Canon to stop making film cameras

jimf

http://today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=technologyNews&storyID=2006-05-25T125117Z_01_T118988_RTRUKOC_0_US-JAPAN-CANON.xml&archived=False

I bet I caught your attention with the headline. The article has been corrected to mediate the tone from such an absolute, but I would bet heavily that the original story was correct and the update was the result of Canon's PR department freaking out. In any case it looks like they're doing the same thing Nikon is -- stop investing in film, but keep producing existing film models as long as people are buying them.

SuperJared

Can't say I blame them -- I'm surprised average people are still buying film.

Bob Bell

SuperJared wrote:

Can't say I blame them -- I'm surprised average people are still buying film.

Canon still makes 1V series film bodies. think they are around $2000 or so. Plus the Elan 7NE and EOS 3

SuperJared

Bob Bell wrote:

Canon still makes 1V series film bodies. think they are around $2000 or so. Plus the Elan 7NE and EOS 3

That's why I said "average". Most people aren't going to get one of those for a point-and-shoot. :

mercphoto

SuperJared wrote:

That's why I said "average". Most people aren't going to get one of those for a point-and-shoot. :

There could be several reasons why average people still buy a film camera, even a film SLR. Primary is likely to be the initial cost of entry. Entry-level film bodies are dirt cheap. Secondary could be fear of computers, or simply they know and understand film.

swintonphoto

jimf wrote:

http://today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=technologyNews&storyID=2006-05-25T125117Z_01_T118988_RTRUKOC_0_US-JAPAN-CANON.xml&archived=False

I bet I caught your attention with the headline. The article has been corrected to mediate the tone from such an absolute, but I would bet heavily that the original story was correct and the update was the result of Canon's PR department freaking out. In any case it looks like they're doing the same thing Nikon is -- stop investing in film, but keep producing existing film models as long as people are buying them.

Well, they would not be making an announcement for the fun of it, so it has to be an absolute thing.

jimf

mercphoto wrote:

There could be several reasons why average people still buy a film camera, even a film SLR. Primary is likely to be the initial cost of entry. Entry-level film bodies are dirt cheap. Secondary could be fear of computers, or simply they know and understand film.

There are "disposable" digitals for very little money and some low-resolution models for as little as $20. As for fear of computers, several people I know simply take the media to the camera store for printing and never use a computer at all. Thus I don't think either of these is much of a factor any longer.

I think, though, that the real factor destroying cheap film cameras is the ubiquitous cell phone camera.

DanielB

any idea on when they're gonna quit makin' them as far as production goes if thats the case then here before long i better pick up that Elan 7N i was wanting before they quit sellin' them.

Bob Bell

DanielB wrote:

any idea on when they're gonna quit makin' them as far as production goes if thats the case then here before long i better pick up that Elan 7N i was wanting before they quit sellin' them.

Your better off picking up an EOS 3. Pretty nice film body

CaiusMartius

They aren't going to stop manufacturing existing film cameras. They are just going to cease development of new models.

johno

I had a friend fill in for me and shoot a football game with his film camera. I bought the film and developed it with the photo cd. $7.50 for 5 rolls of film and $43.00 to develope:jawdrop

I can't imagine what the cost would have been if I had to shoot the whole season in film.

In the end, only 3 pictures sold. Not cost effective. At least for me.

peace.
johno~

Bob Bell

johno wrote:

I had a friend fill in for me and shoot a football game with his film camera. I bought the film and developed it with the photo cd. $7.50 for 5 rolls of film and $43.00 to develope:jawdrop

I can't imagine what the cost would have been if I had to shoot the whole season in film.

In the end, only 3 pictures sold. Not cost effective. At least for me.

peace.
johno~

You were using cheap film. Try shooting Velvia or Sensia or negative like NPx you are looking at $4.00+ a roll of 36.