Google Veo 3 is here, revolutionizing filmmaking with AI-generated videos AND audio! From indie creators to Hollywood, it’s changing the game.

Read how right here: https://www.theomenmedia.com/post/what-is-google-veo-3-unveiling-the-ai-video-revolution-and-its-impact-on-filmmaking

Support The Omen Media for free by watching our advertiser’s video: https://bit.ly/SupportTheOmenMedia

#GoogleVeo3 #AIFilmmaking #VideoGeneration #TechNews #Filmmaking #AIRevolution #ContentCreation #EntertainmentTech #GoogleIO2025 #CreativeTech #VideoEditing #DigitalStorytelling #TechInnovation #FutureOfFilm

Dil Raju’s LORVEN AI Studio: A New Dawn for Indian Cinema

#TycoonWorld #IndianCinema #Filmmaking #AIinFilm #FutureofFilm #TechMeetsFilm #Innovation #MovieMaking #CinemaTech #India #LORVENAIStudio #DilRaju #QuantumAIGlobal #HyderabadLaunch #FilmTechLaunch #CineScribe #CineSketch #PitchCraft #CineFlow #AIScriptwriting #AIStoryboarding #AIPitching #AIProductionManagement #Sukumar #AlluAravind #RaghavendraRao #NagAshwin #AnilRavipudi #VamsiPaidipally

https://tycoonworld.in/dil-rajus-lorven-ai-studio-a-new-dawn-for-indian-cinema/

How do you think AI and streaming data will change the way people invest in movies? #FutureOfFilm #DataDrivenCinema

You have an idea for a movie. Let's get it made.

My most recent sci-fi script, The Lost Star, is now in active development at Lady of the Light Productions. Between my script doctor work and my own writing, I've written over 70 screenplays from the ground up. More than half of these were picked up, or were commissioned as works for hire.

#screenwriting #film #filmfinancing #filmdevelopment #Hollywood #ideas #creators #innovation #creatives #futureoffilm #LFG

Coming soon: a CGI masterpiece that'll drive your imagination wild. Stay tuned for the ride of a lifetime! #StudioImageWorks #CGICarMagic #ComingSoon #DigitalDreams #AnimatedAdventures #VirtualVehicles #FutureofFilm #DigitalJourney #CGIWonder

Recently, I had the honor to join the Future of Film podcast to discuss specifically what The Metaverse means for content creators. Give it a listen if you'd like!

#metaverse #contentcreators #futureoffilm #futureofgames
https://www.futureoffilm.live/film/detail/unlocking-the-metaverse-for-creators/watch-at-home?country=united-kingdom

At #FutureOfFilm, I interview the talented & funny Dan Erickson, writer/creator of #AppleTV's #Severance about how to world-build without aliens & spaceships in galaxies far far away, #TheBloodlist, & other goodies that could help #writers on their journey. (but no season2 spoilers!)
https://www.futureoffilmsummit.com/

Autopsy of the Nikon F6

This time last year, photographer Thomas Eisl and I set out to dispel myths and to remind the world that we could still buy the world's last newly made 35mm SLR, the Nikon F6, brand new.

Sadly, nearly exactly one year later, Nikon has officially announced that this important camera is being discontinued after a bold 16 year run.

Thomas and I battled claims and statements throughout the comments sections on Petapixel, WordPress, Facebook and Twitter that the F6 cost was unwarranted and that it was no better than [provide example here] used cameras.

We heard that our little article may have actually caused a small uptick in new Nikon F6 sales. But in retrospect, I can't help but wonder if the arguments against the ideology of buying new film cameras from the film community itself, influenced Nikon's decision to halt production of our last 35mm SLR.

Admittedly, I probably come off as a bit of a cheerleader at times; encouraging people to buy $2,600 35mm SLR's and new lenses and accessories from Nikon instead of used versions from eBay. But look, I don't think that film photographers get it. We are a niche market. Each of us have the potential to be big fish in a little pond. What we say on social media and what we choose to spend our money on makes a difference. Manufacturers are watching and listening and basing decisions on what resources they are able and willing to provide for us from what we say and do.

And if you think I'm just an elitist blogger who gets kick-backs from retailers and is out of touch with real-world expenses, I just want to share with you that I have made exactly $15.74 in ad revenue from this blog this year. I myself do not have enough money in my checking account at this moment to buy a Nikon FM from eBay much less a Nikon F6 from B&H. So I get it. Lack of money is a hard line.

Please don't think I'm talking down to anyone when I say that we need to consider the bigger picture when we post discouraging remarks about the few manufacturers who provide our finite resources. Consider that if we cannot contribute money to our cause, we can contribute verbal support or, at the very least, withhold influential counterproductive comments.

