stunsworth Posted May 31, 2011 Share #41 Posted May 31, 2011 Advertisement (gone after registration) (I've had an iPad for over a year but it's never occurred to me that I would want to read a book on it). It's not bad, a Kindle is better, but the Amazon iPad Kindle app is fine. The screen isn't tiring to read - in my experience at least. Anyhow, it's easy enough to try. Download the free Kindle app, and then download one of the thousands of free books on the Amazon Kindle store, one one from the Project Gutenberg site... Project Gutenberg - free ebooks online download for iPad, Kindle, Nook, Android, iPhone, iPod Touch, Sony Reader Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted May 31, 2011 Posted May 31, 2011 Hi stunsworth, Take a look here Film sales now 1/50th what they were in 2000. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
pgk Posted May 31, 2011 Share #42 Posted May 31, 2011 Amazon sell more download "books" now than printed ones. Yes but.... this could have something to do with their customer base. I doubt very much that my local bookshp(s) sell ANY downloaded books despite also selling books. And FWIW images seen on computer screens are very, very inferior to those in well printed books. Text only books, or ones where low image quality is acceptable may be fine for selling as ebooks, but not those requiring high quality imagery. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
stunsworth Posted May 31, 2011 Share #43 Posted May 31, 2011 (edited) Yes but.... this could have something to do with their customer base. I doubt very much that my local bookshp(s) sell ANY downloaded books despite also selling books. Well, Amazon is heading towards a 50% market share of the book market... Amazon Positioned for 50% Overall Market Share by End of 2012 - Seeking Alpha ...so the user base must be fairly broad. Again as, with film v digital, it's not an 'either or' situation. People can (and will) buy both. I don't see books disappearing any time soon. But the ease of purchasing and transporting several volumes helps explain the Kindle's popularity. I certainly don't regret buying mine. Edited May 31, 2011 by stunsworth Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
andybarton Posted May 31, 2011 Author Share #44 Posted May 31, 2011 I have just come back from Mathers. They have, more or less, stopped selling Kodak colour film. Only Ektar and some cheap one left now. No Portra of any description. I had to buy Reala instead - not my first choice of film by a long way. I will probably go back to 7dayshop now. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
stunsworth Posted May 31, 2011 Share #45 Posted May 31, 2011 I have just come back from Mathers. They have, more or less, stopped selling Kodak colour film. Only Ektar and some cheap one left now. No Portra of any description Looking at their website they only seem to sell Elitechrome slide film... Kodak Slide Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pgk Posted May 31, 2011 Share #46 Posted May 31, 2011 Well, Amazon is heading towards a 50% market share of the book market... Amazon Positioned for 50% Overall Market Share by End of 2012 - Seeking Alpha ...so the user base must be fairly broad. Again as, with film v digital, it's not an 'either or' situation. People can (and will) buy both. I don't see books disappearing any time soon. But the ease of purchasing and transporting several volumes helps explain the Kindle's popularity. I certainly don't regret buying mine. Yes, but selling novels which have no illustrations may well explain a lot of their sales. I still don't see any electronic versions replacing high quality, illustrated, printed material. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlanG Posted May 31, 2011 Share #47 Posted May 31, 2011 Advertisement (gone after registration) X-rays? I don't know ANYBODY who still does non-digital X-rays, hospitals included. In fact, it is on the brink of being declared illegal because digital X-rays only use 10-20% radiation. I'm sure this accurately reflects your experiences but X ray film sales are apparently fairly steady. "GIA announces the release of a comprehensive global report on X-Ray Films, Chemicals, and Processors markets. The global x-ray films, chemicals, and processors market is forecast to reach US$5.5 billion by the year 2015. Despite new digital technologies, x-ray film continues to record growth derived from the traditional use in general radiography and mammography applications. Cost control, coupled with a shift towards digitization, exerted a significant impact on the x-ray film market. However, the overall x-ray film market is expected to post gains over the next few years, driven by its use for non-diagnostic referrals rather than for diagnosis, and technological developments." Global X-Ray Films, Chemicals, and Processors Market to Reach US$5.5 Billion by 2015, According to a New Report by Global Industry Analysts, Inc. