View Single Post
  #9  
Old 12th December 2020, 01:11 PM
Mike O'Pray Mike O'Pray is offline
Friend
 
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Daventry, Northants
Posts: 8,969
Default

Rick, there may be a few in the groups you mention who have returned to film but who may no longer have a darkroom or have even kept the equipment but I think that the increase in demand for film probably comes from a much younger group who barely knew the world of film or darkroom in its heyday. You can now be 30-35 yrs old and still have no user experience of film.

To those it is a "new and exciting discovery". They are likely still to use their iphones for the bulk of their photography but may well spend quite a lot on film as it is something new and exciting

My worry is whether it will remain a steady hobby as they grow older and there then arises matters such a marriage, mortgage and kids

Some love trying so-called new films( such as old cine-stock with exotic names of Babylon 13 and Fantome 8 - yes I kid you not! )

All of this is fine but as I said my fears are that (1) this increase in demand will never get to the stage that film camera manufacture becomes viable and (2) without the space and extra commitment required, few if any, might graduate to a darkroom

While film processing, including home processing might be increasing and that's good, I must admit that I scratch my head wondering where the like of Ilford gets enough sales of b&w darkroom paper to make it worthwhile.

On the other hand the arrival of Ilford MGV suggests that there is a viable market.

The other bright spot might be small companies like Adox or even Foma who can produce at a profit the materials that analogue requires and even in the case of Adox bring out new films and paper

What is almost inevitable is that such companies cannot take advantage of economies of scale and thus their products will be expensive to buy

In short our hobby is likely to grow more expensive. I see no way around this

Mike
Reply With Quote