This month's issue of View Camera has an article by Ron Wisner titled
"The State and Future of Sheet Film". Net is that sheet film is quickly
becoming a niche product ... duh. Prices are climbing and will like
remain high, but innovation may be stimulated; those are my conclusions,
not his. Since far more 35mm is sold than sheet film, one would expect
the larger market would keep more manufacturers in play. But as the
vast majority of 35mm users are casual and presumably easily seduced by
the "dark side", that expectation may not hold.
Whenever new technology enters an artform, there is a natural
progression of use, its acceptance, and the change of older methods from
mainstream use to the domain of the "pure" artist. I see this in two
areas of photography: larg(er) format and B&W. While a purely digital
workflow may someday be able to produce prints comparable in every way
to the quality of silver prints, it is some time away. Even then, what
about the look of platinum/palladium? It doesn't matter. Every process
has its unique look and qualities, and will exist and find its place and
market.
Earl
Andrew Gullen wrote:
>Well, I think clearly he's worried that despite film having its own virtues
>industry execs won't see it as a big enough money-maker and will shut down
>production.
>
>I think AG (the other one) is being realistic when he hopes for niche
>manufacturers only, not for the majors.
>
>Andrew
>
>
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