Film Cameras Fading Awayby Michele Cheplic | More from this Blogger 05 Jun 2008 12:52 PM In a previous blog I mentioned that my traditional film camera decided to go on vacation while I was on vacation. My trusty Canon EOS Rebel K2 went on strike during part of my trip to Hawaii a few months ago. Needless to say, I spent the better part of an entire day trying to track down a camera repair shop that could help me salvage my cherished sharpshooter. It was a frustrating endeavor to say the least for one simple reason: film cameras are becoming obsolete. I can't tell you how many camera storeowners were shocked to hear that I was still shooting on film and what's more, that I was considering investing more money in my dinosaur than to simply purchase a digital alternative. For the record Canon's EOS Rebel K2 is an excellent camera and can still be purchased on select photo websites. But the fact of the matter is that the camera storeowners were right. In fact, I think it was Nikon (the company that helped popularize the 35mm camera five decades ago) that was one of the first to publicly announce that it would stop making most of its film cameras so it could concentrate on its digital models. Two years ago the Japanese company said it planned to focus on "business categories that continue to demonstrate the strongest growth" as film cameras sales plummeted to an all time low. Nikon subsequently discontinued seven film-camera models and most of its manual focus lenses. It wasn't until I was searching around for replacement parts for my Canon that I learned that the company stopped making my camera (and several others). Canon still makes five models of higher end SLR cameras, but said that sales would cease as supplies are depleted. In 2004 Kodak announced that it would stop selling film cameras in the United States and Europe, though you can still find a ton of Kodak brand film cameras online. Do you still shoot with a traditional film camera? Related Articles: My Mother's Day Photo Surprise-The Gift that Keeps on Giving Snapping Summer Memories---Going Digital A Digital Camera for Serious Shooters The Difference Between Two Digital Cameras From the Same Company Ultra-Compact Digital Cameras--The Trend Continues Hip and Stylish Digital Cameras for TEENS More Ultra-compact Digital Camera Options The World's Slimmest Digital Camera Digital Photography 101: Choosing The Perfect Ultra Compact Camera Digital Photography 101: Picking The Perfect Camera Digital Photography 101: Getting To Know Your Camera Learn more about Michele Cheplic  Michele Cheplic was born and raised in Hilo, Hawaii, but now lives in Wisconsin. Michele graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a degree in Journalism. Relevantphotography tags User Comments tangerinelullaby (553) 05 Jun 2008 02:14 PMDigital cameras come in handy. But nothing beats the flavor and appeal of film photography. I still use film from time to time. I have a Canon EOS 88 (EOS 3000), which I used when I was in College. It's still with me and I didn't even bother selling it to anyone. I'm torn between purchasing a high-end digital SLR, but I still want to pursue photography that involves using film. I still want to try both and I have no plans of discarding my old SLR. -Yvie http://tangerineslullaby.eachday.com  Michele Cheplic |
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