Here, the wedding/school market has dived enthusiastically into didge and that has had an effect on the availability of 120 at least - my local stores have shortened stocks and lines. Is this a general experience there and an indication of things to come? I know that film will be available for a long time as yet but who will be using it?
A parallel case might be the usage of chrome and B&W - what consumer would bother these days but the market is still there for the pro and serious amateur. It's just harder to get pro processing. This is a more significant shift.
Cousin Mark has to work out just what emphasis to give to didge vs. film in his courses - which are commercial photog. courses - and he's no better than I am at predicting the future. We just thought that the health and trends of the pro film market might be a good indicator. So, how many of the pros on this list are using mostly didge these days for paying work or are worried about supplies of their favorite film in 220?
AndrewF
You may explain to your cousin: My experience has shown a developed skill in Xerography and Computer imaging depends on familiarity with film, first.
Kodak's multi billion dollar investment in the scientific realm of digital photography encompasses ostioscopic surgery and exploration like colin oscopy (spelling?) and dental exray.
I had both, with film almost immediately and clarity better than the plain eye. The dental exrays were made per normal, and processed in seconds to show with clarity and diagnostic sureity, such than it would seem a natural money maker for any company who proceeds into that field.
Will Kodak abandon film? No more than if you all gave up your children at birth for some sort of collective living where the children of the future would grow up in herds, or packs like wild goats or dogs. Oil paints are still being used, made in America and providing profit for their manufacturers of long time companies.
Pro film is no different than 'tourist' film, but for the fact of the expiration date, and that strips of the main sheet has been tested beforee shipping.
Steve Shapiro, Carmel, CA
no longer willing to fret over possible loss of film supplies. ----- Original Message ----- From: "andrew fildes" <afildes@netlink.com.au> To: "List for Photo/Imaging Educators - Professionals - Students" <photoforum@listserver.isc.rit.edu> Sent: Wednesday, January 14, 2004 1:25 AM Subject: Kodak pro film
A cousin of mine who teaches photography at tertiary level asked me a tricky question today. His college (Melbourne RMIT, the local equivalent of RIT) is trying very hard to manage its conversion to digital appropriately. That is, they don't want to be training purely digital when there's still a serious commercial market for film based work, the object being to provide students with the most appropriate training. At the moment they are trying to balance the blend. The question? - He's aware that Kodak are taking a battering in the consumer film sector (offset by their other activities) but wonders how the market for professional film is holding up in the US and Europe, particularly in 120 and 4x5. It's a question that's rather difficult to answer in a small market like Aus. as we tend to feel the aftershock in these matters. Anyone have any thoughts? AndrewF
