How long do >>YOU<< think film will be commonly available?

[projectbluebird]

Considering that large format film has been around since 1884, 120 film since 1902, and 135 (35mm) in the form we all know and love since 1934, yet I can go down to the camera store and buy all of these formats in various speeds in color and Black and white at reasonable prices no less. Also taking into account that the two largest film companies recently upgraded their production facilities, not to mention the numerous "boutique" producers of both paper and film... It may get harder to come by, you may even have to pay more and/or travel abroad. But I happen to agree that film will be around longer than I will, and I'm still considered a whippersnapper, by most accounts.

on a related note-
Flashbulbs (remember flashbulbs?) havent been made in the US since the mid-90's, but they are still being manufactured in Ireland, and there is increasing demand for them.

remember too, the U.S., Japan, and Europe mainstream may have gone digital, But most of the worlds population still lives at a level where the basic needs are hard to come by, much less extravagances like computers and digital cameras.

 

[dmr]

Flashbulbs (remember flashbulbs?) havent been made in the US since the mid-90's,

Yes, I remember them. I never liked them. They scared the cat and they always annoyed and startled me. 🙁

I do have a Vivitar flash unit (as well as the pop-up one on the P&S) but I avoid flash unless I absolutely have to.

The thing I >>LOVED<< about my first rangefinder (Mamiya SD) is that I could take photos indoors most of the time without flash!

but they are still being manufactured in Ireland, and there is increasing demand for them.

Oh really? Any particular reason? Do flash bulbs really do anything better than the more modern strobes?

 

[Socke]

I think for quite a while. Much longer than my newest Digital camera will be operating.

Maybe longer than CCD's.

Maybe longer than Digital.

When's the last time you saw a new LED watch for sale?

New LED watch? Yesterday! A Fossil Pulsar for 55 Euro 🙂

 

[GeneW]

The 'commonly available' part of this is the key to voting. If by that we mean grocery stores, drug stores, convenience stores and the like, I give it 5 years or so.

In terms of sheer 'availability' through larger camera stores, online stores, etc., who knows? I'd guess 20 years or so.

Gene

 

[Azinko]

Some types of film will probably be in limited production for some years to come but is'nt this the wrong question?

What REALLY matters in my view is how much longer photographers, including everyone here, will WANT to use conventional/film cameras......

Everything is relative, and at the moment digital cameras are probably very crude compared to what will be available in just a few years.......then most enthusiastic and serious photographers, including all of you, will put their film cameras in glass cases.

I am reliably informed that you can still obtain super 8 cine film......

 

[Issy]

As long as people keep shooting it.

As long as people keep shooting it.

It's a bit of a self-fullfilling prophecy, isn't it?... if you heard it's going away, you might buy a digital camera, or be less likely to buy a film camera, or stop using the one you have (afterall, soon I won't be able to buy film, so I should concentrate on digital).


I think you'll see a bump back to film in the next five or ten years when CD-Rs and DVD-Rs start to fail, and your average consumer without any formal back-up regiment starts to lose large amounts of images.

It will be a temporary pause, though. 🙂

Between camera phones and digital cameras, everyone is a photographer, now.

I also wonder what will happen to all the blogs and photoblogs when this (my) generation dies off... will the great server farms be kept and transferred from generation to generation, new media to new media? Might be fun for my 16-month-old daughter to grow up to be a cultural anthropologist, or cyber-archeologist, gently brushing the dust off of old DVD-Rs with a tooth brush... 🙂

Tougue firmly in cheek...

 

[Issy]

That should be my "tongue", of course.... 🙄

 

[Benjamin Marks]

I'm with Frank. 20-30. But I have to say that predicting anything technologically over a 20 -30 year span is well-nigh impossible. 30 years ago - no WWW, internet for academics and DARPA types only, no PCs, no hybrid cars, no satellite tv. , no laser pointers, just barely digital watches, no cell phones, no XTOL . . . . 1976? I think leaded gas was still routinely available for cars that got 12 miles to the gallon and folks were wearing sideburns and bell-bottoms; no x-ray at airports (???). In the world of commerce, that's a looooong time baby. Me, I have a chest freezer full of Delta 400 in sizes from 35mm to 8x10.

 

[Andy K]

Some types of film will probably be in limited production for some years to come but is'nt this the wrong question?

What REALLY matters in my view is how much longer photographers, including everyone here, will WANT to use conventional/film cameras......

Everything is relative, and at the moment digital cameras are probably very crude compared to what will be available in just a few years.......then most enthusiastic and serious photographers, including all of you, will put their film cameras in glass cases.

Invent a digital camera that does not need to be chopped in for a new model every two years or so, a digital camera which does not need batteries, a fully manual digital camera which gives me a roll of negs every 36 shots or so, and I might, just might think about buying one. But even then I doubt if I would because computers with lenses stuck to the front of them and RAW/jpeg files leave me stone cold, they bore me, they hold zero interest for me.

