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I have this Samsung SR4000 SLR. I only took a couple pictures with it because Im addicted with my quick and handy Samsung Digital camera.

I took it out of the closet and Im looking to find some Slide film. Is film... obsolete? Do you know ANY professional photographers that still use film? A friend of mine who was a Navy Photographer just bought a Mamiya Medium Format Film camera. He still prefers Film.

Lots of people use film.

I love film, and I hope it will be conveniently available for a while. I shoot digital as well, and I appreciate it's advantages. For me it's just an entirely different experience than shooting film. With film, every shot requires payment. With digital, that part is reduced, so I, like many others just don't put the thought into each shot as we had to do with film. The main turn off to me is the digital darkroom/Photoshop thing. There is now an expectation that everything needs to be maximized in photoshop. To the point that it often becomes graphic art, not photography. "Digital Imaging". I enjoy viewing images that are minimally manipulated. I hope and believe it will become popular again.

Dear John, I DO NOT think that Film will die.
I still use film, although I use a compact digital camera, but my main camera would be my two Minolta bodies and few lenses.

I say use the film SLR...you'll enjoy it. Try Fuji Velvia, Provia or Sensia color slide film, or Kodak Elite Chrome or Ektachrome.

For B&W negative try T-Max 100 or 400 and Ilford HP 5+

Don't be afraid to use affordable consumer film and labs while you're getting used to film. You can get great results this way too. I'm afraid you might get turned off if you start off with pricey film and high end labs, and you find you maybe only get one or two decent images per roll. I shoot about 50/50 film/digital. I just love the satisfaction of picking up my pictures and finding one or two good ones in the package!

I use film and a film scanner. For my needs, that's better than buying a digital SLR that'll be outdated in less than a year. My cameras are all manual focus although two of my lenses are not, which makes no difference since I use a Nikon system. Film won't die. And I prefer its color saturation, grain, the process. Film is less forgiving than digital and you better know what you're doing so you don't spend too much money with useless images.
Give it a try.
Regards, José Azevedo

Films are still in a good shape and sold in my country sepcailly my favorite Fuji 50's and 100's , I process them at home and ,i cut them in strips of 4 and then select the one's I like and glass mount them ,I use a nikon Coolscan ED and some times i use my Epson 4870 for my 4X5 film sheets. so do not worry films are still avilable .Iam just a new commer to the world of photography and through your work I learn more and more .Rashed

Fuji is drastically reducing their production capacity (and I expect will reduce the number of emulsions rapidly soon), Kodak has announced they're reducing their product line to just 2 types of slidefilm and I think 3 types of colour print (plus a few black and white emulsions).

I'd hate to loose my film, but I see the writing on the wall.

If everyone just decides that "the writing is on the wall" and stops buying film , then it will die.

Buy film, go out and make images.

Jeroen, what is the source for the statement that Kodak are reducing their product line to two types of slide film and three types of colour print film? And what do they mean by 'type'? I suspect that they mean 'family' rather than individual emulsions.

Kodak have a great variety of products; their names and availability are different in different parts of the world. It makes a lot of sense to rationalise the number of things in their catalogue, and this can be done without us losing too much choice.

Yesterday there was an article in the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle in which Mary Jane Hellyar, the president of Kodak's film and photofinishing group, said that Kodak would continue to make film well into the future.

Some loss of choice is inevitable, but if that is what has to be done by Fuji and Kodak to keep film economically viable then we shouldn't be too upset.

Ilford intend to stay with film as long as they can, but they already have a very limited product range.

I've already attempted to make the point on the Kodak B&W paper thread that that part of the market (B&W print) was especially vulnerable - ie the Kodak B&W paper closures aren't an indication of the general vulnerability of film.

There is, of course, nothing certain about the future, and the words from the corporate mouths might be worth nothing. All I'm suggesting is that we shouldn't be too pessimistic. Oh, and that we should use whatever film we have today rather than worry about what we might or might not have tomorrow. In the meantime film keeps getting better and better. The new Kodak Portra 800, the new Fuji Pro 160 films and all the new movie films from both companies are noticeable improvements on their predecessors. You can put 35 mm movie film in a 35 mm still camera, you know.

Keep going folks,
Helen

Which slide films and color print films will survive?
I can guess, but would like to hear from you.
Chuck

Try Kodachrome 64, Provia 100 Professional, Tri X , Elitechrome is "fair" in my opinion. But Kodachrome will outlast them all.

THANKS EVERYBODY FOR YOUR COMMENTS. I read them all.. Very helpful. I will still continue to use film. My Samsung Sr4000 Film SLR is shouting to shoot pictures. !!!! I brought the B&W film to a local photolab. Ill post them on here.

I will stay with film as long as it's there. Not too much problem finding the film - even 120/220 and 4x5. BW chemicals are easy to find, too. Biggest problem is finding color chemicals. Tetenal is still available through Omega/Satter. JOBO changed their business plan. All of their "analog" (ie darkroom) products are now handled by Omega.

I still find great deals on equipment on e-bay. Just picked up a Bessler 45MX Enlarger for $125. Works Great!

Keep buying film, paper, and chemicals. As long as there is a demand, it will stay around.

Alfons R.	Vladimir M.	a. S.	a. S.	Jan S.	Avi .	Randal M.	giant b.

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