[photo-3d] Re: aftermarket sales (was camera coupling)

[CanterMike@xxxxxxx]

I'm a little behind in my reading so I apologise 
if someone else has already addressed this.

--- In photo-3d@xxxx, pd@xxxx wrote, in part:

> But their bread and butter is film and chemicals.  I believe they do
> digital because they have to in order to be "future compatible", but
> film is what keeps their repeat business going.  Once they sell a
> digital camera, there's no (or very little) aftermarket business.


Actually, there is a HUGE digital aftermarket business. 
Storage media, filters (if you plan to use studio flash 
on those CoolPix 9xx cameras you'll need the ND filter), 
accessory lenses, batteries, chargers, AC adaptors...you 
name it.  (Kinda reminds me of selling 35mm SLR's in the 
late '70's-early '80's.)  And its not just picture taking 
accessories, either. Want to sell gadget bags?  Give'm some 
splashy graphic and "digi-" something in the name, and they 
fly off the shelves.  

How about output?  I am sure that Kodak is making far more 
profit from their sales of printer consumables(both ink jet 
and dye sub) than from their darkroon division.  Other 
manufacturers are stepping in to fill the demands for hardware 
(Epson, HP) and consumables (seems like everybody and his 
brother are selling IJ papers, and many are offering 
specialty ink cartridges).  Minilabs are retro-fitting wet 
labs to be able to print from digital files (like the Frontier) 
or adding dedicated digital workstations (like the Aladdin) 
to attract the customer base that they need to survive.

 Film may not be dead (yet) but film sales are flat, labs 
report roll counts to be flat (where they aren't dropping), 
and traditional darkroom sales (consumer and professional, 
hardware and consumables) have much more than one foot in 
the grave.  Digital is THE buzzword, both to consumers and 
professionals, and not just in imaging.  People are lining 
up to buy things who don't have any idea of what they are 
going to do with them but have to have one.  Manufacturers 
and dealers are doing everything that they can to make every 
penny out of it for as long as it lasts...its the American Way.

Mike


 

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