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pico Posted May 31, 2011 Share #48 Posted May 31, 2011 (edited) Regarding X-Ray scans, our local rural hospital has the Aquilion ONE. You might want to look it up. Not even the famous Mayo Clinic has one yet. And they use it a lot. During my next-to-last accident they took three scans - at $1,6000 each. It's a real money maker, and of course a real benefit to the patient. Oh, some good news: I found the visor that was knocked off my helmet in the last accident. Edited May 31, 2011 by pico Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jerryharwood Posted May 31, 2011 Share #49 Posted May 31, 2011 As an interesting adjunct to the above; I was recently in a large oxfam store in Oxford; there were a large number of Chinese/ Japanese youths or young men milling about in a group. Puzzled as to what they found so interesting, i moved closer; guess what the excitement was all about? Yep- a large box full of old film camera and lenses. These were not junk by any means- Canons, Minoltas, an old nikon and numerous lenses, all being turned over with reverence, and they were buying ! I had a look myself- most were priced at around £10-15, and seemed to be in good condition. The few digital cameras on a shelf did not warrant ANY attention at all. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlanG Posted May 31, 2011 Share #50 Posted May 31, 2011 As an interesting adjunct to the above; I was recently in a large oxfam store in Oxford; there were a large number of Chinese/ Japanese youths or young men milling about in a group. Puzzled as to what they found so interesting, i moved closer; guess what the excitement was all about? Yep- a large box full of old film camera and lenses. These were not junk by any means- Canons, Minoltas, an old nikon and numerous lenses, all being turned over with reverence, and they were buying ! I had a look myself- most were priced at around £10-15, and seemed to be in good condition. The few digital cameras on a shelf did not warrant ANY attention at all. Do you think they will be shooting pictures with them? Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
earleygallery Posted May 31, 2011 Share #51 Posted May 31, 2011 Do you think they will be shooting pictures with them? Why, what do you think they'd be using them for? Doorstops? Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
treeplanter Posted May 31, 2011 Share #52 Posted May 31, 2011 Interesting that Ilford's film sales have increased 8% over last year. Traditional camera film makes a come back - Telegraph Jim B. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bill Posted May 31, 2011 Share #53 Posted May 31, 2011 Do you think they will be shooting pictures with them? LOL!! :D:D Regards, Bill Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlanG Posted May 31, 2011 Share #54 Posted May 31, 2011 (edited) Why, what do you think they'd be using them for? Doorstops? I purchased about 10 Chinese film cameras when I was in Beijing back in 1999. I haven't used any of them. I have a lot of other old film cameras sitting on my shelves. I have not shot film through many of them. Maybe they are just collecting them because they are cheap or plan to use the lenses. Perhaps they'll shoot a few rolls with them. Maybe more. I can't say. But all of these various observations don't contradict the actual trend of film use. And if there is much demand, why are the old film cameras so cheap? Do they even work at those low prices? I saw a guy at the DC Memorial Day parade yesterday who was using a Hasselblad film camera. And at Obama's inauguration, I saw a young woman using a 4x5. And a guy with a Kiev 66 (borrowed from a friend) asked me to load his camera for him. He didn't even have a clue what any of the setting numbers on it meant. And his meter had no batteries. What should I read into these observations? Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here… Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! Edited May 31, 2011 by AlanG Quote Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/153030-film-sales-now-150th-what-they-were-in-2000/?do=findComment&comment=1688400'>More sharing options...
