Positive news

[HHPhoto]

Hi,

probably some of you have already seen it (it is posted on some other forums, e.g. flickr I shoot film group).

For those who haven't yet:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/...raditional-camera-film-makes-a-come-back.html

Cheers, Jan

 

[charjohncarter]

Thanks for posting this. I hope that film does survive and learns to coexist with digital.

 

[Ezzie]

I've read this elsewhere too. Good news. Somebody ought to send it to the CEOs of Kodak and Fuji.

 

[Pickett Wilson]

I thought the photo over the article with a scrum of photographers shooting digital cameras was kind of funny. Waiting for Canon and Nikon to start producing film cameras again!

 

[robbeiflex]

It already does in my house, they get along just fine!

Thanks for posting this. I hope that film does survive and learns to coexist with digital.

 

[Mablo]

You can see the 'film is cool' trend in marketing. Lately I've spotted quite many old film cameras in various printed adverts targeted to younger people.

Btw. I was truly amazed when I heard the huge amount of Holgas and Dianas and other 'toy cameras' (Made in China) plus the amount of film the www.lomography.com sells yearly. This year, I've heard, they plan to double their numbers.

 

[HHPhoto]

Waiting for Canon and Nikon to start producing film cameras again!

Why wait?
Nikon is producing the F6. Best 35mm SLR ever made (I can highly recommend it, dream camera!).
It is produced at Nikon's Sendai plant. After the earthquake Nikon confirmed again that F6 production is running.

And afaik in the US you can still buy new Canon EOS 1V.

Cheers, Jan

 

[Faintandfuzzy]

Why wait?
Nikon is producing the F6. Best 35mm SLR ever made (I can highly recommend it, dream camera!).
It is produced at Nikon's Sendai plant. After the earthquake Nikon confirmed again that F6 production is running.

And afaik in the US you can still buy new Canon EOS 1V.

Cheers, Jan

Jan, do you have a link where Nikon mentions still producing the F6? Everything I've read seems to indicate they did a run and are simply selling existing stock til it's all gone. I'd love a link to prove otherwise.

 

[HHPhoto]

Jan, do you have a link where Nikon mentions still producing the F6?

The F6 is produced at the Nikon plant in Sendai. Together with the D3x, D3s and D700 (production of the mass market models is in Thailand).
It's a very flexible plant for small scale production. Yo need that nowadays for the high end DSLRs, because they are produced in very small numbers (demand is relative low because they are so pricey).
For example from the D2H only 7000 units were sold.
So far more than 34000 F6 were built. I know that because a friend of mine has bought one new recently. We have compared our production numbers. From that we can conclude a monthly production number of 100 - 150 F6.

This camera is made on order. You order at your dealer, he orders at Nikon in your country, they order in Japan, there the camera is built for you. Takes 4 - 5 weeks.

Exception: Big dealers like B&H order for themselves and have always some in stock.

There were some official statements from Nikon on German websites after the earthquake also confirming F6 production is continued, but I don't have secured the links, sorry.
It was no new info for me, because I and my friend has bought it new and have to wait because of production on order.

Everything I've read seems to indicate they did a run and are simply selling existing stock til it's all gone.

You have probably read that in forums, right? Already in 2006, only two years after market introduction, people wrote this wrong info in several forums.

If you want a new F6, buy one.It is an outstanding camera, you will not regret it.

Cheers, Jan

 

[Pickett Wilson]

So how many new film cameras has Nikon introduced over the last seven years?

 

[nikon_sam]

Film scanners is on the Digital side and I'm just not there...yet...
I would be more concerned with darkroom chemistry, paper and other consumibles...
I would love to continue using film and film related products for another 20 to 30 years...
If I have to, when I'm 80 I'll go Digital...

 

[Faintandfuzzy]

Thank you Jan. Yes, that is what I read on DPReview from "Musicdoctor" who made the claims. I've been lusting after an F6.

 

[Chris101]

So how many new film cameras has Nikon introduced over the last seven years?

Seeing as Nikon comes out with a new F every 9 years on average, we aren't due for one for a couple years yet. Nikon may never introduce another film camera, but other manufacturers have.

...
If you want a new F6, buy one.It is an outstanding camera, you will not regret it.

I do want one, but the price!!! I haven't bought a new camera since I got a D100 in 2002, and it cost less than that with 2 lenses! I'll just need to make do with my "obsolete" F5 for a while.

