Film’s New Niche

So, since I stupidly have not been stocking up on film, I went on a pilgrammage yesterday for something to load into my N80. What I can’t seem to understand is why, if Fuji has practically put Kodak out of the film business, why is it so hard to come by?

One of my stops was to Best Buy, where I recently bought my AF-S 35mm G, and my partner’s D3100. When I asked the salesperson where they kept their film, he laughed at me, and told me Kodak will stop making it this year.

The breadth of people’s naïveté never ceases to amaze me. Nor does the ability to spread false information out of sheer ignorance. But what I take away from this is, more than ever, the line drawn between the consumer and and amateur/professional photographer is even more sharply defined. Film simply no longer exists in the consumer world. And Best Buy is very much rooted in that world.

Now that the fascination with digital photography has worn off a bit, and the technology has plateaued, many amateur photographers are returning to film. So it’s now finding its new niche. You will no longer be able find it in all the usual locations, and those that do carry it will only carry limited supplies and emulsions.

For example, where ISO 100 was once the standard, 400 now takes its place. The emulsions have become so fine grained that 200 is as sharp as 100, and 400 is as good as 200, which has become the standard in digital. Therefore, the local CVS only carries Kodak film in 400 and 800 speeds.

No matter; simply order your film ahead of time and keep a healthy supply in your fridge.