[Leica] was Minolta made R9. now: demise of film cameras!

[Ted Grant <tedgrant@islandnet.com>]

Jean-Claude Berge wrote:

>I hope you are right but a painter does not need heavy industry
>goods to work. If, in the future, there are as few photographers
>than there are painters now, I doubt we will be able to find
>films or cameras at a decent price of not at all.>>>>>>>

Bonjour Jean-Claude,

I think if we look at the B&W film and paper situation of the past 2
decades, where colour became so dominant that B&W was all but forgotten by
advertisng agencies, magazines and TV, to where it's return has spawned a
number of new B&W films and papers along with major use in TV - print
advertising, Film is far from dead as are cameras.

There were only a few B&W stalwarts who stayed with it and manufacturers
kept making supplies, if only for the few.  So with that in mind, it's
highly unlikely the ability of the electronic world getting any where near
the quality of the constantly improving films of today within an affordable
price or quality to completely replace film and cameras as we know them now.

I'm not saying it wont happen, it was said, "that'll never get off the
ground about the Wright brothers plane."  However we know other wise. So
for me or others to completely deny the end of cameras as we know them in
the last days of this millineum, would be foolish. But I think it will be a
very long time before the electronic reproduction can match that of say,
Kodachrome 64, the fine E6 films or B&W's of today.

Let's put it this way, I'm not holding my breath until it happens, just as
I'm not holding my breath at the "perceived" demise of Leica cameras
either.  Both film and Leicas will be around for along time into the new
century! :)  IMHO. :)
ted

Ted Grant
This is Our Work. The Legacy of Sir William Osler.
http://www.islandnet.com/~tedgrant