Wonder How Long 35mm Will Last

[Tom Harrell]

I keep wondering just how long 35mm film will be around for us to enjoy. I understand the current trend for digital and I understand camera companies not wanting to invest money into designing upgraded/new cameras toward that end. But it haunts me trying to figure out what is going to happen to the film media. I am set to retire this spring and certainly intend to keep up with photography. I want to put together a small dark room and learn printing b & w photos. I really don't know if I should stick to that idea or not. This past year I bought a Leica IIIf and had D.A.G. go over it. I have been wanting to get an M model of some sort for retirement but now wonder if I shouldn't spend the money for a good digital camera. It is purplexing to say the least. There are also times when I think I should take my film cameras and trade them in on some really good digital equipment but I'm sure I would take a beating on the value of them. One would have to invest in an exceptional PC and printer as well.

Kodak seems to be backing out of film at an alarming rate. How long before the rest follow suit? Should we be stockpiling favorite films/chemicals/papers when
possible?

Your thoughts/comments are most welcome.

Tom Harrell

 

[lubitel]

I think nevertheless that the film will be there for a long time still.
We can still buy music on vinyl, or Some kind of glass plates that were used by photographers more than hundred years ago, or a new 126 film cartridge, that has been absolete for some time now. It surely will become more expensive to use, and in ten years people will probably be asking what's that youre using? but it will survive.

 

[jjthe2]

As long as there is a market and old cameras around there will always be film. You can already see smaller companies popping up making new film and new chemicals. I can't think of any conceivable situation where 35mm B&W film won't be available 25 years from now.

 

[Kim Coxon]

I wouldn't worry about it. Kodak stopped investing large amounts before the D revolution as they lost more and more of the market share to Fuji. Fuji are investing and are introducing new emulsions. Nikon have just introduced a new top flight pro level film camera. In many areas of the world, film is still the norm. Your children may see the end but more likely your grandchildren. I doubt very much it will be you.

Kim

 

[Andy K]

35mm will be around for a long time yet. Take no notice of the doomsayers. Go ahead and set up your darkroom, I guarantee you won't regret it. Ilford are dedicated to keeping black and white film in production and have made it their mission statement 'to be the last man standing' in bw film manufacture. They are also reintroducing old lines such as their Postcard paper, and are researching new films, such as a Delta 25.
If you have not been there yet, have a look at APUG. Over 10,000 members, all dedicated to using film.

 

[wilt]

It will be around for a long time, decades.

 

[ray_g]

I think film will be around until households in developing countries routinely have computers and digital cameras. That being said, it does not hurt to buy a few bulk rolls of your favorite film and toss them in the freezer. 😉

 

[sooner]

I can say with total confidence that film will be around for a thousand years. Why? Because I want it to be so, and if people believe the government's predictions about economic data five and 10 years away then they should be prepared to accept anything. So go ahead, stick with film and build that darkroom. And if it does only last a few years, it will have been worth it.

 

[Fred]

I have digital and film, no prizes for guessing which one gives me the most fun.

35mm Film will be about for a long time yet. I'd keep one eye on the availability of 120 first and use that as a signal as most pros tend to use digital for speed and cos the general market wants it. Once that gets harder to get the the smaller 35mm availability may follow. I guess the colour negative will bite first and leaving colour slide and B&W, after all slide and B&W have not been mainstream for some time and they're still around.

Shots I do for other people are almost exclusively digital, shots for myself are almost exclusively on film.

 

[ClayH]

35mm film is still the preferred distribution medium for movies shown in theatres. The cost to upgrade the entire movie infrastructure to digital will ensure that this takes place pretty slowly, if ever. My point is that Kodak and Fuji will have production lines making 35mm film for while yet, and that represents a huge volume of film.

 

[Bobbo]

It will stay around. Don't worry about it.

Over 33 million SLRs were sold between 1975 and 1985. Maybe 5 million fo those aren't working. Nikon made over 826,000 Nikon F's. Canon made over 1 million Canonet QL17 G-III's. How many Leica M3's were made?

