My theory on the reason for the demise of Mamiya film....

[Lenny]

Greedy distributors with huge markups...... !

In Australia, a 43mm lens for a Mamiya 7 will set you back $AUD5000 and yet you can buy the same lens in Hong Kong for $AUD2000.

Because, Mamiya is over-priced both here and in the US, less people buy them, therefore the factory produces and sells less - thereby creating a downwards spiral of sales which ends in oblivion for the manufacturer....

That's my pet theory but I freely admit that digital may have played a small part in their demise....!

 

[sf]

I'll second that. The Mamiya 7 series is hugely overpriced, as you say. The kit will put you over $10,000USD which is just crazy.

Look at the Bronica. . . whole kit for $2000 - and that is including the fantastically overpriced 100mm.

Funny thing is the resale prices on Mamiya gear. Drastically lower than the new price. Look at the RZ and 645 series cameras' Ebay prices. Wow. Dirt cheap. Shows that they are overproduced, over marketed, over distributed - and over priced.

Resale prices show the real value of a product, and also how unreal the marketing weenies are at many companies. Mamiya being one. Hasselblad being another. Look at Leicas. They resell for high prices because they are worth something on account of quality . . .and a little insanity. But they shrink in cost far less than do most other high end brands. Shows that the product has some real value.

Digital is the best example of this. . . so are computers. . .one and the same, I guess. Digital cameras have no inherent value - about as much per unit of utility as a match does. It has value only to the point of its consumption. Then you gotta buy another.

 

[tomw]

Well, Leica is still in business. Cost isn't the whole story, and as usual there are a number of factors, not all of which we'll ever know about. The cameras are priced for the pro market not the mass market. Each camera & lens costs a certain amount and the distributors want a piece of the action since they have to do the support of the photographers & dealers in their local market. Cost is on par with other pro level gear.

 

[Solinar]

Medium format has been a limited market, at least where I live, for long time. With the exception of Bronica, most line ups have been priced in the stratosphere. The US distributor for Mamiya has guarded their turf against grey market imports like a junk yard dog. The wrong analogy, I'm sure, but MAC never really appreciated the effect of small sensor DSLR's from Canon on their customer's budgets.

Also, Now that Canon has released two exceptional full-frame 35mm DSLR's in their line-up, the sales of new medium format film bodies have dwindled. So long Bronica, Contax, Fuji and Mamiya.