adan Posted May 31, 2011 Share #55 Posted May 31, 2011 I'm not questioning the fact that film sales have declined, but the article seems to suggest that the only people using film now are those who are waiting for their film cameras to break, who will then buy a digital camera. Ahh - OK - I get you. I didn't read it quite that way. I read it more that the photographers quoted were expecting (not happily) they would HAVE to go digital due to an increasing unavailability of film. Or because their camera breaks, and many cameras are not economically repairable any more (Leicas still usually being an exception - but Leica users need to realize we ARE an exception, due to the high inherent value of the cameras and the availability of some Leica specialist repair people). I'd rather like to shoot film with a Mamiya 6 - but would be extremely nervous about buying one, since they have a weak link in the film-wind that is prone to breakage, and there are no longer any spare parts. (Mamiya 7 parts don't fit). Most P&S cameras (digital too, BTW) are never economically repairable - just opening one up for an estimate is a $100 charge, to fix a camera "worth" $35-$75. Leaf shutters are a problem. Prontors (or Compurs - whichever is older, I forget) are basically not repairable at all. Replacement ICs for middle-aged (70s-80s) electronic cameras are also often history. Nikon Professional Service stopped supporting Fs and F2s way back in the 1980s (they could/can be repaired, but not on the 2-3 day turnaround pros need.) Working for a camera store, I've learned a LOT in the past month about the economics of repairs as they apply to 99% of film cameras. There's a chicken-and-egg quality to several aspects of the state of film. Or "self-fulfilling prophecy," if you prefer. If film is hard to get because fewer people use film, then fewer people use film, because it is hard to get. If labs close, or cut back on their runs, because there is less film shot, people shoot less film, because the processing is less available. There is a report today on CNBC that US home prices are going to double-dip. People expect prices to drop, so are unwilling to buy. And with few buyers, prices do drop. So people expect prices to drop further...round and round. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
earleygallery Posted May 31, 2011 Share #56 Posted May 31, 2011 Alan, Try following some auctions on ebay for film gear, you might be surprised by what you see. Contrary to popular belief people aren't exactly giving away their old film equipment. I buy old film cameras too, and I use them! What do you make of that?! Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlanG Posted May 31, 2011 Share #57 Posted May 31, 2011 (edited) Interesting that Ilford's film sales have increased 8% over last year. Traditional camera film makes a come back - Telegraph Jim B. I like how they call them "manual cameras." And "120mm" film! They obviously are not very knowledgeable and have just repeated some narrow observations. And to me, a big point of shooting 35mm was to shoot a lot of frames without concern for the cost of film. This sort of reminds me when I had to bid on a government contract that specified 2 1/4mm x 2 1/4mm format would be required. Edited May 31, 2011 by AlanG Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
treeplanter Posted May 31, 2011 Share #58 Posted May 31, 2011 Most articles written about film in the popular press are full of errors and misconceptions (I'm surprised editors even approve this stuff for publication), but the main item for me is that Ilford's film sales are up over last year. This is good! Jim B. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
stunsworth Posted May 31, 2011 Share #59 Posted May 31, 2011 Try following some auctions on ebay for film gear, you might be surprised by what you see. Contrary to popular belief people aren't exactly giving away their old film equipment. Why risk eBay when a dealer is selling an R8 for less than 330 GBP... R8 Black Body Only by Leica - Ffordes Photographic Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlanG Posted May 31, 2011 Share #60 Posted May 31, 2011 (edited) Alan, I buy old film cameras too, and I use them! What do you make of that?! You will be one of the few enthusiasts/artists who will be left supporting the film industry, when all of the other reasons for using film are pretty much gone. The last roll of b/w I shot was in an old 120 Graflex a few years ago. And I haven't gotten around to processing it. My assistant recently picked up some Tri-X 35 and 120 he saw on my table and asked me what I was doing with it. I said I didn't know and only had it because Kodak gave it to me for free. I probably have 30 or more film cameras that I have lost interest in. I hope the prices do go up so I can sell them. Having a video camera built into my eyeglasses is a bit more interesting to me. Anyhow, if a few sub-groups start using more film again, it won't mean much to the overall industry but may keep segments alive indefinitely. I think that is a good thing. But you can't be expecting all the C41 labs to be sticking around forever once the low end consumer moves completely away from film. Edited May 31, 2011 by AlanG Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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