[LRflex] Re: Something somewhat different
- From: David Simms <simmszee@xxxxxxxx>
- To: leicareflex@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Sat, 5 Dec 2009 08:48:13 -0800 (PST)
David;
That's an interesting chain of events that you foresee and you've convinced me
that this is what will probably happen.
Film has been edged out of so many of its former uses, no wonder that the
market for film and the chemistry that accompanies it has impacted the demand.
nevertheless, luddites, like myself and quite a few others, will probably
soldier on making their silver images.
Dave
________________________________
From: David Young <dsy@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: leicareflex@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Sent: Sat, December 5, 2009 8:12:18 AM
Subject: [LRflex] Re: Something somewhat different
Dave Simms wrote:
Steve; I'm sorry if I came across as condescending, phew ! Just trying to
explain my thoughts re. film becoming a more cultish art form but, nevertheless
surviving.
G'mornin' Dave!
Film will, of course, survive - in the same way that vacuum tubes have
survived. Tubes (valves in the UK) have long since ceased to be manufactured
in Europe and North America. Their makers sold their equipment, in job lots,
and the factories were set up, once more, in places like the Ukraine, Belarus,
Vietnam and Cambodia. Here, because of very low costs for capital, rent and
labour, they can survive in a very small, niche market. Quality control is not
what it once was, but prices are low enough that you simply buy two!
Film will probably follow the same pattern. Eventually Kodak, Fuji and others
will abandon the field. They'll sell their equipment and it will get moved to
some country with exceedingly low manufacturing costs. (These days Bangladesh,
Kazakhstan and some of the other "stans", spring to mind, though their will be
other choices by the time this happens.)
As with tubes, innovation and advancement will be a thing of the past, and only
a limited variety of the most popular emulsions will continue to be made. As
with tubes, quality control will become more problematical - a more serious
problem for colour shooters.
You can, of course, do what one of my friends has done. He has a freezer full
of b&w 35mm movie stock - a little over 10,000 feet of it, as I recall. He has
also stockpiled enough chemicals to mix his own developers for the next 30
years. Given that, like me, he's in his early sixties, he'll have film and
developer in his 90's ... and it's not likely he'll need more!
Colour shooters can do likewise, though out-of-date E6 films don't survive as
well as b&w, even when frozen.
Cheers!
---
David Young
Logan Lake, Canada.
Wildlife Photos: www.furnfeather.netPersonal Website: www.main.furnfeather.net
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