Earlier this week there was a report on the Channel News website about analogue cameras “making a comeback” (which we actually reported in 2022 by way of being actually at the coalface.
That besides, the part that caught my eye was it stated than in a quote from a “major camera retailer source” that “they will be “able to sell film and processing for $40 for a roll and $80 for processing” thus meaning they can make a quid again out of photography.
I haven’t such a good laugh for a long time!
Any research will tell you that the major resurgence at the moment in analogue photography is not the day-to-day snapper as it was in the pre-smartphone days, but as I wrote in the story linked above, teenagers using disposable cameras.
In droves.
When asked why, they say “It’s cool”. And that’s it. They are not discovering the joys of learning actual photography, just as usual, pointing and clicking but this time with a wide aperture lensed disposable camera.
I had a chat with a major importer of cameras, both analogue and digital, which is also a large distie for analogue film, and they backed up this argument, although did say there has been an interest in the newer analogue cameras about to arrive but expected to in very short supply from the overseas manufacturers due to overseas demand.
But back to the $40 a roll and $80 to process?
If there is such a thing, a “standard” roll of film is a Kodak 400 roll of 36 colour prints and around the traps this costs a maximum $27.95 from my research. To process this to “postcard” prints is a further $18.95 on average.
So if any major camera retailer (and I am guessing probably JB or HN) stated they could get $40 and $80 respectively, are they are in for a shock. Other retailers such as Camera House, Ted’s Leederville Cameras and so on will be rolling on the floor in hilarity whilst pocketing serious money.