I saw the local Target stores move to Fuji processors a few years ago. Seems like that is a huge slice of market share gone. It would be interesting to see the current numbers from Fujifilm.

Digital consumer product profit margins are really terrible compared to other products, and competition has fueled these low profits as companies tried to grab market share. How many camera companies have been bought out, or are simply gone entirely. Camera phones are the biggest volume sellers, yet I have never seen an image printed from one of these. I think the average consumer doesn't care about archival issues, printed pictures, or even retaining images of their lives.

Anyway, we are here on LF Forum as the niche exception to photography as practiced by the masses. In some ways, we can be ambassadors of large format, depending upon our interactions in public. Get enough people curious and interested, and keep the prices within reach, then a niche can survive and maintain.

If we took Wallstreet reports of downturns to be indications of anything, we might conclude there would be no more cars made by the end of this year. That same (il)logic could be applied to many products. The average person in the developed world is simply not buying anything at the moment that is not essential.

Ciao!

Gordon Moat Photography