A sad day but a sign of the times

[Craig.]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20060119/ts ... icaminolta

My Minolta X370 is still the best camera I have ever owned and the fact its working perfectly after 20 years of use and 5 years of storage is a testiment to the quality.

[Woodlouse2002]

Film is on it's way out. I heard recently that Nikon plan to stop making film cameras in the near future and concentrate solely on digital.

[Craig.]

Film is on it's way out. I heard recently that Nikon plan to stop making film cameras in the near future and concentrate solely on digital.

I really think it will be a long term mistake. When people get bored of the whole digital image fad, and it will happen, sales will drop and the only photographers again will be those who buy the top end digital stuff, and those who prefer to use film. I would really like to do slide photography, but thats all but gone now. Used to own hundreds of them from our time in Canada.

[Woodlouse2002]

I wouldn't call digital photography a fad. It's finally now starting to really catch up with film in terms of quality and now problems such as shutter lag etc have all but been removed I think it's here to stay. Course film won't die out completely. But it'll be harder and more expensive to get it developed and I should think most film users will end up doing all their own development.

[Saitek]

The biggest disadvantage with digital which you don't get in film is that in film you have something in your hands that is visible. A tiny microchip can so easily go wrong and you could loose hundreds of precious pics if it gets damp or dropped etc. If you have film you have it for ever and it can't go possibly wrong.  

[Fozzer]

I think the camera makers and film manufacturers shot themselves in the foot many years ago...!
Even tho' photography was a hobby enjoyed by millions, the cost of film, developing and printing always remained much too high for lots of folks to continue; ie: Me...!

I have undeveloped film in many of my cameras, festering there, because it was much too expensive and troublesome to get them developed...!!!

Having said that, there is nothing quite like a good old-fashioned, black-and-white print... ...!

Paul...Pentax Optio 30... ...!

[Saitek]

I have a number of films undeveloped. Just rotting away. I can't be bothered with them.

[Craig.]

To be fair, film can be damaged and destroyed. as We discovered once when the film dropped in a tennessee river:) lots of poor muddy photos from it. And the photos themselves can be damaged and destroyed. It all depends on what you like. With film photography you have pictures to show people without the hassle of needing a computer, you then get people saying you can print them off, but unless you have the highest quality photo paper which is expensive and a top level printer, its just not the same. On the flip side, digital is avaliable there and then, you dont have to worry about storing it away from the damp and so on. Plus you can back it up on CD's or the internet incase you loose your computer. Both have plus and negative points.

[Woodlouse2002]

Doug (Hagar) informed me today that Jessops will do you 100 prints for

[Saitek]

But photos and film equivalent from the Victorian times survives and we can see them.
I doubt our chips will be around by 2120 do you?

That said I'm of course digital all the way. I make too many mistakes for film photography.

[Woodlouse2002]

But photos and film equivalent from the Victorian times survives and we can see them.
I doubt our chips will be around by 2120 do you?

That said I'm of course digital all the way. I make too many mistakes for film photography.

Photo's and film equivilents from the Victorian times that survive have been very carefully looked after. Far more film photo's have been lost than will ever be preserved. If people take the same care over their digital images then they'll last as long as they're ever wanted.

[Saitek]

Hmmmm not sure. I had a card that went without warning and for no reason. We lost all images (there were about 80 on it.

[Craig.]

thats just a general risk you take, same with film like I said, lost alot of good photos in a tennessee river. So it can happen with both.

[Saitek]

Don't lean over the boat next time Craig.

[Hai Perso Coyone?]

This sucks.....