This is the proof we needed that film is here to stay

Film photography is back. No, like for real.

Over the last 4 years, I have been waxing poetic about the return of film photography, each time with a level of hubris and faith, knowing the reality was that there were no quality film cameras still being produced, and hence sustainability was questionable. Enthusiasts like myself still had to rely on used cameras from the thrift stores, eBay, and other online marketplaces.

Nikon was possibly the last major manufacturer of film cameras to continue production of the Nikon FM10 and Nikon F6 well in the new millennium. In 2006, Nikon discontinued production of the FM10, however, maintaining production of the F6. Thus, up until the pandemic hit, the Nikon F6 was every film enthusiast’s pride, something we would point to as indicating that film cameras were still being produced, as a show of confidence by a major manufacturer on the viability of film. The Impossible Project, which eventually morphed into a rebirth of the famed and loved Polaroid brand of instant cameras was another key win/milestone for us.

Sadly, however, in 2020, news broke that Nikon was discontinuing production of the Nikon F6, its last line of film cameras. Personally, I was shocked and disappointed when I heard the news. For folks like myself who were advocating for more people to shoot film and to discover the joys of film photography, this felt like a stab in the back, like the betrayal of an old friend. Surely, they had seen the recent uptick in interest in film photography across all demographics of people, and surely, this should have been an incentive for them to maintain production or possibly even expand their line of film cameras.

The period during the pandemic (2020-2022) also saw very significant increases in film prices from the major manufacturers. I personally noticed a sharp spike in film prices between from the major manufacturers, Fujifilm and Kodak.

Case in point, below is a screengrab from my purchase of Fujifilm Fujicolor 200 from B&H, from 2019, for a unit price of $8.95.

This same film is now selling for $29.99, which represents a 235% increase in price since 2019!

 Needless to say, that for enthusiasts like myself, this has been quite a dampener on our ability to procure and shoot film at will, especially in these austere times. I personally found myself shooting less and holding on to the last stache of film I had refrigerated some time ago.

Then, just like in a movie, when all seemed lost and the revival of this hobby seemed doomed to be just an epithet in the eulogy of film photography, Leica and Kodak came riding with the calvary to bring good tidings and a much-needed reprieve and hope.

Earlier this month, Leica announced the return of the Leica M6 film camera! This camera is a refinement of the previous Leica M rangefinder, with improvement in the optics and the light meter.

In a timely fashion, Nagraj Bokinkere, Kodak Eastman’s Vice-President of film manufacturing, announced last week that the company was looking to hire more people for its film production division, as it is struggling to keep up with demand.

“Our retailers are constantly telling us they can’t keep these films on the shelves and they want more,’ he said.

“So, really our strategy of being the last company standing in colour films, the last company making colour films in both consumer and motion picture is paying dividends. We literally cannot keep up with demand, we need more employees. We’re hiring,”

He also added that:

“Our film finishing area for example we have grown from a five days a week, single shift operation a few years back. To (sic) last year, we were three shifts, five days a week and now we are a 24/7 operation. In the last 18 months, we’ve hired over 300 people across the film and chemicals floor, and we’re looking to hire more.”

This to me is such great news for film photography and the implications are huge! It shows a shift in the perception of the company executives on the commercial viability of film and signifies that there is going to be an influx of film products and accessories as companies seek to capitalize on this re-emerging market.

So here is the good news amidst all the negativity of the last couple of years, film may be coming back, this time for real!