Have We Seen The Last Release of a Serious Film Camera?

Have We Seen The Last Release of a Serious Film Camera?

  • Yes

    Votes: 271 46.2%

  • No

    Votes: 316 53.8%
  • Total voters
    587
thegman said:
Mainstream, look at Lomo, shops all over the world *only* selling film cameras.
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And none of those cameras are new...they've been in the market for many many years. And while they can make nice photos, they aren't exactly serious cameras (though some use them seriously).
 
JayGannon said:
What defines a serious camera then?
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I'm sure it differs from person to person, but maybe something like - worthy of regard because of substantial quality / versatility with a substancial following?

I'm not dissing lomos or holgas etc... I've used them and was serious when I used them. However, I would imagine we are talking about a camera that goes past the niche products these are. I used holgas and lomos in the 90s, so they are too old to be considered for this thread IMO.
 
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Ezzie said:
Several seem to discount the Fuji/CV offerings (MF) as not being serious? I rather think they are, but then again I´m an amateur, and I´ve not got a cabinet full of Leicas.
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The confusion of "serious" with "professional" is foolish, and it's foolish for more than one reason. There have always been many serious amateurs, and more than a few professional hacks. It's also foolish to equate ownership of a pile of expensive cameras with seriousness about photography. (I'm not suggesting that Ezzie is making either of these errors, but wade into the comments at, say, DPReview...)
 
jsrockit said:
I'm sure it differs from person to person, but maybe something like - worthy of regard because of substantial quality / versatility with a substancial following?

I'm not dissing lomos or holgas etc... I've used them and was serious when I used them. However, I would imagine we are talking about a camera that goes past the niche products these are. I used holgas and lomos in the 90s, so they are too old to be considered for this thread IMO.
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I would argue the Lomo's fall under that banner. Massive following both in and out of 'photography' circles. Famed for their substantial quality (People buy one to get the Holga look) versatile (it has a mountain setting!). The LC-A+ was only introduced in 2005 so its new enough.

Have we seen the release of the 'best' cameras (In a professional PJ weather sealed expensive sense) in the film world? Yes I would say so, but not the last serious film camera no, any camera that gets people to use an awkward style of shooting that is the opposide of digital I would put up as a serious camera in the world. And I'm sure more cameras are in the world for CV. And Fuji, and all the large format makers.
 
semilog said:
It's also foolish to equate ownership of a pile of expensive cameras with seriousness about photography.
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I would think the opposite! I don't know any working photographer with a cabinet of Leica's or a stash of vintage cameras, we dont get paid enough for that stuff!!
 
semilog said:
The confusion of "serious" with "professional" is foolish, and it's foolish for more than one reason. There have always been many serious amateurs, and more than a few professional hacks. It's also foolish to equate ownership of a pile of expensive cameras with seriousness about photography. (I'm not suggesting that Ezzie is making either of these errors, but wade into the comments at, say, DPReview...)
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A bit of sarcasm here. It would seem that more than just a few Leicaphiles are not ready to accept other brands as being "serious".
 
JayGannon said:
I would think the opposite! I don't know any working photographer with a cabinet of Leica's or a stash of vintage cameras, we dont get paid enough for that stuff!!
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I agree with semilog... Thousands of professional photographers use no Leica (like myself: recently I bought a world war II Barnack Leica, but professionally I use digital, Hassleblad and LF, and even SLR's) and thousands of Leica users, hobbyists and collectors have mediocre results until they die. And about new MF folders, they're very serious no doubt: and can give higher image quality than Leicas. Leica gear is serious gear, but most Leica users make no serious or great photography, just as with any other brand because gear means almost nothing, and most brands are equally serious: I have seen professional photographers sell Pentax K1000 studio shots as if they were from the same digital Hasselblad session... 99% depends on the photographer and the printing or processing...

Cheers,

Juan
 
The question for me would be 'Have we seen the last release of a serious film'.
I would love for some company to release a novel film emulsion with interesting properties (huge dynamic range, amazing detail even at high iso etc.) and really turn the market on its head. Unlikely to happen I know...
 
doolittle said:
The question for me would be 'Have we seen the last release of a serious film'.
I would love for some company to release a novel film emulsion with interesting properties (huge dynamic range, amazing detail even at high iso etc.) and really turn the market on its head. Unlikely to happen I know...
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In color its actually quite likely, due to research spillover from Motion Picture film emulsion research.
 
Seems like Fuji is the only company releasing new models of film cameras these days. I'd love to shoot the new wide GFW670 -- The GS690 I use makes some beautiful photographs.
 
You mean Cosina, right? I was under the impression that the Fuji folders are just rebranded Cosina cameras (also sold under the Voigtländer name).
 
Well I think there is a small market for larger formats, but I am hard pressed to think of what would be useful additions to what most do now. What I would like personally is a 6x8 rangefinder with a built in meter, moderate wide angle and I am set. Alas the Fuji 67 folders just don't do it for me, but they hold promise of more to come perhaps the Chinese will make some better quality film cameras?
 
I wouldn't be surprised to see Leica do something again. Even it's just a rehashing of something else, they'd likely find something new to add...
 
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