I ran across this article from a week or so ago. Pretty interesting. Looks like film-based cameras are soon going the way of the dinosaur (unless you're a high-end pro). I DO love my digital camera, so I guess I'm partly to blame for the trend.
Originally posted by Reuters:
TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan's Canon Inc. (7751.T: Quote, Profile, Research) said on Thursday that it would halt development of new film cameras to focus resources on digital models, the latest sign of the rapidly fading role of film in photography.
A spokesman at Canon, the world's largest maker of digital cameras, said it made the decision to freeze development of both compact and single lens reflex (SLR) film models because the markets for both are shrinking.
Canon said it would continue to produce and sell existing models and make a final judgment on the business in the future while monitoring market demand.
Canon's decision follows an announcement earlier this year by rival Nikon Corp. (7731.T: Quote, Profile, Research) that it would stop producing most of its film cameras except for a few professional products.
Konica Minolta Holdings Inc. (4902.T: Quote, Profile, Research), meanwhile, has said it would exit the camera and photo film markets, where it has been losing money amid stiff competition and weak demand.
The photographic film and film camera markets have been shrinking rapidly in the past few years due to the rising popularity of digital cameras, which take and store images without the need for film.
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