On page B1 of the 14 January 2004 issue of The Wall Street Journal appears the
article "Ending Era, Kodak Will Stop Selling Most Film Cameras", by James
Bandler. Basically, what Kodak completely abandoned is the Advantix APS
(Advanced Photo System) camera line. Kodak will continue to sell 35mm and APS
film, and disposable cameras, worldwide. While Kodak will stop selling 35mm
cameras in the US, Europe, and Canada, it will continue in China, India,
Eastern Europe, and Latin America. The APS cameras cost about 15% more than
comparable 35mm cameras, and consumers didn't respond.
Kodak sold the first film cameras for amateur use, in 1888, long before 35mm.
The chart "Changing Picture" in the article is interesting, showing unit sales
of cameras (film and digital) from 1983 to present, based on data from the
Photo Marketing Association. Basically, sales were from 16 to 20 million units
a year for many years, and began to rise in 1996 even as digital cameras first
appeared. Soon, film camera unit sales started to drop even as digital cameras
grew, crossing over in 2003. From then on, digitals predominate. The total
market in 2003 was more like 24 million units.
APS cameras sold about 2 to 2.5 million units in 2003, or about 10%.
Joe Gwinn
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