All Voigtlander Film Cameras Sadly Discontinued

[raid]

This is a clear sign of yet another nail being pounded into the film coffin.

 

[f16sunshine]

I wish cosina luck in all they do and am grateful for what has been produced over the years.
My favorite Bessa ..... The r2 in Olive has been suspended years ago. Yet copies are available.

Will service and some parts continue anyone know ?

 

[rscheffler]

I actually heard this from Photo Village over six months ago, but that Cosina is the sort of company that will discontinue a product, then turn around and create another run of it for a few months before discontinuing it again. By that I'm suggesting, I suppose, that there is still a valid reason to hold on to a bit of hope, if only briefly.

This is also my impression of Cosina. Their products seem to come and go, so I'd never say never. But who knows?

 

[willie_901]

I could understand stopping of film cameras production, but I don't understand why they never upgraded RD-1 series. Plenty of hipsters, including me 🙂, to buy one if it is bellow $2K price, FF and in the same film RF body with shutter lever.

A number years ago Mr. Kobayashi clearly stated he was not interested in chasing the constantly moving target that is digital imaging technologies. Mr. Kobayashi believed digital camera development and product was too dynamic and he wasn't interested in dealing with the constant change.

At this point digital imaging technologies are much closer to equilibrium. CMOS technology is ubiquitous and stable. The DNG format greatly reduces the work and investment in software development.

Sadly I am unfamiliar with how Kickstarter is perceived in Japan. Yet it seems to me it would be feasible to buy bodies and components from Cosina and manufacture a no-frills RF camera.

So how much would people be willing to pay for a M-mount Cosina-based RF body with a 24 X 36 mm sensor?

What features that are common on mirrorless cameras would you be willing to eschew in order to decrease product development time and cut costs? One example would be minimizing imaging artifacts common with wide-angle lenses on M-mount using post-production tools rather than an in-camera optics-based solution.

Would you except DNG raw?

 

[HHPhoto]

This is a clear sign of yet another nail being pounded into the film coffin.

No.
Talk to dealers of used film cameras and they will tell you the demand is increasing.
There is a rising interest in film especially from young photographers. But these concentrate their demand on the used market.
That is the problem Cosina is facing.

By the way also a problem the digital camera manufacturers are facing: With the oversaturated market for digital cameras more and more people buy used gear instead of the extremely high new digital camera prices.

Cheers, Jan

 

[jsrockit]

No.
Talk to dealers of used film cameras and they will tell you the demand is increasing.

I've seen some dealers here in NYC get rid of their used camera sections.

There is a rising interest in film especially from young photographers.

Not as much as a few years ago.

By the way also a problem the digital camera manufacturers are facing: With the oversaturated market for digital cameras more and more people buy used gear instead of the extremely high new digital camera prices.

Partly true, but many people don't like to buy used.

 

[raid]

No.
Talk to dealers of used film cameras and they will tell you the demand is increasing.
There is a rising interest in film especially from young photographers. But these concentrate their demand on the used market.
That is the problem Cosina is facing.

By the way also a problem the digital camera manufacturers are facing: With the oversaturated market for digital cameras more and more people buy used gear instead of the extremely high new digital camera prices.

Cheers, Jan

I am pleased to read such a comment , Jan.

 

[Ko.Fe.]

...
Interestingly Cosina is still producing film cameras for other brands: Nikon FM10 and Vivitar V3800-50.

Cheers, Jan

I think it is gone as well.

This is a clear sign of yet another nail being pounded into the film coffin.

Not really, where are millions of working film cameras available if you ain't picky.

 

[Godfrey]

Then you've had very good luck. That is not a normal price for a mint used F6. Normally the price is higher.

Interestingly Cosina is still producing film cameras for other brands: Nikon FM10 and Vivitar V3800-50.

The average price is higher but it didn't take much to find one at this price in a private sale. It shows the trend.

Nikon and Vivitar continue to sell a small number of entry level film SLRs every year. Cosina produces the bodies under contract, presumably at a profit. As long as Nikon and Vivitar keep renewing the contract, there's no reason to stop that production.

I asked my local large dealer how sales of used film gear were holding up. They said they wholesale 90% of the incoming film cameras. I've seen the same cameras and lenses in their cabinets for sale for long, long periods of time. And this is in a University town where plenty of photo hipsters reside.
🙂

G

 

[harpofreely]

What percentage of that population do you suppose cares how a print over 11 x 14" looks? Sorry to hear that, Cosina. Thank you for helping me believe before that.

- Daniel

I can only dream of how great it would be if 11x14 prints were the mainstream quality baseline.

