Re: [APML] More bad film news

["Joseph O'Neil" <joneil@multiboard.com>]

At 23:43 8/27/04 -0400, you wrote:
>This is very sad.  Wow, b&w paper down 26% in one year... ugh.  We are
>definitely seeing some historic changes in the photo industry.  It is
>entirely possible that one day a new generation of photographers will have
>never seen or purchased a Ilford or for that matter a Kodak product.  I hope
>the old timer companies survive the decade.


-snip-

         Oh, it's not as bad as it all sounds.  Remmber that large 
multi-national companies like Kodak  only see somethign as "profitable" as 
long as ht emarket is growing.  Having a product that si static, but 
otherwise profitable, is not sondisered a place you want ot be when you are 
a large company, only interested in the next quarter profit.

         Also, this 26% "drop" is partly smoke and mirrors, partly sefl 
fullfilling profecy.  First - companies like Ilfrod, agfa and Kodak was 
quitely dropped many of thier preimium B&W products, so it becomes a self 
fullfilling profecy.  Secondly, what these bean counters like ahve failed 
ot take into account is hte growth in mail order sales, especially over th 
einterenet,a nd growth of companies like MACO, Forte, Bergger, Elke and 
others -all too happy to jump in and fill the gap.

         The whole subject is now , IMO, beaten to death on many if not 
most of the film related mailing lists. Overall hwo0ever, I say the mood is 
surpizingly upbeat.    I'll  post more when I ahve it,b ut overall, things 
are not as bad as it sounds.  True, in 5 years time, B&W film and chenistry 
may be mostly mail order or speacialty sotre, but is that any different 
from how "real" telescoeps (IE - somethign other than 575X 60mm refractors 
:)  are sold now?
joe



http://www.oneilphoto.on.ca
http://www.multiboard.com/~joneil
Una salus victis, nullam sperare salutem


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