For you non digital types: what would you do if film went dead?

Film is fun but I've already thought a good deal about moving to digital (for a variety of reasons).

I would probably buy something like a 7D (which I'm already contemplating). If money was available I would go full-frame.
 
While I think film will available for the foreseeable future, if it did go away, I'd probably be less interested in photography in general. I'd get some DSLR to use on holiday etc. but I doubt I'd shoot for the sake of shooting.

Digital just is not interesting to me right now, but maybe that would change if I did not have the choice of film.
 
Older 5D and some of the cheaper, smaller, Canon primes (28/1.8, 35/2, 50/1.4). Like the colors I've seen coming out of this camera.

Perhaps the X100 when people have actually had a chance to use one and the initial euphoria has worn off and there are some more sober assessments of it.

I'm contemplating this move for color anyway. For black and white I'd horde film and chemicals and continue doing what I'm doing.

I have a fear every time I go to my color lab that I'm going to get there and there is going to be a for rent sign on the door.
 
This thread is just as much conjecture as the X100 posts, so it's all fun.

I'm already heavily invested in digital for "miniature" format, so that's covered.
If large format film went away today, I'd start shooting paper negs to get me by. If paper wasn't available, I'd sensitize my own paper with quick and dirty "Liquid Light" emulsion. When that goes away, I start making my own and shooting plates.

What we all really need to prepare for is not the end of film but an interruption in the source of electricity to charge our digital camera batteries. That is far more likely in the next few decades than the complete disappearance of film.

Phil Forrest
 
I am certain that photography would cease to be my main hobby if I could no longer buy and use film. I am a convert FROM digital which is where my interest in photography started. It was only when I tried film that I found inspiration and I've never looked back. I still have some digital gear and occasionally use it but somehow the images give me little or no satisfaction.
 
Good question, Akiva.
And worth pondering.

There are a lot of alternative printing methods that can utilize digital images to create a life-size negatives. So I guess that's one way to continue printing.

Also I've accumulated quite a lot of negatives that are worth printing. So I can darkroom print those, it'd be no different than today.

Or I'll probably take up drawing or painting (took pencil drawing class a long time ago, and quite enjoyed it).

Meanwhile, I'll keep shooting my digital cameras and enjoy my film cameras as a collection.

Lastly, I'll put my ears on the ground for grass-root movement to revive film. There must be enough of us in the world who has the know-how and skill to create a workable manufacturing facility. Film may still experience rebirth then.

Btw, I just bought a brick of XP2 from Adorama. :)
 
I've thought about this a lot. How much of my love of photography is for the pictures themselves and how much is it for the process of developing and printing film? My guess is it's about 50/50, but if you remove the film half, then that's half my love of photography gone. As many others have said, I'm not interested in crop sensors. A 50mm lens is a 50mm lens to me. So, if film did go away, I'd probably save my pennies and try to get an M9 or some other full frame option for my M lenses (assuming there are more choices in the future). For an SLR, I'm still hoping that someday someone will put one out that doesn't have all the bells and whistles of high end full frame dSLRs but is still robust and hopefully slightly smaller. Like a digital Nikon FM (not necessarily with a mechanical shutter).

Still, having said that, I'll keep shooting film until the only thing left is cheap, sketchy Chinese film that I have to buy on eBay.
 
My process would probably be somewhat as follows:
1. Denial
2. Anger
3. Bargaining
4. Depression
5. Acceptance

Following 5 the businessman in me would probably start making his own film and selling it at exorbitant rates to the rest of you. :D :D

Alternatively, and more probably, if I didn't have the means to go into the business I would be one of the punters paying exorbitant rates to the last standing specialist business that charges an arm and a leg per roll. :bang:

Cheers,
Rob

PS: At that point in time I won't even remember the model number of my current digital camera, and I'll be using my "phone" for the multiple purposes of taking digital photos, performing my day job, and making feature length blockbuster films. ;)
 
Seriously, I am sure we are not going to live that long to see the end of the film photography. I still can think of certain conditions where mechanical film cameras are superior to the digital stuff. And last but not least the film will never disappear because.
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I just bought a M2 - I need film very very much!!!
 
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