Some Good News.... Kodak sees resurgence of film

[CGW]

"The best we can hope is some sort of balance, with opportunities at a smaller scale to build film from a mere fringe to something that can co-exist with digital and thrive in its own smaller world."

Perhaps possible 5 years ago but certainly not now. There's no sense of film community or interest in building one, at least in my area. The Toronto board is cold as a fish with no obvious signs of life in terms of getting to know who does what. Lots of lip service but no obvious commitment to building and supporting that "smaller world." I'm "in" if anyone else around the GTA is.

[hpulley]

Seems the ones left are hermits now in their darkrooms I guess! I need to go out to my local club, Toronto is just too far for a casual visit even just an hour away by the time you pay for parking or take the inconveniently scheduled trains.

[Photo Engineer]

There are people and groups of people out there trying to build a community that will embrace analog users. The major problem is that this involves a matter of time. Most of the senior members are quite old, and there remains little time to teach the younger members who are interested in analog all of the phases of analog photography.

It is hard in these economic times to pay to even travel to a meeting of like minded individuals and exchange information, let alone pay for workshops. And, the internet is really a poor second for such exchanges.

PE

[CGW]

Seems the ones left are hermits now in their darkrooms I guess! I need to go out to my local club, Toronto is just too far for a casual visit even just an hour away by the time you pay for parking or take the inconveniently scheduled trains.

I've been through 2 clubs in Mississauga and won't be going back. One is full of old mummies who just swapped film for digital to do the same old camera club schtick; the other is mostly younger digital newbs with a disturbing affinity for what the geezers like. Yikes! Currently trying to mobilize a group of malcontents to do studio work.

[Tom Kershaw]

There are people and groups of people out there trying to build a community that will embrace analog users. The major problem is that this involves a matter of time. Most of the senior members are quite old, and there remains little time to teach the younger members who are interested in analog all of the phases of analog photography.

It is hard in these economic times to pay to even travel to a meeting of like minded individuals and exchange information, let alone pay for workshops. And, the internet is really a poor second for such exchanges.

PE

I suspect differing expectations, goals, and interests may also cause issues when considering a "real world" occasional gathering or regularly scheduled meeting.

Tom

[MattKing]

The club I'm part of has just one person left who does darkroom work - me! I'm also the only one who shoots film exclusively.

But there are people who shoot film and digital.

Most importantly, there is a large number of people who actually make prints. Some use ink jet printers, but most get labs to make RA4 prints for them - and there is actually healthy competition in the market between labs who do that work.

There is a local lab that does quite good work from digital files, and offers an incredibly low price for 11x14s for club members. They appear to be very, very busy. If ever I decide to have prints done from scanned digital files, I'll consider using them (they offer no film developing services).

I have access to three pro labs for film development and at least two of them will do optical enlargements for me.

As I understand it, those pro labs are busy, and the film based part of their business has stabilized (as far as volume is concerned).

I bring up all this to point out that the issue may be very regional, and may be dependent on existing synergies. So if effort is expended into building a self-sufficient analogue community, it may pay dividends.

[MikeSeb]

Four months from now Kodak will announce that it is completely halting all film production. In another four months they will say film will be around forever. I have shot a lot of Kodak in my lifetime but none in the last 15 years. It has been Agfa, Fuji, or Ilford.

Mike

That'll show 'em.

[Ektagraphic]

Shoot and Preach. I have seen quite a few young folk not understand the power of analog at all. The only thing most of them might tell you is that film exists and it is supposed to be higher quality than digital...

[clayne]

Or worse yet they focus on lowest common denominator stupidity arguments based on "sharpness."

Serious lack of critical thinking these days.