I do not use film cameras and film because 'digital isn't good enough yet', I use film cameras and film because that's what I WANT to use. because that's where my passion lies.

 

[Socke]

I do not use film cameras and film because 'digital isn't good enough yet', I use film cameras and film because that's what I WANT to use. because that's where my passion lies.

Yes, I'm close to that. But we try harder to get our film than most people.

"Commonly available" means to me that I can get it close to everywhere.
Bread and butter are commonly available, Sacher cake not.

 

[ch1]

Yes, I'm close to that. But we try harder to get our film than most people.

"Commonly available" means to me that I can get it close to everywhere.
Bread and butter are commonly available, Sacher cake not.

Socke,

You bring up an interest point as to what is meant by "commonly available". Because both my wife and I work full-time and also divide our time b/w NYC (during work week) and a country house (on weekends) we have for many years used mail order (and now "web order") for many items including clothing etc.

So to me, "commonly available" means that I can order it from somewhere and in a couple of days or so it arrives at my doorstep. As a result, so long as I can order film it will seem "commonly available" to me.

For others, my form of "shopping" might seem "uncommon" or "not as available" as going to a shop.

 

[Sonnar Brian]

New LED watch? Yesterday! A Fossil Pulsar for 55 Euro 🙂

That's amazing! I still have one around here. Got it for High School graduation in 1975. I amazed many friends at the graduation part with it.

An engineer at work has an electronic digital clock. It uses Nixie tubes. My electric clock uses "digital tumblers". It has all the digits on blocks that are geared to turn at the appropriate time. I also have a Nixie Tube calculator. It's about 30 pounds of transistors and other discrete components.

Film! Yes, Long time. Same with the cameras.

 

[zpuskas]

Ambrotype, Cyanotype, Platinum, etc. materials are still available today-- long after they've left the mainstream. Film will be here as long as I need it--which is about 30 more years.

 

[kiev4a]

The question on film (at least color film) may not be how long it will be available but how long processing will be available? Right now every corner drug store has one-hour processing. But I would not be surprised to see most of the Wally Worlds and Wallgreens shut down that equipment within three years. When processing is less convenient and takes longer, people will shoot less film so less film will be made--and so on. Still, I think film, and processing at some level, will be available for at least 20 years. Some of the larger formats may survive better than 35mm because that's the market digital will hit the hardest.

 

[aad]

If "regular" consumer demand is so important, how come I can buy TriX everywhere film is sold? drugstores, WalMart, it's all over the place. Yet you can't get it developed on-site there. Someone's buying it.

 

[Gabriel M.A.]

Ambrotype, Cyanotype, Platinum, etc. materials are still available today-- long after they've left the mainstream. Film will be here as long as I need it--which is about 30 more years.

A-men. Or is it A-wo-men? I get confused. But I'm with you. Yet, making predictions about film, well, not even the experts can get it right sometimes.

A few famous predictions:

"I think there is a world market for maybe five computers."—Thomas Watson, chairman of IBM, 1943.

"No flying machine will ever fly from New York to Paris."—Orville Wright.

 

[tkluck]

35mm another 50 years.
120 another 10.
As long as someone is buying the stuff.

 

[ulyssescat]

I am a DJ by trade,photography is a hobby.We had a similar situation arise with the advent of CD.Will vinyl survive??
Well,it has.Its a bit more specialist,but its still there.In fact,after the initial deluge of CD this and CD that,record companies have actually started increasing their quota of vinyl production again.
I think film will be the same.I don't think it has any more chance of dying out than vinyl.It will just become more specialized.
I mean lets be honest.No one really knows the shelf life of digital media or cameras as they haven't been about long enough for a judgement to be made.
We all know how long prints and film cameras last......I digress.
Somehow,although this is just my opinion,I don't think my little Fuji digi is gonna last as long as my Leica M4p??
Retrospective to all of this though,at the end of the day,its a tool for us to take pictures,whatever we use.We make the picture,not the camera(metaphorically speaking of course),and if I eventually have to take pictures exclusively on a digital,then so be it.
Here's one for you.....
Why does it seem that all companies are trying to make a digital camera that shoots and gives results the same as a film camera......????? go figure!

 

[Iskra 2]

Film will be around till:

1. Digital cameras don't need batteries. 😀

2. Digital cameras have viewfinders at least as good as my Zorki-4. 😀

3. Digital cameras are as inexpensive as my Zorki-4 was ($25). 😀

Regards.

 

[jan normandale]

@dmr... kinda out there new avatar! I'm likin' the shades.

You ducked my observation. What about the thinly disguised FID thread here. Are you Bill Mattock perchance LoL!