 

[ch1]

I keep wondering just how long 35mm film will be around for us to enjoy. I understand the current trend for digital and I understand camera companies not wanting to invest money into designing upgraded/new cameras toward that end. But it haunts me trying to figure out what is going to happen to the film media. I am set to retire this spring and certainly intend to keep up with photography. I want to put together a small dark room and learn printing b & w photos. I really don't know if I should stick to that idea or not. This past year I bought a Leica IIIf and had D.A.G. go over it. I have been wanting to get an M model of some sort for retirement but now wonder if I shouldn't spend the money for a good digital camera. It is purplexing to say the least. There are also times when I think I should take my film cameras and trade them in on some really good digital equipment but I'm sure I would take a beating on the value of them. One would have to invest in an exceptional PC and printer as well.

Kodak seems to be backing out of film at an alarming rate. How long before the rest follow suit? Should we be stockpiling favorite films/chemicals/papers when
possible?

Your thoughts/comments are most welcome.

Tom Harrell

Oh no! 😱

Another one of those "How many angels can dance on the head of a pin?" threads. :bang:

Time to get back to work and do something productive! 😀

 

[GeneW]

We beat this topic to death a while back. Let me put it this way: I just turned 60 and I don't expect to run out of film during my lifetime. I ain't sayin' how long I expect to live 😀

Gene

 

[SRMC]

I'm certain that film will be around for the foreseeable future. My concern is that manufacturers of film and equipment will not be devoting resources to research or development of new products. There are two threads over at PNet linking to an announcement from Nikon that it will cease production of what appears to be most of its film cameras. Here are the links for you to draw your own conclusions.

Thread 1

and

Thread 2

Regardless of what Nikon does, I'll continue happily snapping away with my Bessa, EOS gear, Canonet, Yashicamat, Pentax S1 . . . as there will always be film, even if it eventually declines to an artist/enthusiast only media.

SRMC

 

[pcfranchina]

I'm sure many of you still have and use the first rangefinder or SLR you ever aquired. Probably still working great and you take joy in using it. I have a decent digital camera too, a Minolta A200 8mp. Works decent. It will be outdated and probably stop working way before any of my film cameras. The way you fear the end of film, the digital world should fear the end of the .jpg or .raw file. What if the stop making CF or SD cards? They will both probably coexisit for quite some time.

 

[Bill K.]

To Gene W,

May you live looong and prosper !!!

Regards,

Bill K

 

[ZeissFan]

Two of my early Nikon digicams already have dead sensors. Both often lock up when turned on, requiring me to pop open the battery door. One no longer works in shutter priority mode. These have been babied.

Digital technology is a never ending cycle of upgrades, and not just the camera but the computer and associated peripherals. Yes, I know some people are still running Windows 3.0, but they are the exception and not the rule.

On the other hand, most of my film cameras operate flawlessly. And when a problem arises, a few hours on the workbench will bring them back.

Even as the big players pull back, smaller companies will fill the void. No worry -- film photography has plenty of life left in it. There's simply no reason for "the sky is falling" hand-wringing over the future of film.

 

[Dan States]

Nothing ever completely goes away. You can still buy new parts for Model T Fords! People are still making buggy whips! Just because you can't find it at Wallmart, doesn't mean it no longer exists.

Film will be around long after we are all dead....certainly longer than someone who is getting ready to retire!)

 

[doubs43]

We beat this topic to death a while back. Let me put it this way: I just turned 60 and I don't expect to run out of film during my lifetime. I ain't sayin' how long I expect to live 😀 Gene

Gene beat me to it! I'll be 63 in June and I'm confident that film will have a longer life than I do.

Walker

 

[35mmdelux]

I'm sure that in the 1880's photogs were asking if LF would survive. Well it did and is still considered exceptional photography today and expensive. In the future IMO, 35mm will go with its patents to nich marketeers. There is still money to be made but not in the billions anymore. In any case, we have what we mostly need: Ilford BW, Kodak TriX, and various great chrome emulsions. Hell, they still make Kodachrome!

As for wet darkrooms - that will be considered elite AND expensive since a handmade foto will be at a premium. We'll just need to learn the intricacies of marketing better.