Good topic with strong opinions on both sides. Personally, I welcome ANY conference that promotes anything to do with large format photography.
WRT to the continued viability of LF film. Kodak JUST completely redesigned their Readyload line of LF products. The previous system had been around for over a decade with mixed acceptance (some loved it, some hated it). IF Kodak was planning to get out of the LF film business, I doubt if they would have spent the resources required to change horses midstream and completely redesign this entire product line. With this in mind, I'm guessing that the profit margins on the Readyload products are sufficient enough that they felt it worthwhile to redesign and EXPAND this part of their LF product line. I know, not everyone shoots Readyloads, but to me this signals that Kodak is not intent on DROPPING LF products, but shifting their efforts to the products that provide the greatest profit potential. That doesn't help those whose used the products that were dropped, but at least they don't appear to be abondoning the LF market totally.
How useful would a conference on sheet film be? Hard to say. Depends on who attends and what is discussed. Personally, I'd love to attend such a conference, and one of the things I'd like to see is a discussion on the ways we, as LF enthusiasts can help promote and expand the LF user base. One of the things I take great pride in is the number of new users I have introduced to large format photography. It started with friends and has grown beyond. I could probably do even more, but as it is, I try to give guest lectures and talks on "Getting Started in Large Format Photography" at the local community college, camera clubs, etc. Look at it this way, the best way to insure that companies continue to produce the products we use is to get other people hooked on using those products. Increase the number of users, and you increase the demand for a product and make it viable for the manufacturer to continue making them. If there is a demand, there will be products. If there is no demand, the few of us who remain will be coating our own plates.
So rather than grouse about the market shrinking and products disapperaing, get out and get others hooked on LF photography. Show them your work, let them see just how good prints from LF originals can look. Answer their questions. Point them to resources, both online and in print, that can help them get started. You want to insure the continued availability of LF products, then you need to become a LF advocate every chance you get. In spite of Bob's dire predictions, market trends can be reversed. However, it takes effort. We, as users have the most to lose (and the most to gain). We can either be proactive about this and do our best to get others using sheet film, or we can just sit back and complain about the evil manufacturers who stop making products that aren't viable due to a lack of market demand.
Kerry
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