No more "film is dead/dying/crappy" posts please

[Emre Yildirim]

Although the past 10 or so threads on how film is supposedly dying have been insightful and interesting, I think I'm getting a little annoyed now. Everyone is making it sound like film is going to completely disappear in two years or something.

Let me remind everyone that manufacturers are still coming out with new emulsions and improving them as well. Fuji just came out with a new Velvia less than 6 months ago! How can you people think so negatively about film's future? If Kodak's CEO wants to be stupid and make statements like the ones he did, then that's fine. Personally I never liked Kodak's films (except maybe Tmax 100) - once Fuji came along, Kodak was pretty much in decline anyway. Most of their slide films are grainier, or just as grainy as Fuji's crappiest consumer films.

Anyway, I don't want to start another discussion about this as there are more than enough in this forum. I think we'll have film 35mm, 120, 4x5, and 8x10 for at least 10 more years. I'm guessing 35mm film might be gone in the next 5 years, but who cares about that? 35mm sucks anyway, I'm glad it's going away. I suspect however that medium and large format will stick around. The price drop isn't going to continue indefinitely - the Canon 1Ds MkII only dropped a few hundred dollars since it was released. There's just not all that much demand for higher-res digital cameras...not for the consumer/prosumer at least.

[Deniz]

I have to agree with my fellow contryman here

I got quite a few boxes of 8x10 film in my freezer that i have to go through to start complaining.. and if they stop producing affordable 8x10 film, i will start making Tintypes..

cheers

[C.A]

I'm also bored with the "film is dead" thing, film should be around for as long as we are because it's used in many other specialist fields and not just photography. I've yet to see an x-ray machine with a digital back. I used to get grief every time I went to my local photography store to buy some film, but now I use mail order and they've lost a customer. There's many other manufactures other than Kodak and Fuji, give retro photographic a try www.retrophotographic.com

[J.L. Kennedy]

If you want to limit the topics of discussion allowed on this forum, you should probably email the moderators directly. However, it seems rather constrictive to limit discussion of film availability on a large format photography forum. It's kind of central to what most of us do! I haven't noticed a lot of discussion on digital capture and considering the best we can get is the Betterlight for multiple thousands of dollars for a scanning back, I'm guessing that most of us will be using film for a while and will be concerned about its availability (and will want to talk about it, no matter whether our discussion makes any difference). My suggestion for you is to just put out a general notice to everyone that you are tired of the topic and that if we persist in discussing it we should not expect you to join in. That way no one will be disappointed when you don't.

[C.A]

J.L.Kennedy, If this is an open forum I'm aloud my say, I've noticed a few like you on this forum who really get on my nerves.

[Emre Yildirim]

J.L.,

There is nothing wrong with discussing these topics, but 5 threads is redundant. I'm just getting annoyed when people make assumptions and try to second-guess the film industry's motivations. These threads (which get gloomier and more doubtful each time they branch out into new threads) are very discouraging to people who may have joined this forum and is interested in LF photography. I'm not saying it shouldn't be discussed, but there is no need to cast this much doubt on film while it's still being produced, improved and sold around the world.

[Richard Kelham]

C Alex said: "I've yet to see an x-ray machine with a digital back."

Saw one a couple of years ago when I damaged my back in a car-crash. Probably standard equipment in all new hospitals by now, at least here in the UK.

Having said that, I reckon film production will outlive me (especially if I carry on driving!).

Richard

[C.A]

J.L, I think we've misunderstood each other, I was trying to say that film is needed all over the place so there's no need for anyone to worry about it disappearing.

[J.L. Kennedy]

What really gets on my nerves is people coming to an open forum and trying it make it less open by saying that other people shouldn't discuss "on topic" stuff because they are tired of hearing about it. This topic of film availability is of great concern to many and there is always new information so it's not like a forum reader can go back and search the threads for the answer to a question. It's current and it's on topic. I don't mind saying that I skip most of the film availability threads because I feel exactly as you do, that they are boring. However, this forum wouldn't be of much use if forum participants felt stupid for bringing up some topic or another for fear of being told "That's stupid and you shouldn't be talking about it." By the way, I'm all for strong moderation to remove flame wars, profanity, off topic posts calculated to stir up flame wars, etc.

[J.L. Kennedy]

C. Alex: I never said you weren't allowed your say. What I was responding to was the obvious intent of the person who started this thread by titling it "No more... please". That seems to me an obvious attempt to limit discussion. By the way, it appears that we were both writing responses at the same time and your last post beat mine! I appreciate your conciliatory tone and hope that you will forgive me for sounding so harsh in my previous posts.