Barn Owl

Here is one that will probably upset many Hoggers. A couple of older Canadian guys talking photography on a park bench. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rU6KlE2gV2M Still, don't several of their comments make sense? Either way, onward into the magnificence of autumn colors.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

I couldn't spare the twenty minutes to watch the whole thing, but I feel self-conscious taking pictures with a camera when everyone around me is using a cell phone or a table. I'm the odd one out.,

elliott937 Loc: St. Louis

Odd man out, or not Jerry. I don't believe cameras are disappearing at all. I believe society is now viewing them as a phone-camera only concept. But several years from now, when people look for something "new", they will look at the DSLR ... yet again. I'm 100% confident of it.

Bill 45

What is a camera anyway? Will what we call a camera today, be the same 10 years from now? Or put it another way The thing we use today to take pictures. Will the item in 10 years from now be call a "camera" or have total new name to it. I upset going from film camera to digital camera. The way tech. is going with digital camera, I could see the total end of film cameras. I hope I am total wrong on that. I seeing digital camera that are 4 years old or less end up the trash can. IS tech destroy the digital cameras as we known it?

elliott937 Loc: St. Louis

I have a couple of thoughts to offer. First, in my world of education, I have seen the "pendulum" swing back and forth so many times, so when a "radical or different" idea comes across, especially if it is lacking common sense, just wait a few years and the "radical / different" pendulum will swing back. The downside is that it often doesn't stop at the neutral spot and continues to the other extreme. But, not to worry, it will swing back. Example: conventional classroom, one teacher and a group of students ... then "Open Space" moves across the country, usually west to east, resulting in four teachers, four groups of students, all in one large "classroom pod" configuration. Then ... educators realize it was a bad idea, then spend millions retrofitting those "Open Space" back to the traditional setting ... can you imagine? ... one teacher and a group of students. That has gone on for the three decades I taught high school, and I continue to see more changes in high schools, thankfully I am now teaching college classes.

I'm very confident this will happen in the photography world.

AND, about film? Our university has offered degrees in photography, to include both digital and film, complete with darkrooms. Over the 22 years I've been teaching college classes, (physics not photography), I've observed that enrollment has never flattened, and continues to increase.

Unusual anomaly? Remember the LP records? They haven't disappeared either. In fact, in the UK, I've learned recording stars insist their releases be offered three ways: (a) download, (b) compact disc, and (c) on LP vinyl. LP record sales also have increased in the USA for the past ten years. You did notice, didn't you, the (b) option was ... CD, standing for compact disc?

So I have not a single doubt that our DSLR (w/mirror) will continue to decrease. After all, the big camera makers must "improve the mouse trap", hence mirror-less. But DSLR, w/mirror or wo/mirror, will never disappear. In fact, I predict that sales will spike upwardly again, with aspiring photographers will bring it all back by 2030.

On that note, I'll tip toe out of here with my two 5DII bodies, three L lenses, and plan to continue shooting far into the next decade.

Bill 45

I hope you are right.

Barn Owl

elliott937, Thank you for your perspective. I am old enough to remember an iconic company called Kodak.

AndyH Loc: Massachusetts and New Hampshire

You kids and your newfangled digital thingamabobs!

Search for film photography videos on YouTube or on Instagram. You'll find that most of the vloggers are Millennials or at least Gen Xers. Go to the university photography department and ask the teachers whether film or digital classes are the most oversubscribed (don't forget to ask about darkroom classes - these have a two year wait at the two largest colleges in my city).

Or for the most impactful view, show up at any one of the regional film-oriented shows held throughout the US. Don't forget your skinny jeans and, if your hair is long enough, to put it into a man-bun. Women should get a crewcut before they attend, and some purple or green hair coloring.

Are these stereotypes? Of course. But the average age of the film enthusiast has dropped by one half in the last decade. Your vinyl analogy is spot on. When DSLRs become "old tech", I'm pretty sure that you'll see the same move toward them by the young.

