." Unless one is absolutely wedded to a brand and type, excellent film is within the capability of a home darkroom. I've heard handmade film called "crap." I would beg to disagree. Here are few examples: http://deniseross.zenfolio.com/. I don't claim to be a photographic artist. The pics are just me using my film in the various cameras in my collection. Having fun.

I've heard handmade film called "crap." ==> I would not know because I have never used it. I would think that someone makes quality handmade film. PE even wrote a book on how to do it. Didn't Matthew Brady use homemade and tentmade film?

When all of the used film cameras are gone...

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