sobolik wrote:
"This is again proof of the classical adage that a new medium does not
kill the previous one, just joins it."

I like reading rational approaches to the subject compared to emotional
ones.
Photograph is like any other thing as long as there is a market there
will be supplies. There is a huge market restructuring under way right
now. That restructuring is not really reflective of rabid photographers
needs and wants, just the masses. The muscle car era can be said to be
done and dead by looking at the present market for the masses. The
rabid Muscle car enthusiast has no trouble however.
I do not care if the masses embrace the digital such and such. I will
still be able to pursue what ever I want including the Super 8 that is
mentioned. I will still be able to take a 35mm photo of the guy as he
takes fashion photos with his cell phone.

"This is again proof of the classical adage that a new medium does not
kill the previous one, just joins it."

In the case of photography you might be correct, but the statement that
a new medium does not kill the previous one is not in all cases
correct. There are any number of medium that are gone. The
Daguerreotype is gone. Glass plates are gone. Ask someone who owns a
Betamax VCR about the new just joining the old.

Kodachrome, one of my favorite films to use in the past is close to
gone.

What is clear is that the new medium can kill off the old when it
competes directly. For example there are other slide films that
compete directly with Kodachrome. Photograph never did really directly
compete with painters, at least not a painter who was any good.

In the end whether digital "kills off" film will depend on your
definition of killing off. But it is clear that film is moving into a
new state of existence where at best it will be harder to use and the
choices will be much more limited. I would be willing to bet that the
number of people who engage in painting today far exceeds the number
before photography. But the number of people who are doing film
photograph is greatly decreeing with the introduction of the digital
camera, because for the most part the digital camera does directly
compete with the film camera. When you sell more cameras you don't
sell less paint, when you sell more digit cameras you do sell less film
cameras.

Scott