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Archive 2008 · Is film dead yet?

lovinglife
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p.1 #1 · Is film dead yet?

I'm seeing some great deals on Nikon F5 film camera. I'm thinking of getting one (around $350 for like new F5) to use as a backup camera with my Nikon 14-24mm lens and maybe some black and white action as well..

Am I going back to the future here, am I losing it?

Nov 19, 2008 at 12:54 AM

camerapapi
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p.1 #2 · Is film dead yet?

A very difficult question to answer. Kodak and Fuji have not stopped their development of new films and Fuji surely have committed themselves to continue to work with film until there is no demand. I do not know about Kodak.
Many professionals still use film but more and more labs prefer to work with digital. I love film and I like to use it but it is hard to figure out if there is enough demand, at least in this country. It is my understanding that Walmart will not develop more film beginning in February, 2009.
I can only give you an opinion, mine, but buying an F5 for $350 looks like a hell of a bargain to me and I would not hesitate buying it. Remember, that is only my opinion.
William Rodriguez
Miami, Florida.

Nov 19, 2008 at 01:22 AM

James R
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p.1 #3 · Is film dead yet?

You missed the funeral.

Nov 19, 2008 at 01:24 AM

Tom Hicks
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p.1 #4 · Is film dead yet?

No it's not near dead.

Nov 19, 2008 at 01:27 AM

Avi B
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p.1 #5 · Is film dead yet?

Yeah, I think B&W film is awesome. There's something 3D about it that I've never seen duplicated with digital...

Go for it. Sounds like you'd have a tonne (metric

) of fun...

Nov 19, 2008 at 01:28 AM

mfletch
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p.1 #6 · Is film dead yet?

No, not dead. It won't completely die out. It'll become more of a niche as time goes by. If you don't mind ordering film by mail and either processing yourself or mailing out film for processing, I see it being around longer than anyone reading this forum. So if you want an F5, treat yourself. Just as the inventory of film at retailers has tapered over the last 5-10yr, I can see the same happening to many drop-off/1 hr processing booths given a similar time frame.

It's not going to die, it's just going to become more inconvenient.

Nov 19, 2008 at 01:39 AM

90 5.0
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p.1 #7 · Is film dead yet?

I am always amazed at how many people are always in line dropping off film at my local wally world when I am passing it to get to the dvd section...

Nov 19, 2008 at 01:42 AM

mawz
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p.1 #8 · Is film dead yet?

Nope, not dead although I'm expecting the consumer emulsions to start drying up over the next few years.

I still use an F2a, FE2 and FM2n for Nikon film cameras (Just bought the FM2n in fact) along with several other 35mm and MF bodies.

Film is to digital as B&W is to colour. Another medium, less popular but strong nonetheless.

The only thing that's died off is the market for new 35mm film cameras other than Rangefinders. The excess of good used cameras killed off the new market. I expect that it'll come back somewhat in 10-15 years as the poorly maintained and excessively electronic cameras die off permanently, much as the RF market started to come back 10 years ago after 20-25 years of near-complete death.

Nov 19, 2008 at 01:45 AM

Justin Berman
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p.1 #9 · Is film dead yet?

Eh, 35mm film is dying out. 645, 6x6 and 67 film is still reasonably popular and is definitely worth shooting. To say nothing of polaroid, 4x5 and larger mediums.

Nov 19, 2008 at 02:15 AM

w2hef
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p.1 #10 · Is film dead yet?

I still shoot with my F3 and my hassy 501cm... love it...

Nov 19, 2008 at 02:19 AM

alanj
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p.1 #11 · Is film dead yet?

Go for it. Sounds like you'd have a tonne (metric

) of fun...

I actually left my house today with ONLY a film camera, (my old faithful Minolta with a roll of black and white!!)

Nov 19, 2008 at 02:33 AM

Jack OBrien
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p.1 #12 · Is film dead yet?

Yeah, it's dead. But, if you'd really like to play, here's a few to keep you busy....

Nov 19, 2008 at 02:34 AM

90 5.0
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p.1 #13 · Is film dead yet?

Jack OBrien wrote:
Yeah, it's dead. But, if you'd really like to play, here's a few to keep you busy....

What no reala

On a side note places like wally world and cvs only carry crap film now

Nov 19, 2008 at 02:37 AM

w2hef
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p.1 #14 · Is film dead yet?

how about tri-x

Nov 19, 2008 at 02:43 AM

dj dunzie
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p.1 #15 · Is film dead yet?

Jack OBrien wrote:
Yeah, it's dead. But, if you'd really like to play, here's a few to keep you busy....

Haha... but Jacko... here's the Fuji captured using digital at ISO6400!

This image is copyrighted by the owner

I am not convinced film will ever truly "die". Thing is, even though it's been pretty much proven that digital can now surpass film in almost every way, there's something enjoyable about shooting with it, if even occasionally. Beta recorders are dead. Film will likely never "die".

Nov 19, 2008 at 02:44 AM

w2hef
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p.1 #16 · Is film dead yet?

and there's also Plus-X Pan ISO 125

Nov 19, 2008 at 02:46 AM

Jack OBrien
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p.1 #17 · Is film dead yet?

90 5.0 wrote:

What no reala

On a side note places like wally world and cvs only carry crap film now

Here's some

You're right. It's kind of like the 'old days' when I started. You could get a few films at the 'drug store', but everything was available at the local camera shop. There was no such thing as 1-hour processing, or drug store processing. Everything was sent of to the big labs.

Nov 19, 2008 at 02:54 AM

Jack OBrien
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p.1 #18 · Is film dead yet?

w2hef wrote:
and there's also Plus-X Pan ISO 125

There's a whole bunch of other films, I was just trying to represent B&W, color negative and color positive film.

Speaking of Tri-x, I love that film. I've yet to see any kind of digital 'emulation' that even comes close to the personality of Tri-X (which BTW, has a brand new emulsion)

Nov 19, 2008 at 02:59 AM

wjlapier
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p.1 #19 · Is film dead yet?

No way-- Check the RFF and APUG and other film shooter sites.

I'm sitting on a pile of Kodachrome, Velvia, Sensia, and Reala. A few TriX around here somewhere.

I'm shooting film less, only because I'm shooting less in general.

The F5 is a great camera. I owned two--one for Velvia and the other for everything else!

Nov 19, 2008 at 03:06 AM

James R
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p.1 #20 · Is film dead yet?

OK, I'll give you that film isn't dead; but, it is on life support. The number of users is way down. There are fewer quality photographic labs. The big problem is that Canon and Nikon are not producing film cameras. Those F3s and F5s are the end of the line.

Nov 19, 2008 at 03:22 AM

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