How long does film have?

How long does film have?

  • Film? Film is already dead! Long live digital.

    Votes: 5 1.4%

  • A few more years.

    Votes: 38 10.8%

  • A few more decades.

    Votes: 123 35.0%

  • Film will be around forever!

    Votes: 185 52.7%
  • Total voters
    351
Like I said before, as long as the motion picture industry prefers film to digital, film users will be supplied. The film used may not be the same, but the machinery used to make it is, and the issue is whether there is enough demand to keep a few (or 1) of these factories going. As long as the motion picture industry, even a smaller artsy segment of it, demands film, it will be made. IMO
 
aad said:
May be time to think about getting into the boutique film business...
Click to expand...

That's exactly what Adox is trying to do. From what I understand, instead of being saddled with a large, high-production manufacturing plant, they'll be using the old Agfa research facilities (designed to produce photo-sensitive products in small batches) to make both B&W film and paper. I signed up to test their version of Agfa MCC which I received a few weeks back and hope to try out this dreary Michigan weekend. If Adox can pull this off (not guaranteed at this point), they hope to produce new versions of APX 25, APX 100 and APX 400 in 35mm, 120 and sheet film. Take a look at this APUG thread for more info:

http://www.apug.org/forums/forum172/40721-resurrection-mcc-progressing.html

Jim B.
 
Keith said:
There's one thing I meant to mention that I believe could see a sharp decline in film usage. Part of the reason for wanting film to be available for a lot of us is so we can still interact with our M2's IIIf's TLR's etc with our lenses of choice. Flexible sensor technollogy may be a reality so I've read ... not now but like all technology eventually ... and when it happens a digital insert for a film camera could be possible. There's plenty of room in there and with a battery on one side and the electronics on the other ... something removable that you plug into your PC to downoad the raw files when you get home, if reasonably priced, would definitely have a market! 🙂
Click to expand...
You get a point about the use of our beloved cameras, but I really think there is more to this and most of us like the film media.

Personnaly, I'll shoot BW film and kodachrome as long as it's available for one reason:
Archival conservation. I can't think of all the mess that is needed to ensure a perfect long term conservation of these CD's and DVD's..
 
FrankS said:
As long as there is movie film, there will be film in all formats. From what I've read, film is produced in wide rolls, and then cut to different widths for the different formats.
Click to expand...


1. true
2. they still make super 8 movie film, came out with a new one a few years ago.
3. the film processing business still seems pretty brisk from the 19 thousand c41 processors where I live.
4. Last year Kodak came out with an improved Portra, and very recently an improved TMAX line.


I have digital cameras - there I said it. There are many like me. I prefer a manual transmission, they still make those. I like spring-wound mechanical watches, wearing one now. No problem getting them. I'm the only one in my immediate family who shoots a digital camera sometimes. Father, sister, daughter (my influence) uncle all shoot film.

Not everyone wants to plug some contraptions into their computer and futz around with Photoshop (or go through the learning curve) or stand in front of a kiosk.

Not everyone thinks digital is an improvement over film. It's still a market in the billions.
 
Last three days here in N.C. rain, rain, & more rain. We needed it, bad, but for the last couple of days every local station on our digital cable has been a bunch of messed up tiny blocks. No better than the sign that used to appear on my tv screen as a kid...oops the film broke, Please stand by😉
 
Originally Posted by FrankS
As long as there is movie film, there will be film in all formats. From what I've read, film is produced in wide rolls, and then cut to different widths for the different formats.

Thanks for the encouragement here. I mentioned the new improved Tmax above. Agfa and Ilford films are also, still widely available in Israel... as is Fuji in color print & color slide.
 
rlightfoot said:
Is movie film identical to still film then? With the same ASA ratings etc?
Click to expand...

Not to try to steer you to another system, but I might second the suggestion to check out some of the current threads over on APUG. (www.apug.org) There is a retired photo engineer from Kodak who has recently been discussing just this from the perspective of the continuity of the film market.
 
Reality bites, film is fading. Will it disappear altogether and when is anybodies guess. The number and types of film available in most places is a shadow of what it was even 2 years ago. Enjoy it now and be prepared to pay even more for the privilege of using it in the future. Personally I don't think it will die out completely.

Bob
 
The answer is:

Film will be available for a few more decades, or less. At some point, film will vanish like the LP. But, like the LP, it will still be available in limited quantities for some time to come.