Andy

robertjerl Loc: Corona, California

I spent 35 years (counting 1 year of student teaching) in the LA Unified School District. History-US and World, Geography, Government, 1 year of Beginning Photography and a few others once or twice. 15+1 years student teaching at Jr High and the rest at Sr High level. Four different schools in regular session and 3 or 4 others in summer school/intersession breaks. The fads came and went often in a cycle with a name change but when you looked at the "newest" soon to abandoned fad method it was one from several years before repackaged and a new name & very few real changes. And it still didn't work.
Once I had tenure I just started to ignore the fads as much as I could-did the paperwork often a few days of lessons to say I did it. Actually I more or less ignored the fads before I had tenure. Do a quick lesson on the day admin was scheduled to visit my class then back to what worked - and they couldn't even be bothered enough to check and find out I was doing it.
Every time I tried the latest and greatest I would poll my students about which they preferred, my more or less traditional methods or the new ones - 90% preferred the traditional way. Once in Jr High a girl who was a hard core gang member complained about the latest "group" work method. "Those lazy bums just sit and talk then want to copy my work!" She was a gang member but very intelligent and capable of A/B work when she cared to do so. In the group she worked so she looked better than the others and then when they started goofing off and wanting to copy her work she got mad.

I spent 7 years as the 10th grade World History teacher for a program named "The University Preparatory Program" run by 3 departments (Science & Math then later Engineering) at California State University at Los Angeles (we were only a couple of miles from the campus in East Los Angeles) and the professors running UPP let it be known they preferred the traditional methods. The students got extras on weekends and during intersession breaks - working at the University, special field trips etc. We ran after school study halls staffed by their regular classroom teachers. At one point the Engineering Dept at Cal State LA* told us that 40% of their incoming freshmen majors were from the Two East LA High Schools with the UPP program. That was they became a sponsor of the program.

*back then Cal State LA had 24-30,000 full time students and twice that night and part time, a heavy % veterans, graduates taking extension courses etc. And the extension group was heavily loaded with working teachers.

Bill 45

I confuse on what you and elliott937 are writing about. I though the question at hand is why are cameras disappearing. I not put down what you two wrote about eduction, Both of you known what you are talking about and have some good points.

speters Loc: Grangeville/Idaho

I agree with you to a point, but it seems that mirrorless is here and it is going to stay. It's just the same old thing that has been going on for ever (almost)! Newer tech is taking over and replacing more "old fashioned technology". In the good old SLR's, DSLR's, many of the functions were still being done in a mechanical way, that is taking over by electronics in mirrorless cameras, so its still part of the same old ongoing story of modernizing anything and everything, may it be better or worse!

AndyH Loc: Massachusetts and New Hampshire

And while all us geezers are out shooting our mirrorless cameras made by appliance companies, the cool kidz are buying up our Leicas and Hasselblads so fast they're affecting the market, and spurring the film manufacturers to resume black and white films we haven't seen in years.

The kids are a'right!

Andy

robertjerl Loc: Corona, California

Fads and changes in education as compared to fads and changes in photography and other fields.
We got side tracked, at least I did.

robertjerl Loc: Corona, California

Yes, a steady market for film cameras and more film types available again. I saw one article by a guy who discovered "Polaroid" and was fascinated by getting an instant print and no negative or digital file.
Hmm, I wonder if it is possible to have a Polaroid/Digital camera that gives a print and a file?
Some of the High Schools and Community Colleges start people with film then go up to digital.
I have heard of a few that start everyone with cell phones only so they have to learn subject choice, position, angles, lighting and composition before they let them move on to adjustable cameras and interchangeable lenses.

elliott937 Loc: St. Louis

Thank you Robert, I can't think of many every-day things that show clock-pendulum behavior, swinging from one end to the opposite extreme end. Education has been cursed by it for decades, and why I sited it here. That is the reason I used it as a role model, as embarrassing as it has been.

Do I believe DSLR-mirror cameras will disappear? No. DSLR-mirrorless disappear? No. Phone cameras?
No. Record turntables? No again, in fact they are coming back in mass. See the idea? And dare I include the fact that Ilford has introduced the return to B&W film, along with Kodak? Don't think negative. Don't give up the ship.