FID: Canon Stops Development of Film Cameras

[bmattock]

"Film is Dead" Warning: If you don't care to read about this, or if it makes you angry, please do not continue.

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I am posting this as an FYI - not to make anyone angry. I feel that it is best to be informed, and this is clearly information important to us as photographers - RF or not.

Best Regards,

Bill Mattocks

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/05/25/AR2006052500444.html

Canon to halt development of film cameras
Reuters
Thursday, May 25, 2006; 7:26 AM


TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan's Canon Inc. (7751.T) said on Thursday that it would halt development of new film cameras to focus resources on digital models, the latest sign of the rapidly fading role of film in photography.

A spokesman at Canon, the world's largest maker of digital cameras, said it made the decision to freeze development of both compact and single lens reflex (SLR) film models because the markets for both are shrinking.

Canon said it would continue to produce and sell existing models and make a final judgment on the business in the future while monitoring market demand.

Canon's decision follows an announcement earlier this year by rival Nikon Corp. (7731.T) that it would stop producing most of its film cameras except for a few professional products.

Konica Minolta Holdings Inc. (4902.T), meanwhile, has said it would exit the camera and photo film markets, where it has been losing money amid stiff competition and weak demand.

The photographic film and film camera markets have been shrinking rapidly in the past few years due to the rising popularity of digital cameras, which take and store images without the need for film.

 

[KoNickon]

I guess I'd thought they had ceased selling film cameras a while ago.

 

[captainslack]

Damn! Who does leave making film cameras besides Cosina?

 

[Kim Coxon]

Leica, Zeiss?

Kim

Damn! Who does leave making film cameras besides Cosina?

 

[back alley]

i keep thinking back so many years ago when the american automakers stopped making convertibles.
too unsafe, insurance was too high.
all the headline writers were wringing their hands, proclaiming the death of the convertible.
i remember reading about the last convertible to leave the production line.

and now, so many years later, they are back.

will it happen with film?
don't know, but i'm honestly not gonna fret over events that i as a single consumer have absolutely no real control over.

my gear will make gorgeous paperweights and maybe i'll be able to afford a digital rf camera.

good morning to all.

joe

 

[jonasv]

Damn! Who does leave making film cameras besides Cosina?

Canon (they are not ceasing production, did you read the article?), Leica, (Zeiss), (Nikon)

 

[bmattock]

Canon (they are not ceasing production, did you read the article?), Leica, (Zeiss), (Nikon)

Pentax!

Best Regards,

Bill Mattocks

 

[bmattock]

will it happen with film?
don't know, but i'm honestly not gonna fret over events that i as a single consumer have absolutely no real control over.

[snip]

good morning to all.

joe

Mornin' Joe. I wasn't trying to post a 'neener-neener' or anything. It's news, it's topical, and I figured people would want to know about it, even if the news is unhappy.

Best Regards,

Bill Mattocks

 

[back alley]

i got that bill.

i'm having my first cup of coffee and been up all night with a sick dog.
hope i'm not coming across as negative cause i'm tired as hell.

joe

 

[boarini2003]

Even thought it is to be expected, it still upsets me. I think that digital is killing the art of photography. That's my biased, luddite and personal opinion.

 

[bmattock]

i got that bill.

i'm having my first cup of coffee and been up all night with a sick dog.
hope i'm not coming across as negative cause i'm tired as hell.

joe

Nope, just making sure. Sorry to hear about the dog, hope all is well. My mother-in-law is coming to live with us on Friday, we're cleaning house like mad things to make all ready. So I've got some stress too, hope that doesn't come through.

Best Regards,

Bill Mattocks

 

[back alley]

a live in mother in law?

at least my dog will get better...😉

 

[dadsm3]

A bottle of good 12 year old Canadian whiskey to the first guy who comes up with a legit "DID" article....as long as they come and get it!

 

[kully]

Remember China and India - that's a huge market that is still using film.

 

[bmattock]

a live in mother in law?

at least my dog will get better...😉

I actually get along with my mother-in-law, but it will change the dynamics of our little home, that's for sure. One thing, as Cap'n Slack will testify, I won't be able to leave cameras and parts on every horizontal surface in the entire place anymore, and we'll both have to start doing a better job of sweeping up the piles of dog and cat hair that are generated by the bale on a daily basis by our beasties. Sigh. Cleaning makes me cranky.

Best Regards,

Bill Mattocks

 

[bmattock]

Remember China and India - that's a huge market that is still using film.

I don't want to start an argument, but actually - China and India are moving rapidly towards digital, engaging in 'technology jumping' in some areas that have never had pervasive film camera use - going straight to digital instead. It's been massively reported, and Kodak fired their entire staff in China from the top down because they had guessed so wrong and wasted so much money trying to feed a 'film market' in China that does not exist - at least, not to the extent that Kodak predicted.

Best Regards,

Bill Mattocks

 

[Al Patterson]

So the next question is how long will the current generation of film camera continue for sale? When I hear that NIKON and Canon stop SELLING film cameras, that will be a sad day indeed.

 

[kully]

China and India are moving rapidly towards digital, engaging in 'technology jumping' in some areas that have never had pervasive film camera use - going straight to digital instead.

Bloody hell! No argument, I'm glad to be corrected.

There was an article in the Amateur Photographer New Years Special which said what I wrote, going on to say that B&W film makes like Lucky would continue to be manufactured for the domestic market where a digital camera would not be viable for a large proportion of the market.

I'd better enjoy cheap film while I can get it.

 

[bmattock]

Bloody hell! No argument, I'm glad to be corrected.

There was an article in the Amateur Photographer New Years Special which said what I wrote, going on to say that B&W film makes like Lucky would continue to be manufactured for the domestic market where a digital camera would not be viable for a large proportion of the market.

I'd better enjoy cheap film while I can get it.

Kodak believed that too, they bought a controlling interest in Lucky and a stake in each of the five major film producing companies in China, and spent a billion point three in modernizing them. This was seen as a major coup for Kodak at the time, it was unheard of for China to permit that kind of outside investment, and Kodak and Fuji had been battling mightily over the Chinese market - they really did see it just as you say. But that was 1998-2002 or so. Kodak especially saw China as being a stopgap cash cow for film sales while the rest of the world turned towards digital technology - they said as much at the time.

Not all is lost for Kodak - there is still a significant film market in China, it just is not growing as they predicted it would when China began to develop a true affluent middle class (GDP +7% year on year for six years now). Those newly-commitalist tech workers are buying digital, not film cameras. However, they are now making a lot of film in China for export, which cuts costs for their remaining film market, and they produce a massive amount of single-use film cameras there. Furthermore, several districts near Hong Kong are ramping up an producing digicams for all manufacturers, Japanese, Korean, and etc. So China is the place to be - good for Kodak to be there - but not for film as they anticipated.

Best Regards,

Bill Mattocks

 

[Oldprof]

Anyone who wants to buy a Canon film-based camera should be able to find a used one in good shape ... there are millions of them out there. And there will be plenty of parts cameras available if you need repairs. Still, it is sad to see the continuing decline in film camera manufacturing.