Re: [photo-3d] Digital Is Good for Film

[Peter Davis <pd@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

At 02:53 PM 8/30/2000, you wrote:
>I disagree......as an industry " insider" I am reassured that film will
>be here throughout my lifetime. The digital revolution only represents
>5-8% of photo revenues...just barely raising above current revenues
>generated by 110 film and cameras!
>Every major film mfgr. is producing new and improved films......why?
>Film sales are very strong thanks to digital cameras. New technology
>renews and excites consumer interest in photography period. SLR sales
>are up, film sales are up because new technology puts ALL photo products
>in the forefront of a consumers mind. Through education, many consumers
>learn of the digital pros and cons etc. Many folks who purchase a
>digital camera feel a renewed interest in all aspects of photography.
>They purchase more of everything including lenses, film and
>accessories. And a well intended " digital " customer may purchase a
>35mm SLR instead.
>Film will disappear no faster than grandma's VHS tapes of the family
>reunion. I expect film and VCR's to remain for a couple of generations.

I could cite many counter-examples, such as vinyl record albums, home 
movies, glass plate photography, optical color separation for printing, 
mechanical typography, drafting on a board, etc.   This is not even 
counting technologies which lost out to directly competing ones, such as 
8-track tapes or BetaMax video.  I suspect the "bounce" you may be seeing 
now in film and equipment sales is temporary.  We are still very early on 
the digital photography adoption curve.

I'm not wishing for this, believe me.  I love the look of transparencies in 
a hand-viewer *far* more than any other imaging technology I've ever 
seen.  I'm just trying to recognize the inevitable trends, so we can plan 
for them.

-pd


--------
                              Peter Davis
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