P3D p3d re: market shares (was slides req viewers)

[CanterMike@xxxxxxx]

In p3d3016 Michael K writes, in part:
"
> >       Several thousand times as many as are shooting stereo prints of
> > all kinds combined!
 
> In 3D-land this may be true, but taking all film photography together, I
> suspect chromes are in the vast minority."

Slide films seem to have become a niche market, primarily used by commercial
(advertising & fashion) photographers.
It has been a little while since I've seen any hard facts but at last count,
taking all consumer film based photos together, 90+% are colour print films.
Is it any wonder we've seen continuous and tremendous advances (both
technological and marketing) in print films while slides and black & white
seem to progress in spurts?  Less than 10% of images are made on slide, black
& white, and instant films combined.  

I've never seen any survey that indicates what percentage of the billions of
images made (or billions of dollars spent) are in any form of 3D.
Maybe its time we made the Photo Marketing Association aware of us....  Are
ANY regular camera stores stereo literate?  (Other than David Ritz's
commitment to ImageTech processing and single use cameras.)  Even I, with my
rank amateur/novice standings, routinely get enquiries from my local camera
stores (sometimes a salesman will call, more often they direct their customers
to me) seeking information and enlightenment (but for salvation I'll have to
direct them to the Rev Chas...<8^)).  
(I got my pointy head & glasses on that emoticon, but how do I indicate my
moustache & beard?)

As for MK's observations on the increasing market for film scanners: I agree.
For many applications film based originals still offer advantages over current
digital cameras, and scanning your film based images opens up new options,
both creative and marketing & distribution.  Corbis (one of Bill Gates'
companies) is spending billions of his dollars buying stock agencies &
digitising their contents.


Michael C


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