Today, you may own twenty Nikon 35mm SLR's that work fine and you might not see one scrap of reason to buy a new F6, or new anything, that costs as much as those cameras combined. But I encourage you to think about what condition your camera collection will be in twenty years from now. And I encourage you to think about why you cannot buy a new 35mm camera of reasonable quality construction for anywhere near the cost of antique ones.

How many decades will pass before film photography is reduced to hundreds of dusty cameras sitting behind glass as abstract history decorations whose brand names, much less instructions for use, are recalled only by aged nerds?

And I for one, will forestall this sad future with every frame I shoot. How about you?

We can coast along with crossed fingers, riding on pure hope that our vintage mechanics and electronics last as long as our ambitions. Or we can actively progress, maintain and even fortify our and our community's pool of resources to ensure that film photography doesn't die as a result of our own lack of foresight and care.

Because it's not Nikon's fault that they had to kill the F6. It's ours.

We may be able to glean some wisdom from the death of the Nikon F6, perform an autopsy if you will.

The death of the F6 appears to tell us that the average film photographer cannot afford or does not want to pay $2600 for a professional camera. Maybe it tells us that the average film photographer does not place a high value on automation. Maybe it tells us that there no more professional film photographers.

But let's bring in the autopsy of the second to last 35mm SLR, for context. Up until just three years ago, the Nikon FM10 was also available new, for about $300 with lens, at it's peak cost. So that seems to rule out opposition of automation and professional cameras. The bipolar opposite to the F6 didn't sell either!

So let's bring in the only competition to the last of the 35mm SLR's; 35mm rangefinders.

Cosina (who were quietly building the FM10 for Nikon) discontinued the Voigtlander Bessa series five years ago. And Leica. Leica, for all intents and purposes invented the 35mm camera and are now the last to still build them new. They sell two in fact. The MP and M-A. These last new 35mm cameras cost an eye-watering $5,000+ dollars each. Without a lens.

From all this, we might deduce that film photographers don't use SLR's anymore, only rangefinders, and that they prefer Leica and fully manual cameras over any cheaper options, automated or manual. This doesn't seem accurate. You like SLR's, right? I certainly do. And I also certainly appreciate brands other than Leica. In fact, in many forums, film photographers will berate Leica shooters as rich idiots with no common sense. Yet their budget brands aren't there to support film photographers anymore.

Because this is what we've told the market.

We've told the market that we don't want anything new. Lomo only makes toys and Nikon and Leica charge too much for the quality that we demand. We're content with cameras as cheap as we can get them on eBay and if there's anything wrong with them, we can just tinker around with them, potentially endangering photo shoots with them until we get them to work well enough for our temporary purposes. We're telling the market that we don't need new cameras or professional service and warranties. We're telling the market that we don't need development of film camera technology. We're telling the market that film photography is just a nostalgic, gear-head tinkerer hobby, not the occupation of serious artists and storytellers who require reliable equipment, or care if the next generation has access to it.

We're telling the market that we care about collecting antiques more than taking pictures.

It makes you wonder who besides Nikon is listening to us. What critical film resource will be the next to die because a products own demographic won't support its manufacture? And what critical film resources will be left in the clumsy, incapable hands of an ad hoc used market?

It's as if we've voted, with our wallets, against Nikon and for eBay. Do you think that the next new 35mm camera will be made by eBay?

EBay doesn't care about film photography. Yet we've given eBay our money and withheld it from the people who gave us the Nikon F.

I have not included any photos in this blog to represent the lack of film photography that we ourselves are pushing the world towards.

Thanks for reading, happy shooting.

_Follow, Favorite, Like, Add, Insult, ContactJohnny Martyr _

#filmphotography #martyrmusings #news #nikon #35mmcameras #35mmfilm #35mmphotography #35mmslr #brandnew #buy #buynew #buyingcamerasoffebay #buyingfilmcamerasoffebay #cameracollecting #cameracollection #cameratechnology #cosina #deathof35mm #deathof35mmfilm #deathoffilm #deathoffilmphotography #ebay #film #filmcameras #filmproducts #filmresources #futureoffilm #leica #manufacturer #manufacturers #new #new35mmcamera #newfilmcamera #newfilmfilmresources #newfilmproducts #newnikonfilm #newslr #newtechnology #nikkor #nikon35mm #nikonf3 #nikonf4 #nikonf5 #nikonf6 #nikonfilm #nikonfm10 #sell #shoot #shootfilm #technology #trade #voigtlander #wheretobuycameras #wheretobuyfilmcameras

On Fuji Pro 400H and Any Discontinued Stock

You've probably heard by now that Fuji have discontinued what was for many shooters, their go-to, general purpose color film, Pro 400H.