RIP, Voightlander film cameras - may my R3A soldier on.

 

[xyz3450]

Yes, this is sad as it is more evidence of drastic changes in the 35mm film market. As Godfrey said this is a business for CV. The production of a camera line, ultimately, means that the incremental revenue from its sales exceed the costs. If, of course, the firm wants to make a profit and not simply cross - subsidize camera production from lens sales. The main camera competition seems to be Leica where the consumer dollars (or euros) are flowing... But, nevertheless, sad as it is something that is lost....

 

[HHPhoto]

Not as much as a few years ago.

No, it is even more. All film manufacturers are reporting that.
One of the main reasons why Pemberstone has invested in Harman technology. They've made that very clear that there is an increasing market (Ilford's numbers are showing that), also driven by younger photographers.

Cheers, Jan

 

[HHPhoto]

I think it is gone as well.

No, both are in production. Just look at Nikon's and Vivitar's homepages.

Cheers, Jan

 

[raid]

I have two Bessa L cameras and two Bessa T. One of the T is blue.

 

[HHPhoto]

I asked my local large dealer how sales of used film gear were holding up. They said they wholesale 90% of the incoming film cameras. I've seen the same cameras and lenses in their cabinets for sale for long, long periods of time. And this is in a University town where plenty of photo hipsters reside.
🙂

G

All the big used film camera dealers I've talked to say demand is improving. And the camera repair shops also report increasing number of incoming film cameras for CLA or repair. Lot's from younger photographers.
I've also heard that from the UK. Maybe the US market is still a bit weaker. Film has remained much more popular in Germany compared to the US over all the years.

Cheers, Jan

 

[Hern]

Not as much as a few years ago.

Perhaps they are busy using their cameras rather than buying new ones? 🙂

 

[f16sunshine]

Do I remember correctly that Fuji also has stopped selling the GF670 ?

I hope service for those Bessa iii and Fuji gf670 cameras goes on for at least a decade.
My Gf is my most loved and used Film camera.
Even displacing the Rolleiflex for the mist part.

 

[DominikDUK]

Voigtländer is not a well known brand and doesn't define a Lifestyle like the Lomographic Society and Leica do. They both sell a lifestyle and not cameras.

Furthermore in times of economic downturns People tend to buy expensive bling (scientifically proven luxury goods sold extremely well during the Depression and now again a lot of people want to Show off their wealth or at least try to appear well off.)

So the success or lack thereof of Cosina cameras has little to do with the health of the analogue film market.

 

[sevo]

All the big used film camera dealers I've talked to say demand is improving. And the camera repair shops also report increasing number of incoming film cameras for CLA or repair. Lot's from younger photographers.

At least here in Frankfurt, the majority of used camera dealers still around a decade ago have closed their shops (or converted to a new, digital Leica boutique) - gentrification of the inner city and red light (and formerly camera shop) district probably being more to blame than actually sinking demand.

And within the last five years, half the local camera repairers have retired or died.

So it really is hard to tell whether we see an actual increase or merely a concentration of demand on fewer sources.

Also, young photographers don't seem to need used camera stores that much, they rather go with what film camera has a personal meaning for them - which usually means the lesser consumer gear, as that was around when they were a small child, unless a parent happened to be a enthusiast or pro. The undergraduate students I know have all done some kind of autobiographic selfie project with their parent's camera (regardless whether that was a point-and-shoot or a Minolta 7000), but only one of them has ambitions towards more professional film gear...

 

[uhoh7]

A number years ago Mr. Kobayashi clearly stated he was not interested in chasing the constantly moving target that is digital imaging technologies. Mr. Kobayashi believed digital camera development and product was too dynamic and he wasn't interested in dealing with the constant change.

At this point digital imaging technologies are much closer to equilibrium. CMOS technology is ubiquitous and stable. The DNG format greatly reduces the work and investment in software development.

Sadly I am unfamiliar with how Kickstarter is perceived in Japan. Yet it seems to me it would be feasible to buy bodies and components from Cosina and manufacture a no-frills RF camera.

So how much would people be willing to pay for a M-mount Cosina-based RF body with a 24 X 36 mm sensor?

What features that are common on mirrorless cameras would you be willing to eschew in order to decrease product development time and cut costs? One example would be minimizing imaging artifacts common with wide-angle lenses on M-mount using post-production tools rather than an in-camera optics-based solution.

Would you except DNG raw?

Good points. The M9 is already plenty mature for many of us, and I think that camera will be in wide use for a long time.

4k video we don't need 🙂 Many other features. M240 form factor we don't need, and an M6 sized RF would be well received.