Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2003/06/19
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]> Ok, so I should have said the majority of the world's picture-taking > population. And that includes alot more people than you think. In India, > you will see throngs of local tourists using film cameras. And these are > not rich people. The prospect of a simple film camera is realistic, but > digital is prohibitively costly. I've even seen villagers who live in mud > brick huts in the Thar deserts using disposable cameras and fixed > focus/exposure 35mm cameras. For them, it is practical to bring a film into > Bikaner when they go for supplies, but digital? > > I could go on and on with similar personal experiences. And it's important > to remember that abiltity to afford digital is not the only factor. It is > ease of use. My wife, for example, just had a hard time remembering how to > copy digital files onto the hard disk, not to mention printing them. It's > just not important to her. During our year trip, she shot digital, while I > shot film. She was pleased with the digital results, until we came home and > saw the results from the Leica Ms. She now says she wants nothing to do > with digital capture. > > Anyway, alot more people own cameras around the world than you think. > > --Jim ...another thing about India -- the movie industry. Everybody thinks that Hollywood is the center of the universe, in some ways it is, but not in the annual number of feature films for theatrical distribution. India is. In Hollywood the annual average for feature films for theatrical release is about 450 feature films. In India the annual average is over 900 new films for theatrical release. And then when you add on all the other regions of the world making 35mm films...well you get the picture. To get back to the digi revolution, I read two or three years ago that photography is the #1 hobby in the world. That same article also said that annual 35mm camera sales were 15 million annually, which would mean an existing base of a few hundred million 35mm cameras worldwide. So it occurs to me that most of these people are not about to throw their cameras in the dumpster because of the new digi technology. I think there seems to be a whole lot of media hype and wishful thinking going on over digital. sl > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "bdcolen" <bdcolen@earthlink.net> > To: <leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us> > Sent: Thursday, June 19, 2003 9:43 AM > Subject: RE: [Leica] Digital usage > > >> The vast majority of the world's population does not own cameras, take >> photos, or appear in photos. The vast majority of the world's population >> is struggling to find clean water and food, not buy cameras - digital or >> film. The photo industry's train is pulled by the engine of the >> U.S./Western Europe/Affluent Asia. Sure, there is some in poor >> countries, and there will continue to be some. But the film needs of >> those countries and regions will probably ultimately be met by small, >> local manufacturers - it won't be enough to keep Kodak and Fuji >> producing anything but limited film lines. >> >> B. D. >> >> -----Original Message----- >> From: owner-leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us >> [mailto:owner-leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us] On Behalf Of Jim Laurel >> Sent: Thursday, June 19, 2003 11:59 AM >> To: leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us >> Subject: Re: [Leica] Digital usage >> >> >> Exactly. You'd think people on this list have never traveled outside >> the US and Western Europe! Digital is just not practical or affordable >> for the vast majority of the world's population. Don't kid yourself. >> Film will be around for the forseeable future. >> >> --Jim >> >> ----- Original Message ----- >> From: "Steve Unsworth" <mail@steveunsworth.co.uk> >> To: <leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us> >> Sent: Thursday, June 19, 2003 3:18 AM >> Subject: RE: [Leica] Digital usage >> >> >> > There is a world outside of the US you know - and it's pretty big and >> > not everyone can afford or benefit from digital technology ;-) >> > >> > Also, I seem to remember reading that sales of Kodak black and white >> > film rose last year. >> > >> > Steve >> > >> > -----Original Message----- >> > From: owner-leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us >> > [mailto:owner-leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us] On Behalf Of Don Dory >> > Sent: 19 June 2003 04:19 >> > To: leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us >> > Subject: [Leica] Digital usage >> > >> > >> > <snip> >> > >> > Don't delude yourself that film will be around for a long time. Right >> >> > now more than 90% of all cameras sold in the US are digital... >> > >> > <snip> >> > - -- To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html