For anyone who's been shooting film for more than a few years, we know this rodeo all to well.

Fuji or Kodak announce a discontinuation (notice that Ilford never does). The bloggers pick it up and spread the word. A near audible, sometimes literally audible gasp sounds across social media. Film adherents begin posting about their sudden and massive hauls from B&H, Adorama, Freestyle, Film Photography Project and then eBay and Amazon and wherever they can lay hands on the newly discontinued stock, before… the inevitable price spike.

Fuji Pro 400H was announced discontinued yesterday morning and within only a few hours eBay auctions for the film at astronomical prices appeared. I was disappointed to see a critical member of the film community posting about buying a stash simply to scalp it out at inflated prices later.

Fuji 400 Pro H - Nikon FM + Nikkor 50mm 1.8 AIS

Maybe I can stand back with a neutral eye on this news because after probably a decade of using Fuji Pro 400H religiously, it's been about another decade since I bought a roll. The loss doesn't bear a single direct effect on my workflow or creative chi. But when Kodak discontinued TMAX P3200 in 2012, and Fuji discontinued FP-3000b in 2013, my heart pumped out of my chest and my head burst like the top of a cartoon thermometer. I immediately got on the phone with retailers in each case (skipped the internet to ensure my order went through) and spent $400 or $500 on small stockpiles of each.

So I understand the emotional reaction.

I really do.

Fuji 400 Pro H - Nikon FE + Nikkor 85mm 1.8 AI'd

As film shooters, the worst threat to our hobby and profession is when our preferred film stock is abruptly marked for extinction. Whole workflows and methods and habits need to be recalibrated from preparing for shoots to editing, scanning and printing. The effect of a stock discontinuation to each of us can be personally devastating. Not to mention earthshattering to our emotional fortitude and spirit to keep film alive.

But I would strongly encourage that we try to look at the bigger picture here and avoid binge buying and panic purchasing Fuji Pro 400H, or any discontinued stock for that matter.

Fuji 400 Pro H - Nikon FM + Nikkor 85mm 1.8 AI'd

There are a few exceptions. If I hadn't binge bought Fuji FP-3000b, I would have never had one of the greatest experiences of my life as a photographer, photographing Veruca Salt with my Polaroid Land Camera and consequently talking to their guitarist Louise Post. And binge buying TMAX P3200 allowed me some time to transition to Delta 3200 for my wedding and documentary portrait work. If you also make a living off a recently discontinued stock or are just very passionate about it, sure, go ahead and binge buy.

But if you're attracted to a film simply because it's now on the exotic film list and you are considering dropping a big chunk of change on it out of curiosity etc, I urge you to think again.

Fuji 400 Pro H - Pentax ME Super + SMC 50mm 1.2

If you are a film fridge hoarder, I'm sure that there's nothing I can say to make you change your mind. And maybe that's just as well. Your hoard, er, collection, will grow increasingly unique and compelling as time goes by. Like reviving wooly mammoths!

If you are down on your finances thanks to COVID or are just an opportunistic sonovabitch, I also probably can't sway you.

But I really think it would be useful if we all took a step back, took a breath and considered spending whatever amount we would blow on a binge buy of discontinued stock on a film stock that is commonly available fresh, instead.

Why? Why is Johnny Martyr always telling me to buy new and expensive cameras and accessories and now he's telling me to jump ship on a rare film stock in favor of something that I can buy any time. What is this guy's problem?!

Fuji 400 Pro H - Olympus OM-1 + Zuiko 50mm 1.8

Look, let's say you blow $500 on Fuji Pro 400H today. Where does that money go? Maybe you'll turn it into $1000 next year by reselling the film when it's no longer available from retailers. Maybe you'll just shoot it and enjoy it. And while those are perfectly valid and logical courses of action, I submit that we stop spending crazy prices on film once a year or three when a film is discontinued, and start spending that money regularly throughout the year on stocks that are still readily available. Do you normally spend $500 a year on fresh film?

If we do that, maybe we can reduce discontinuations to begin with. Right? Today it's Fuji 400H, tomorrow, maybe it will be something else we'd never expect like Superia 400. Or Tri-X.

