Carl Zeiss on the Future of Film

How about the Future of Film?

Since Carl Zeiss introduced the Zeiss Ikon rangefinder camera system - a 35
mm film camera - we keep receiving questions about our belief in the future
of film.

In an era of digital hype, many people interested in high quality photo
equipment question an investment in film-based gear. Even those who very
well understand and appreciate the aspects in which film is clearly superior
to digital imagery keep asking us: "Will film be available for me to operate
my Zeiss Ikon camera in the future?"

We know that a variety of documentation applications of extreme importance
rely heavily on silver halide film - if not for image origination, then at
least for image archiving. Military aerial reconnaissance (often with Carl
Zeiss aerial cameras and lenses) today relies on digital technology for
immediate availability, but continues to use film for reliable long-term
storage.

And so does "Hollywood". Carl Zeiss, as a leading supplier of lenses for the
motion picture industry, can see day-in day-out, that the vast majority of
feature films is still originated on silver halide film. Film is the medium
of choice for long-term archiving, and is expected to remain so for the
foreseeable future. This is why we are so confident about the future of film

And how about Fujifilm and Kodak?

During a recent industry association meeting, we had the opportunity to
speak about the future of film with Helmut Rupsch, Business General Manager,
Fujifilm-Düsseldorf and Rainer Dick, Business General Manager, Kodak Digital
& Film Imaging Systems. Though both companies have been experiencing
declining film sales over the last two years, as the amateur and
professional photography markets transition from analog to digital, both
gentlemen report still very healthy business with film. These two industry
representatives, who are in a position to know the facts, confirm that
neither company is considering stopping film manufacture. Both gentlemen are
confident that their companies will continue to supply film - usable in the
ZI camera and others - for decades to come.

http://www.zeiss.de/C12567A8003B58B9?Open