How popular are we?

[HuubL]

As a lover of vintage film cameras and RFs in general I was wondering if I was a pityful member of a slowly disappearing community of enthousiasts of honest mechanical devices.

Just checked Alexa (http://www.alexa.com), which has statistics on website traffic. Although DPreview has roughly 70 times more visits than RFF, it appears that RFF had a 20% increase in traffic over the last 3 months, while DPreview had a 5% decrease!

We're becoming popular! Film will win in the end 🙂

 

[oscroft]

Just checked Alexa (http://www.alexa.com), which has statistics on website traffic. Although DPreview has roughly 70 times more visits than RFF, it appears that RFF had a 20% increase in traffic over the last 3 months, while DPreview had a 5% decrease!

While I do hope that's true, due to the way they're collected Alexa's stats are often wildly inaccurate - they collect stats from people who use Alexa's toolbar, so it isn't close to being a representative sample of users.

 

[Jocko]

I am an object of universal hatred and contempt 🙁

 

[ClaremontPhoto]

Look at how many people are here on a regular basis.

Not a lot.

The bar at the bottom lists names and guests. But I figure the guests are bots not people.

 

[lushd]

No Jocko - there are some people in Alpha Centauri who don't know about you. It's not universal, unlike the Patterson tanks.

I would like to think film is due a resurgence as I have just spent half an hour processing a roll and wouldn't like to think I was doing anything that might amount to a social faux pas.

 

[Tuolumne]

Alexa data is notoriously unreliable and easily manipulated. (Not that I'm saying anyone here does that.) If anyone has a Hitwise account (I used to but not anymore - it's expensive), that would be a very reilable source of information. Or ComScore. Most everything else sucks.

/T

 

[Malcolm_J]

The popular market has gone digital and that is that. However, I do think that appreciation of old, simple film cameras will increase, not least because you can buy an excellent film camera dirt cheap, and truly good value will always bring the punters in. So yes, I think there will be a growing niche market for quality film cameras and increasingly spares and repair suppliers for that market. It will be a quality market though, only the best will survive.

The better FSU cameras will do well. Zenits and FEDs in particular have a consistent classic appeal.

Another thing is that 35mm film cameras still take better pictures than the best digitals. Marketing has obscured this awkward fact, but it is true. Whether it will remain true is another matter.

Finally, there is always the unexpected. The world may go backwards due to energy shortages or some other decline factor, in which case highly sophisticated, cheap products like digicams will in any case no longer be available.

Personally, and realistically, I don't ever expect to see brand new film cameras make a come back. I do expect sales of film rolls to hold up pretty well though (and they are holding up pretty well, declining at only 1-2% per annum).

 

[dazedgonebye]

I had a young man at the Christmas tree farm stop me to day to ask about my very cool camera (R3A w/25mm and external finder).
When I explained that it was a new old-style film camera, he was very impressed and seemed to think "old school" had its merits.

I choose to take this isolated incident as absolute evidence that film will not die.

Merry Christmas to me.

 

[demian]

Hello

I read your title "Film will win"... and it is cute and I do not intend to be too serious here. This is of course has been discussed ad nauseum everywhere.

However, it is important that film will co-exist with digital, which it is and will more and more as the ever present pendulum trends swings back and forth.

More and more professionals are returning to film as it has its merits and qualities. This is fact.

As for whether or not rangefinder camera and older camera enthusiasts are a dying breed, well, who knows..

For me it really does not matter, as long as film and film developing materials will always be available. They most certainly will be.

As special as we all think we are my friend, we are *never* alone or the only ones.

There is no question film users of all types have their preferential classic (sentimental) cameras to use for the qualities for which digital cannot give or obtain.

What is rarely expressed, and perhaps another discussion for another time, is contemporary art. Film images are considered more as creations (ironically) and can be manipulated and used within a mixed medium format.

As people thought film replaced paintings, digital imagery too has made film imagery even more nostalgic and special in its own right.

The digital age more and more is relegating film and its processes an artform.

As one fellow said here within thr forum on a similar topic/thread, "Film is magic" .. and the retro movement is taking effect.

I attended the Basel Art Fair in Switzerland in July (the Olympics of the art world)...and it was a strong force, film and film manipulated images.

People worry about the future of film, yet it will continue without question to remain and flourish as a fine art medium (among others).

Happy Holidays .

 

[ClaremontPhoto]

Because I'm well known in my area, for having exposed a little, I'm often confronted by people seeking information on "real" photography. Mostly they want to know more about "traditional" cameras and film.

I'll agree with that.

People here (similar to Basque) all have Nokia phone/cams but they'll call me over to take their photo. And they collect it a few days later and we'll share a bottle of wine.

 

[lZr]

Oy, Ha, Ha
My site is:
tcb.ac.il has a traffic rank of: 1,470,495

 

[ClaremontPhoto]

My problem is they want me to stand up for a couple of hours talking,

My 'clients' generally can't stand on account of the wine they've already drunk.

 

[jamiewakeham]

demian, what percentage of photographers, amateur or professional, do you think are still shooting film? One percent? Five percent?

You need to define amateur photographer.

If it's 'someone who captures an image in any fashion', then <0.01%

If it's 'someone who actually takes some care in their photography, who makes conscious decisions about how their image will come out', or perhaps just those who can define the word 'aperture', then it may be measured in whole percentages. Just.

But yes, I agree with the more optimistic side. I think film will soon settle down as an option alongside the mass-market of digital. I sell myself as a photographer partly on my use of 'real film' cameras.

Cheers
J