There will always be a niche market for film, even 35mm. Digital will
supplant it for most real applications, most importantly in the consumer
market where the dollars, euros, pounds, yen, etc. are, but film still
offers some image advantages (or at least claimed advantages), and
aficionados will still provide some market, enough for perhaps two or so
small outfits to produce it. The intelligence agencies still use it for best
detail and (what's the word?) acuity and will continue to use it for non
real time airborne reconnaissance, so someone will continue making that.
Slitting it to 35mm and perforating it is a small thing, and it can then be
sold to those few consumers who still want it. Astronomers will still demand
it for some applications, though the format will be larger, still, it starts
out as rolls that can be slit. Why 35mm? Well, in my opinion it provides the
best compromise between versatility (as a function of size) and quality (as
a function of image area). FYI, while I'm sure that many will not agree,
this is the same reason I would prefer a 24x36mm sensor for a 35mm sized
camera. As it is with film, so it is with sensors - the larger the format,
the greater quality potential.
Regards,
Bob...
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
By all means, marry. If you get a good wife, you'll become happy;
if you get a bad one, you'll become a philosopher.
- Socrates
From: "Jack Davis" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
How much longer will starving film cameras demand 35mm
color pos/neg films be produced? What level of
production and availability would qualify as "in
production"?
What's the likelihood of film's resuscitation through
some manner of structural breakthrough?
Un-answerable, but care to muse?