FlashGordonPhotography Posted June 3, 2012 Share #41 Posted June 3, 2012 Advertisement (gone after registration) It would be a total tragedy if Leica stops making film cameras. If only there were tens of thousand of fully functional used cameras to choose from.... .........oh, wait. Gordon. P.s. I wonder how many MPs and M7s are currently being sold and how many are sitting on shelves, in stores, around the world. I don't think the end of production means the end of availability. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted June 3, 2012 Posted June 3, 2012 Hi FlashGordonPhotography, Take a look here What will happen to film Leicas. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
Stealth3kpl Posted June 3, 2012 Share #42 Posted June 3, 2012 If I were CEO of Leica, Plustek or Silverfast I'd be enquiring about buying the rights to Kodak's film production, even in conjunction with other companies to spread the cost. I wouldn't be happy for my company's future to be dependant on another's. Pete Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaapv Posted June 3, 2012 Share #43 Posted June 3, 2012 That would be a strategic decision and taking a considerable risk to secure a very small part of the company’s turnover. Remember Leica closed/sold off the glass laboratory, despite that being a cornerstone of lens development and construction. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
-ph- Posted June 3, 2012 Share #44 Posted June 3, 2012 I think Leica only has 2 options: if they want to keep Film business alive, to indeed become provider of films so that the supply chain is guaranteed. It wouldn't be impossible, but if you think how many different film types you need to make for a full support, its feasibility becomes doubtful. The other option is to go forward and move to a post-film setup. One of the strongest niches for film is B&W photography. So look what they just started offering: a B&W M camera and high-quality printing services. Exactly what a determined B&W shooter needs to get film-less. Leica has made a clear decision to go forward and I do think that is good for the long-term health of the company. Still I hope (and am quite optimistic) that the market support for film does not completely die off and that Leica, just for the sake of tradition, keeps at least offering the M7 for times to come, keeping it in the line-up should not be a huge liability. Peter Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
StephenPatterson Posted June 3, 2012 Share #45 Posted June 3, 2012 In a world where a group of Polaroid fans can reverse engineer instant film and make it a commercial success I believe that anything is possible. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
cocker Posted June 3, 2012 Share #46 Posted June 3, 2012 Deciding to make only Hermes editions of the digital M, from the M14 onwards alienated us from our customer base. Dr Kaufman will roll in his grave". Well said - except that the alienation has, I think, begun. I'm quite enjoying using my Nikon FM3a !!! I wonder - should I sell my MP while the going is good!:eek: Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
gyoung Posted June 3, 2012 Share #47 Posted June 3, 2012 Advertisement (gone after registration) I cant beleive M7 and MP production is actually very high, and even if they did stop tomorrow there are enough bodies out there, especially pre M7 to keep any conceivable number of film users going for a millenia, with parts that can be made by a skilled blacksmith. A couple of mechanical Ms will beep most of us going for a lifetime, Nikon stopped film camera production (apart form the F4?) years ago yet there is no shortage on the secondhand market and prices are not high. As for processing, when we first did C41 and E6 for students we used 3 gallon or smaller tank lines in a water jacket for temperature control with stainless steel baskets to hold the reels, you could knock one of those up in no time in your garage, it doesn't need major investment in auto machinery and long runs of film to work Gerry Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
IkarusJohn Posted June 3, 2012 Share #48 Posted June 3, 2012 I've just heard from an impeccable source - all film Leica's will stop working on 20 Feb 2020. Really! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
gyoung Posted June 3, 2012 Share #49 Posted June 3, 2012 No no, that's the date the M20 will be announced, as leica steps up intro of new digital models to accelerate planned obsolescence and part the gullible from even more of their money, and it will 20k euros too Gerry Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
tobey bilek Posted June 3, 2012 Share #50 Posted June 3, 2012 The four horsemen of our modern apocalypse - Globalisation, Privatisation, Deregulation & Free Markets. Who should set the price if not the market? Privatization has incentive to keep cost low. Government has none. Four man garbage trucks as one example, countless others. Globalization is undefined. Free trade is good because we all benefit. The operative word being trade, not low cost countries selling their goods in USA or Europe and buying little or nothing. Regulation made airline tickets cost $800 decades ago. Flying was a decent experience. Deregulation allows $75 tickets and you have a flying bus where you get strip searched before boarding. I will never fly commercial again. Regulation is putting the slaughter -meatpacking houses out of business. Wait until you see what a hamburger costs in a few years. This has not hit the news business yet which generally does not report news anyway. Regulation keeps us from drilling for oil in golf of Mexico. Yet foreign companies drill all they want. You see the USA does not own the world. Regulations allow the farmers to drain the water off the fields into the Mississippi River causing downstream flooding of epic proportions. And levies don`t work. Regulations allow bigger and bigger trucks and force smaller cars. I feel very unsafe. Regulations forced you into social security and medicare. Both plans are nearly broke, yet they have the money you saved for retirement. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
