Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2006/07/17
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]By coincidence, this was just posted on the HUG this morning. I realize it is a slight violation of netiquette, but since I am not identifying the OP and since there is nothing controversial here, I hope the gods of the Net will forgive me: "Had a nasty surprise yesterday. I stopped on the way to work to drop some films at the color lab I have used for 5 years and they were gone! No sign, no "we're moving", just no lab. I hope this isn't a trend. Sorry Uncle Dick, you'll have to wait a bit longer for the 50mm results. Anyone know a good lab in Perth metro area, or a good postal service in Australia? If I have to, I can go exclusively B&W and get out the cassette developer, but I would rather not give up the wonderful world of colour just yet." Nathan G Hopkinson wrote: > Shame on you Nathan ;-) > You are hereby sentenced to be pilloried and pelted with 120 reels and > empty > 35mm cassettes. Then dunked in hot D-76. > > Regarding expensive paper weights, with DSLRs initially being so expensive > then the prices falling since, the retained value and desirability falls > even more rapidly. Especially given the very short model lives. > > Comapare those retained values to a good Rollei TLR or an M3. Also worth > thinking about the manufacturers all using their own proprietary RAW > standards. Want to bet on all of those being available/supported in a few > years? > > Seriously, we all understand that 120 (and larger) is very much a niche > market. 35mm really is just a larger niche. But there is still even 4x5 > sheet film in the bigger dealers here and a good range of choices for 120. > > Those niches must be still worth servicing. > > YOU GO VICK 8-) > > Cheers > Hoppy of the Niche > > > -----Original Message----- > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 8 > Date: Mon, 17 Jul 2006 06:21:36 +0200 > From: Nathan Wajsman <nathan@nathanfoto.com> > Subject: Re: [Leica] I have saved a soul > To: Leica Users Group <lug@leica-users.org> > Message-ID: <44BB1050.8050505@nathanfoto.com> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed > > Sorry to sound harsh, but you are living in a dream world, Vick. The > prices of medium format gear HAVE already crashed, and they are NOT > going to go back up. This is why I picked up a Hasselblad outfit earlier > this year--the price was simply irresistible. For the price of a 50mm > Summicron, I picked up a Hasselblad body with 3 lenses, 2 magazines and > various odds and ends. The only MF gear still being sold new are the > Rollei 6008 and similar outfits that can take digital backs--and even > that market is being severely diminished by the competition from Canon > 1Ds Mark II. > > I have sometimes been tempted by the M3's being offered for sale > here--for example, one of the UK members is selling one for 500 GBP; or > my friend in Belgium who had a bunch of equipment he was selling for a > widow. Or indeed one of the Ted's M7s, as it would be an honor to have a > camera used by Ted. But what has kept me from jumping on one of those > deals is that I see that the film market is going down much faster than > anyone expected even 3 years ago. Oh, I am sure film will continue to be > available, just as you can still buy supplies to do platinum or > palladium processing, but I am not prepared to do my own processing, and > I believe that commercial processing is what is going to disappear > first. An example: the best pro lab in Amsterdam, s-Color, used to be > open 24 hours a day until a few years ago; when I moved to the > Netherlands in 2003, it was still open until late (10 p.m. or midnight), > and on weekends as well. Now it is open only M-F during normal business > hours, and I predict that within the next 5 years they will drop film > processing altogether and focus exclusively on digital work. From what > people write here on the list, this is a development that is happening > in every major city (minor cities lost their pro labs long ago) around > the world. So while you may have saved your friend's soul, you may also > have pointed him in a direction of buying what in a few short years will > be expensive paperweights... > > Nathan > > Vick Ko wrote: > >> That might be the topic of our next meeting. >> >> I was going to show him my new Focomat V35. >> >> I think the classical lenses will go back up in price/value as digital >> > backs > >> become more prevalent. >> >> And classical techniques will re-emerge as users discover the limitations >> > of > >> the digital gear and processes. >> >> regards >> Vick >> >> -----Original Message----- >> From: lug-bounces+vick.ko=sympatico.ca@leica-users.org >> [mailto:lug-bounces+vick.ko=sympatico.ca@leica-users.org] On Behalf Of >> Jeffery Smith >> Sent: Sunday, July 16, 2006 7:27 PM >> To: 'Leica Users Group' >> Subject: RE: [Leica] I have saved a soul >> >> Well, I HOPE you told him that he has to shoot B&W and develop it >> > himself!! > >> I keep thinking that, with all of the popularity of dSLRs and digicams, >> > the > >> price of film cameras, especially medium format, will crash. That doesn't >> seem to be happening yet. I put up an e*** search for "new medium format" >> cameras, thinking that dealers will be dumping their Bronicas, Mamiyas, >> Pentaxes, etc. The only new medium format hits that come up each day are >> > for > >> Holgas! >> >> Jeffery Smith >> New Orleans, LA >> http://www.400tx.com >> http://400tx.blogspot.com/ >> >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> Leica Users Group. >> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information >> >> >> >> > > -- Nathan Wajsman Almere, The Netherlands SUPPORT FREEDOM OF SPEECH, BUY DANISH PRODUCTS! General photography: http://www.nathanfoto.com Picture-A-Week: http://www.fotocycle.dk/paws Seville photography: http://www.fotosevilla.com Stock photography: http://www.alamy.com/search-results.asp?qt=wajsman http://myloupe.com/home/found_photographer.php?photographer=507 Prints for sale: http://www.photodeluge.com Blog: http://www.fotocycle.dk/blog