 

[patois]

My bet is that pretty much all new film cameras are made by Cosina or someplace in Japan.

 

[gb hill]

So how many new film cameras has Nikon introduced over the last seven years?

So how many digital camera (models) that Nikon has introduced over the last seven years are still in production today?...

 

[David Hughes]

I was buying film a while ago, or rather looking to see what film was available everywhere I went, and was amazed in one shop by the display of it. I got talking to the manager and he said that a college around the corner did a photographic course and so he still sold film cameras and film. So I guess the answer is to search for camera shops near colleges and maybe get lucky.

Regards, David

 

[HHPhoto]

Hi Chris,

Seeing as Nikon comes out with a new F every 9 years on average, we aren't due for one for a couple years yet. Nikon may never introduce another film camera, but other manufacturers have.

if Nikon keeps the old rate, then in 2014 an F7 would be introduced. But I think it is quite unlikely considering yearly production numbers of F6 in the 1000 - 1500 range.
Probably they will continue production of F6 for some years as long as there is demand.

The other reason is: You can't improve the F6. It's the perfect 35mm SLR.
- perfect ergonomics
- perfect metering system
- perfect viewfinder
- excellent AF, extremely precise
- excellent with manuel fokus: better than most pure MF cameras I have used, precise manuel focus by split-image (screen A) and fokus indicator
- all AF- and AI-S / AI Nikkors can be used (and Zeiss ZF of course)
- extremely well dampened shutter and mirror
- data recording with MV-1 (full exif data)
- extremely robust
- excellent flash metering

So honstly, I really don't know any reasons to develop an F7.
There is nothing to improve on the F6.

I do want one, but the price!!! I haven't bought a new camera since I got a D100 in 2002, and it cost less than that with 2 lenses! I'll just need to make do with my "obsolete" F5 for a while.

Strange, when the D100 was introduced in Europe, it had about the same price as the F6.
But in contrast to the D100 the F6 is a lifetime camera: Buy it, enjoy it for the rest of your life and when you have passed your children can use it.
And considering this, it is an extremely cheap camera, worth the price.

Cheers, Jan

 

[wotalegend]

Several posters in several fora have pointed to this article. Clearly Harry Wallop, Consumer Affairs Editor has (not) done his homework on film photography.

"Shooting on a manual camera means you can't make a mistake" Oh, really??!! That's news to me.

"...the rare 120mm film..." Well yes, 120mm film would be rare if it exists at all. But 120 film, which has a width of about 62mm, is very common and may even outlast 35mm because there are still several manufacturers making and selling medium format film cameras. In fact sheet film might also outlast 35mm because there are several manufacturers of large format cameras still in operation.

 

[Chris101]

Thanks for your detailed reply Jan!

...
There is nothing to improve on the F6.
...

The F6 needs the ability to use a waist level finder as I regularly do with my F5 on a stand. I prefer using the two eye capable WLF to a squinty magnified eyepiece when lining up prints to be made into slides.

Also the camera needs a real, mechanical mirror lock up.

...
Strange, when the D100 was introduced in Europe, it had about the same price as the F6.
But in contrast to the D100 the F6 is a lifetime camera: Buy it, enjoy it for the rest of your life and when you have passed your children can use it.
And considering this, it is an extremely cheap camera, worth the price.

Cheers, Jan

I bought the D100 more than a year after it's introduction and the price had dropped by $1100. I have passed it on to my girlfriend, who makes good use of it.

As I said, I would love an F6 - it is a really nice camera but it falls slightly short of total perfection. If there is indeed an annual 8% growth in film usage world-wide, then Nikon may decide to improve the F6 at some point or at least continue production of it. If it's still available by 2017, I'll buy one.

 

[HHPhoto]

Thanks for your detailed reply Jan!

The F6 needs the ability to use a waist level finder as I regularly do with my F5 on a stand. I prefer using the two eye capable WLF to a squinty magnified eyepiece when lining up prints to be made into slides.

If you really need interchangable finders, than the F5 is indeed the better camera for you. I can understand that.
I don't need the interchangable finders and prefer the robustness of the fixed finder solution. No problems with dirt etc.

Also the camera needs a real, mechanical mirror lock up.

In my experinece the F6 MLU is excellent, I am using it very often. Extremely easy to use, and you can lock up the mirror as long as you want, several hours if necessary.

Cheers, Jan