Who/What is the market for film?

[oldracer]

From time to time I see discussions of film from one angle or another on DPR. There seem to be several suppliers.

My question is: Where is the market that supports film production? Can it be that there are enough hobbyists? Seems unlikely, but it seems even more unlikely that there is a large market of professionals where at least most photographers would be using far more film than amateurs would.

Personally, I think film is pretty much from the bad old days. I have shot a lot of it, both 35mm/36 and 120 but am very glad to be past the days of slow speeds and grainy B&W, not to mention the screwing around and delay before seeing one's images. But obviously not every one feels that way. So who is it that buys this stuff?

 

[Phocal]

One word - Hipsters

 

[exakta]

Photography students and collectors of vintage film cameras, I guess.

Does anybody still use view cameras?

 

[ralf-11]

people who never sold their Hassy or F3

I run a roll of film thru each one every few years

 

[Bushboy]

When I was about 12 or 13 yrs, I made my own darkroom!
It was tremendously good fun, and used up all my pocket money. A bit like now actually....
Only a half wit would do that now, the chemicals were ghastly.

 

[Bushboy]

And because I was into it, my grandmother gifted me a Leica lll.
My elder brother, took it without my permission and sold it!
Years later, l told him that it was worth $50,000 US. ? and, boy, did he give me sick look!

 

[phigmov]

Self professed hipster - I enjoy shooting film even though I've slowed in the last few years. Part of me also enjoys the physical object, quality of the device (they will never build anything like a Nikon F ever again - its just cost prohibitive; maybe when they come up with a Star Trek fabricator...) and the simple understanding of light on film (poke a hole in a light seal, photons react with chemicals and create an image). Similar to needle on a record or a watch - there are digital alternatives to books, film cameras, record players & mechanical watches but I have and use all four (& their digital versions). I guess if we want to get reductive, there are a number of things people do that aren't optimal - they do it because its enjoyable to them.

 

[richardp]

I shoot a roll of film every now and then and I think my kids would die laughing if I said it made me a hipster.
Maybe digital is technically "better", but there's definitely a film look and some of us like it.
Heck, some people still use paints and brushes to capture portraits, landscapes etc, I mean why do that when there are cameras?
Each to their own.

 

[ThereAndBackAgain]

I used a lot of film. I've processed negs in a changing bag while on a family holiday but I'll never do it again. I really like digital photography and get the results I like but I just have to say that nothing, nothing in digital compares to the experience of watching the image appear on a sheet of paper lying in the developing dish. That is pure magic.

 

[Bushboy]

Remember the “safe light”?
I loved that paper in developer too.

 

[richardp]

There is a thread on this site you may like (started by Phigmov) "My full frame is film". Been going for years and up to 92 pages now.
Who'd have thought there were so many hipsters on mu-43.com!!

 

[Bushboy]

Honestly, I’ve never looked at that thread. Not even once! Sorry Phigmov! I’ll take a look now.

 

[richardp]

If anyone is interested in using old cameras rather than just collecting them you may also like 35mmc.com.

But be warned, this can get addictive - you may need to ask for a raise in your pocket money.

 

[retiredfromlife]

If I had the funds to get the light seals replaced in my old film cameras I would run some film through again. the wife often asks why do I keep my old Kodak film drying cabinet, just cant let it go.
The memories of film [or is it just my youth] swimming along the "ship Canal" in "Atea Kananda" PNG cave. Climbing up on a rock to take a photo and realising end of roll. Blow on my hands to try and dry them a bit, flip open the Nikonos and can of film and get in in without dripping water into the camera then continue taking shots.

Yes if I am honest just memories of a gone by youth, but like they say your first love is always the best. Mine was film

 

[RichardC]

https://www.ludditelink.org.uk

 

[pdk42]

I ran a few rolls of HP5 through my OM1 a while ago. Processed the film myself and scanned it. I'd forgotten how bad film IQ can be!

 

[Aristophanes]

Film emulsion is kept alive by the massive volumes used by cinema current footage preferences and cinema archival systems.

Yes, actual hard copy film is the preferred very long term archival medium. They even turn digital films into hard copy!

Many filmmakers still prefer the look of film, and it’s a proven system.

 

[oldracer]

Film emulsion is kept alive by the massive volumes used by cinema current footage preferences and cinema archival systems.

Yes, actual hard copy film is the preferred very long term archival medium. They even turn digital films into hard copy!

Many filmmakers still prefer the look of film, and it’s a proven system.

Really? That's interesting and exactly the information I was looking for. A number of years ago I looked at buying a microfilm company but was afraid of the impact of digital coming in. Probably they are still cranking along making money and buying film.

Re the pleasure of anachronism I understand completely. Film is just not an attractive anachronism for me. I just re-upped my ham radio licensing and am on a quest to log 100 countries contacted. I describe it to people as being like taking a Cessna Citation jet to a civil war re-enactment. Everthing is on the internet except that last little link where the radios are trying to hear each other. But it's fun.

 

[exakta]

Yes, actual hard copy film is the preferred very long term archival medium. They even turn digital films into hard copy!

Similar to how tape remains the preferred high density data backup format, still cheaper per gigabyte and longer lasting than hard drives.

 

[Brownie]

Can you even be a hipster @ 62? I don't have a scarf or fedora.

I enjoy shooting film now and again. Waiting for the film to come back is part of the excitement. I also like to shoot on my Dad's old Minolta, just because.