OT (sort of): "DSLR-Divorced" Re-Discover Film

[julianphotoart]

Just got the 29 April edition of Amateur Photographer. Somewhat interesting little article that says:

Owners of digital SLRs have rediscovered silver-halide photography and are returning to the used camera market, according to an article published in the Japanese magazine PEN.

Reporting on the recent World Used Camera Fair in Tokyo, which was organised by the Imported Camera Society, the publication stated: 'Recently becoming significant....are those who came back from the digicam world, or owners of high-end DLRs [who] rediscovered the merits of silver-halide photography and got back to the used camera market.'

The article claims that the people buying used cameras are in their 30s or 40s. It adds: 'The DSLR-divorced would buy manual, high-end 35mm SLRs like the Nikon F-series...Nikon 35mm SLRs, for example, have been selling well since the end of last year -- before the camera maker announced its retreat from most film cameras'

A spokesman for Kitamura Camera -- described as Japan's largest specialty chain -- is quoted as stating that this trend is encouraging the used camera business. The spokesman added: 'It could stimulate the used camera market....the cameras sleeping in the closet may come out to market.'

 

[Fedzilla_Bob]

Could also mean an eminent increase in prices on eboy

 

[RML]

Could also mean an eminent increase in prices on eboy

Soon we'll see R@RE Nikon F4s for sale! 🙂

 

[Solinar]

All through out the marketing hype in publications such as Pop Photo, I assumed that one could still use both. It looks like that pro-quality film SLR's will hold their value a little longer than the "film is dead" sayers have predicted.

 

[boarini2003]

I actually think that the whole digital revolution in imaging is good for both digital and also good for film, especially black and white. Digital attracts a huge number of new people into photography. Those people either stay totally amateur and point and shoot with digital, or decide to get into photography seriously. Those who want to really study photography and get into the art aspect of it have to eventually study silver halide based photography, apertures and shutter speeds (manual cameras are a must in any serious photo course) and many people are converted as soon as they see it. Others stay with digital. So many new film users are actually people who loved photography, and didn't really know much about film until they got into the hobby seriously. I think film is going through it's lowest point right now, and I don't think it's disappearing. And the good thing about all the digigeeks taking over photography is that it makes us less mainstream!

 

[Andy K]

We might even see lens hoods going for ridiculous amounts like $2000... oh... wait a minute...

 

[x-ray]

I'm now shooting more film than I have in six or seven years. I took the business to digital about seven years ago and now shoot more film than I have in a while. The volume doesn't even come close to what I shot before digital but I am shooting film as a high end alternative. As a matter of fact I just finished loading a stack of 4x5 holders with RDP and will finish an architectual job this afternoon with it. There's just something comforting about film.


http://www.photo.net/photos/X-Ray

 

[Ken Ford]

I've found successful shooting begets still more successful shooting.

Switching over to DSLRs for my railroad stuff has both radically increased my production of railroad images and fed my desire to shoot more film.

It's a symbiotic relationship.

 

[ruben]

Free migration, both directions.

 

[StuartR]

Japan is also a very different market than the US when it comes to photography. In general the people who own a DSLR there are likely to be photo-enthusiasts, and interested in film as well. Regular users are now just using their cell phone cameras, which are much more highly developed there than they are here. Also, there is a stronger tradition there of respecting and treasuring objects with a history, as it were. Where the US and Europe tend to buy things and then move to "better" things, the Japanese have a strong taste for retro things.

But anyway, I think that as long as film is readily available, people WILL continue to use film cameras, no matter how many megapixels the digital cameras have.

 

[amateriat]

I feel like I've slipped into the Twilight Zone by clicking on this thread...not like I'm complaining or anything. 😀


- Barrett ("Another box of XP2, please")

 

[ch1]

SHHHHH. I've only garnered three F3's so far. I am cornering the market in these. 😉

Someday people with "lust" after Nikon F3's they way they do now for Leica M3's! 😀

It is very likely that there will be a modest "bounce back" in film gear and film use as boomer folks re-discover photography generally and start to "pine" for gear that was once beyond their financial reach. eBay makes it very easy to do so.

It doesn't mean there will be a resurgence of new film cameras (the "used market" will meet the demand) but it should help level off the steep decline in film sales. 🙂