In a previous blog I detailed the single event that made me switch from my trusty and beloved traditional film camera to my new shiny and mighty digital one. (For the record I am still holding tightly to my film camera, though I rarely shoot with it anymore.) Up until a couple of years ago I was the type of person who reluctantly embraced change. These days though I have learned that positive things can happen when you venture out of your perceived comfort zone and take advantage of new and exciting opportunities.
I’m willing to bet that many photographers felt the same way when they made the switch from film to digital, especially the ones who shot with Canon cameras. As I mentioned in a previous blog the popular camera manufacturer announced that it would stop making most of its film cameras so it could concentrate on its digital models. Imagine what it must have been like for photographers who had spent 20 plus years shooting with the same Canon model to learn that soon they would be out of luck if they needed a replacement part or wanted to purchase another camera similar to the one they had mastered shooting with.
Nikon did the same thing to its loyal customers more than a year ago. The company was a major force in establishing the dominance of the 35mm single-lens reflex camera. Its breakthrough model was the F, released in 1959. That particular camera set a standard among pros and above average amateurs for durability and reliability and became a must-have for photojournalists. Then, in January 2006 Nikon announced it would stop making most of its film camera models and all of its large format lenses, and focus on digital models.
Around the same time (actually it was a bit before if I remember correctly) Eastman Kodak Co. dropped a bombshell on photographers when it announced that it planned to discontinue production of black-and-white photographic paper as it continued to transition to digital photography.
The paper, used in traditional darkrooms, is gone, but the black-and-white film and chemicals for processing are still around. According to Kodak, the demand for black-and-white paper declined to the point where it was simply not profitable to make anymore.
Yet another example of how the face of photography is changing in this modern digital world.
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