Speculation on rising prices of high quality cameras

[venchka]

Remember, you heard it here first. Bold text added by Moi.

From the Rangefinder Forum.

Originally Posted by buzzardkid

Two major reasons identified so far:

Chinese collectors are entering the online markets and buying quality gear. The biggest Leica expo ever was held last September in Shanghai, US repairman Youxin Ye contributed in the organisation of it. An article on Ye in the China Daily mentioned the uprise in Chinese collectors buying quality gear.

Film is on the rise in the EU because professional wedding photographers are looking for a way to distinguish themselves from every Tom, Dick and Harry with a DSLR.

Pretty sure things will get more pricey over the next year.

What goes around, comes around? Everything old is new again? Richard Avedon was right?

[JohnT]

Oh, I was thinking two years ago that film would become "new" again in some way or another, and that certain photogs would use it to distinguish themselves from the digital masses.

[venchka]

Did you? Have you?

[Todd Lambert]

Pffttt... whatever. Sounds like a gimmick to me. I'll stick with digital, thank you very much. 8-)

I'm definitely not the wedding photo type, so I don't market myself like they do, and I could see why they might try this, but it's still a gimmick.

Not to say that I wouldn't shoot film, but it would be a medium format if I did, and it would be for a purpose more than trying to make me stand out of a crowd of other photographers.

[Stargazer77517]

Interesting, will the cost of wedding photography increase as well? And the folks now think its too expensive to hire a pro wedding photog. Wait until the photog has to process the film and includes that into the overall cost of doing business.

[kenw]

If the 'guy with camera' can get the same quality (which is defined by the customer) as an overpriced 'artiste', then the emperor has no clothes.

Perhaps they should try to distinguish themselves with actual quality instead of implied.

[JohnT]

Originally Posted by venchka

Did you? Have you?

No.

[Coelus]

I still think film is cheaper than the cost of constantly upgrading computers and camera bodies to keep up with the pace of technology. It just seems like a lot more because you're constantly shelling out money for it. Not as convenient though.

[carrbowl]

Originally Posted by Coelus

I still think film is cheaper than the cost of constantly upgrading computers and camera bodies to keep up with the pace of technology. It just seems like a lot more because you're constantly shelling out money for it. Not as convenient though.

Amen...and the time we spend on the computer editing....please!! film looks might good...

[Howard Barlow]

What pro labs still print optically? Most don't process film.

[kenw]

Originally Posted by carrbowl

Amen...and the time we spend on the computer editing....please!! film looks might good...

What you are doing in the computer you would just do in chemicals. Without the benefit of backup files and the Undo key.

Do you want to trade that for hours in the darkroom with those wonderful chemicals? Now, the folks who hang around Wayne might prefer that smell, but I don't think it appeals to most....

[The Philos]

Fixer smells great what are you talking about.

[Valerie]

Originally Posted by ThePhilosopher

Fixer smells great what are you talking about.

Amen!

[jeffkohn]

Originally Posted by Coelus

I still think film is cheaper than the cost of constantly upgrading computers and camera bodies to keep up with the pace of technology. It just seems like a lot more because you're constantly shelling out money for it. Not as convenient though.

Who says you have to constantly upgrade though? DSLR's surpassed 35mm film a few years ago, currently flagships rival MF film for resolution; and once you start raising the ISO (pretty important for wedding photographers) it's not even close. So if you're happy with what you have, there's absolutely no reason you have to continuously upgrade. That's a strawman argument. On the other hand the cost of film and developing is very real.

[KJ Smith]

Originally Posted by kenw

Perhaps they should try to distinguish themselves with actual quality instead of implied.

..