tobey bilek Posted June 3, 2012 Share #51 Posted June 3, 2012 That would be a strategic decision and taking a considerable risk to secure a very small part of the company’s turnover. Remember Leica closed/sold off the glass laboratory, despite that being a cornerstone of lens development and construction. It was, but the glass they made is now illegal to use because of lead content. Lead is out of cyrstal glassware also. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaapv Posted June 3, 2012 Share #52 Posted June 3, 2012 That is only very partly true. Most of the glass is still made by the firms that bought the patetns Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted June 3, 2012 Share #53 Posted June 3, 2012 Film cameras, together with the optical rangefinder and coupled lenses has been corner stones of Leica.. but future EVIL cameras could change this too? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjh Posted June 3, 2012 Share #54 Posted June 3, 2012 Film cameras, together with the optical rangefinder and coupled lenses has been corner stones of Leica.. but future EVIL cameras could change this too? The change has happened already. If film was banished tomorrow, the effect on photography in general and Leica’s business in particular would be negligible. Neither rangefinder photography nor the M system lenses depend on the availability of film. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
desmocrat Posted June 3, 2012 Share #55 Posted June 3, 2012 Okay you tinkerers and basement inventors, it is time to come up with a digital back that will fit a Leica film camera in much the same way that a digital back could replace the film back on an existing Hasselblad film camera. A sensor that could be taped to an existing film plane. Back in the 70s, when I got into photography, I processed all my B&W and E-6 (at age 14) and it wasn't a hassle because we didn't know it was a hassle. C-41 WAS a hassle so I waited until later in military photo school to learn how much of a hassle it was. But still, if you are using the cost of film processing as an excuse to not use film, then you are just too lazy to process it yourself. I relate doing darkroom work to owning a Harley Davidson motorcycle. If you want to ride (or take photographs), don't buy a Harley. If you want to stay in the repair shop (or the darkroom), buy a Harley. Just making a joke, Harley guys. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjh Posted June 3, 2012 Share #56 Posted June 3, 2012 Okay you tinkerers and basement inventors, it is time to come up with a digital back that will fit a Leica film camera in much the same way that a digital back could replace the film back on an existing Hasselblad film camera. A sensor that could be taped to an existing film plane. It has been tried (remember the Digital Modul R for the R8 and R9?) but wasn’t such a big success. It won’t be tried again. Just think of the monstrosity of an M7 with something like the DMR attached … A used M8 would be the more sensible choice. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter H Posted June 3, 2012 Share #57 Posted June 3, 2012 If enough people want film, and want it enough, it will survive. If not, it won't. Now we just need someone to tell to how much is "enough". Because none of us know. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
myshkine Posted June 3, 2012 Author Share #58 Posted June 3, 2012 Exactly. Quote: Originally Posted by jaapv It feel far too much has been read into a fairly innocuous marketing remark and that the level of defensiveness with (some) film users is unreasonably high. Having an opinion about a trend is not the same as condemning users of a product. But if you are the Chairman of a major industry player your remarks would have a strong impact and certainly would be read with a lot of attention, don't you think? So how can his remark be innocuous? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter H Posted June 3, 2012 Share #59 Posted June 3, 2012 Quote:...................................................................... .................................But if you are the Chairman of a major industry player your remarks would have a strong impact and certainly would be read with a lot of attention, don't you think? So how can his remark be innocuous? If company chairmen were really able to influence markets that easily, the world would be a very different place. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest malland Posted June 3, 2012 Share #60 Posted June 3, 2012 ...But if you are the Chairman of a major industry player your remarks would have a strong impact and certainly would be read with a lot of attention, don't you think? So how can his remark be innocuous?Leica is not a major industry player; it is an SME. —Mitch/Manila Scratching the Surface Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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