With all due respect, it is ludicrous to link still-camera film usage with movie film. It would be like comparing the production of trucks for consumers to that of troop carriers for the military. Once (consumer) usage/demand drops below its production/supply levels (just as we have seen) then production will drop - and eventually (for all intensive purposes) stop.

Besides, on the production of movie film: It is only a matter of time that we will see movies in theatres projected from (a variation of) a high definition DVD.
 
Geography has a lot to do with the impression that certain things are becoming less available or disappearing. In Vancouver there are plenty of camera shops and labs that sell and process every kind of film. Most neighborhoods that I have lived in have 2-3 record shops within walking distance that offer a nice selection of vinyl LPs. Ijust bought a brand new 2-LP reissue of a Blue Note Freddie Hubbard disc for $15! Less than a CD!
 
BillBlackwell said:
The answer is:

Film will be available for a few more decades, or less. At some point, film will vanish like the LP. But, like the LP, it will still be available in limited quantities for some time to come.

With all due respect, it is ludicrous to link still-camera film usage with movie film. It would be like comparing the production of trucks for consumers to that of troop carriers for the military. Once (consumer) usage/demand drops below its production/supply levels (just as we have seen) then production will drop - and eventually (for all intensive purposes) stop.

Besides, on the production of movie film: It is only a matter of time that we will see movies in theatres projected from (a variation of) a high definition DVD.
Click to expand...


My point is simply that the same machines in the same factories make both movie film stock and still camera film stock. As long as the movie industry is wiling to pay to use film, and I recognize that the film segment of this industry is becoming smaller, it is not only the demand of still film camera users that will determine how long it remains economically feasible to continue to keep these machines and factories running. If the film-making machines continue to be maintained for movie film production, doing a run every now and then to supply the still film camera users, is no big deal. Keeping the machines running for only the still film camera users may not be so viable. Ludicrous? I don't think so.
 
Last edited:
Without a direct link to a quote I'm hesitant to chime in here, but heard much this same thing from Kodak on the radio some time back. Movies are what is keeping film in production. Thankfully there are a great many directors who prefer film to digital, and not just the 'old' ones.
 
sepiareverb said:
Without a direct link to a quote I'm hesitant to chime in here, but heard much this same thing from Kodak on the radio some time back. Movies are what is keeping film in production. Thankfully there are a great many directors who prefer film to digital, and not just the 'old' ones.
Click to expand...

There seems to be one other factor, which is brought up occasionally, particularly when talking about what's keeping Kodachriome alive, and that is military use.

There's some speculation that although there's only one major lab for non-military anymore, there may be a few or several military labs still rockin' and rollin'.

One person on "another network" who is in a position to know has commented "let's not go there" or words to that effect.

So I won't. 🙂
 
There is also museum and government use (I'm thinking library of Congress here). Apparently they have some concerns with the archival properties of digital.
 
I just hope that film is available as long as I want it. However, if digital cameras improve as much as computers have from my Commodore 64 to the current class of MACs and PCs, I'm sure that when film is gone I'll find an acceptable digital camera. It may be there now for all I know, I'm just not looking all that hard...
 
FrankS said:
My point is simply that the same machines in the same factories make both movie film stock and still camera film stock. As long as the movie industry is wiling to pay to use film, and I recognize that the film segment of this industry is becoming smaller, it is not only the demand of still film camera users that will determine how long it remains economically feasible to continue to keep these machines and factories running. If the film-making machines continue to be maintained for movie film production, doing a run every now and then to supply the still film camera users, is no big deal. Keeping the machines running for only the still film camera users may not be so viable. Ludicrous? I don't think so.
Click to expand...

I heard this many times. I agree. Not ludicrous...
 
I think the important thing is that there will always be people who want to use film. Both in the motion picture industry and in stills. I simply can't imagine that the time will come when all people forsake such a powerful and simple imaging medium. There will always be people who don't want to have to recharge their camera at a plug socket in order to keep shooting or into a computer to see their shots.

Of course sales may reduce, as they has been for some years, but as long as there is a reasonable demand, I'm sure there'll be people out there who will be willing and able to meet that demand.

There will always be a large number of people who feel passionately about analog photography and filmography.

Digital, at the end of the day, is a seperate format, not a sucessor. It has strengths and weaknesses that are different to those of film, and so nither format should be totally embraced or totally shunned.

In my opinion.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom