I see the same thing happening with film that happened to audio LP's:
You can still buy LP's, but they are more expensive and harder to find,
and there is less variety. You can still buy turntables and cartridges,
but they are also harder to find and more expensive.
Our's and other's cameras will last a very long time, so there will
always be someone making film for them, even if that someone is not the
big names like kodak and fuji. The mass consumers will move to digital
fairly quickly - the "gee whiz" gizmo factor at least partly driving
it. The serious quality types like us will stick to film. Even now,
there are small film producers making esoteric film types that at least
a few people demand. There will be less variety of film types
available, and they will be harder to find. You local one hour labs
will disappear, or change to digital imaging only. You will be forced
to either process your own film, or send it mail order to be developed,
at higher cost. The chemicals for processing film and paper will be
much more difficult to find, but they will be available at higher cost.
It will be harder to get you camera repaired, but at least a few places
will be able to do it, and it will cost more. The price of used film
cameras will go down, except for the really collectable stuff like
Leica. Film cameras will be used only on special occasions for fear of
breaking it and from the higher cost of film and processing. The
simpler mechanical cameras will out live the electronic ones, and will
command a higher price on the used market.
The convenience of digital cameras will appeal to the mass market, just
as the convenience of CD's did for the audio consumer. Oh, there will
be plenty of magazine reviewers praising the new digital stuff,
claiming that it's "better" than film, but we will know better, won't
we??
Be seeing you.
Dirk Wright
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