Don't keep investing in dead product lines. Invest in the survivors. Invest in living film stocks and the future of film. Let's put our money on the film that we can buy fresh today and give our money to Kodak, Fuji and Ilford instead of a film hoarding opportunist on eBay. Sudden spikes in sales to Fuji and Kodak probably only encourage discontinuations at times when the companies need a quick cash injection. Let's not encourage discontinuations. Let's encourage longevity.

After I'm long dead, I love to imagine a world where my daughter walks into a physical camera store buys a fresh roll of Tri-X and the clerk shows her how to put it in my 1930 Leica. Sounds nice, doesn't it?

Kodak Tri-X 400 - 1930 Leica I/III + Leitz 5cm f2 Summar

While I binge bought TMAX P3200 and FP-3000b when their discontinuations were announced, I vowed to myself not to buy anymore of those films once I ate through my stockpile. For the reasons above. If Kodak wasn't going to make P3200, I'd shift fully to support Ilford 3200 ASAP. And that is what I did. And look how that turned out. Kodak revived P3200 almost 6 years later.

And two years after Fuji discontinued Acros 100, they released Acros 100 II.

I'm not suggesting that a boycott on discontinued film binge buys and panic purchases will always revive those stocks, but I am willing to bet my disposable income that our money is better used to support films that are not marked for discontinuation. These are the films that are going to keep film photography alive and well. Investing in them is investing in our future.

Kodak Portra 400 - Leica M6 TTL .85 + Voigtlander 50mm 1.5 Nokton

In their press release, Fuji state that 400H was discontinued due to difficulty acquiring the unique materials required to manufacture this film. They didn't drop the film because it wasn't selling. This is why Kodak originally dropped P3200. No amount of supporting these products could change the availability and cost of those materials at those times. So don't. Shift and pivot.

It's not easy for any of us when a film is discontinued, but we're not going to make it any easier for ourselves by scalping one another and investing in consumable goods that are no longer made.

Good luck determining a new path after the current supply of Fuji 400H dries up.

Thanks for reading and happy shooting!

_Follow, Favorite, Like, Add, Insult, ContactJohnny Martyr _

#filmphotography #filmreview #fujifilm #martyrmusings #news #reviews #tipstricksadvice #120film #35mmfilm #400iso #advice #binge #bingebuy #bought #buy #buying #consumerism #discontinuation #discontinued #discontinuedfilm #ebay #ethics #expiredfilm #extinctfilm #fuji #fuji120film #fuji35mmfilm #fuji400 #fuji400h #fujipro400h #fujifilm400 #fujifilm400h #fujifilmpro400h #futureoffilm #futureofphotography #generalpurposefilm #howtobuyfilm #howtochoosefilm #investment #johnnymartyr #morality #nolongeravailable #obsolete #panic #panicpurchase #photography #pointofview #refrigeratingfilm #sale #scalpingfilm #sell #storingfilm

Autopsy of the Nikon F6

This time last year, photographer Thomas Eisl and I set out to dispel myths and to remind the world that we could still buy the world's last newly made 35mm SLR, the Nikon F6, brand new.

Sadly, nearly exactly one year later, Nikon has officially announced that this important camera is being discontinued after a bold 16 year run.

Thomas and I battled claims and statements throughout the comments sections on Petapixel, WordPress, Facebook and Twitter that the F6 cost was unwarranted and that it was no better than [provide example here] used cameras.

We heard that our little article may have actually caused a small uptick in new Nikon F6 sales. But in retrospect, I can't help but wonder if the arguments against the ideology of buying new film cameras from the film community itself, influenced Nikon's decision to halt production of our last 35mm SLR.

Admittedly, I probably come off as a bit of a cheerleader at times; encouraging people to buy $2,600 35mm SLR's and new lenses and accessories from Nikon instead of used versions from eBay. But look, I don't think that film photographers get it. We are a niche market. Each of us have the potential to be big fish in a little pond. What we say on social media and what we choose to spend our money on makes a difference. Manufacturers are watching and listening and basing decisions on what resources they are able and willing to provide for us from what we say and do.

And if you think I'm just an elitist blogger who gets kick-backs from retailers and is out of touch with real-world expenses, I just want to share with you that I have made exactly $15.74 in ad revenue from this blog this year. I myself do not have enough money in my checking account at this moment to buy a Nikon FM from eBay much less a Nikon F6 from B&H. So I get it. Lack of money is a hard line.

Please don't think I'm talking down to anyone when I say that we need to consider the bigger picture when we post discouraging remarks about the few manufacturers who provide our finite resources. Consider that if we cannot contribute money to our cause, we can contribute verbal support or, at the very least, withhold influential counterproductive comments.

Today, you may own twenty Nikon 35mm SLR's that work fine and you might not see one scrap of reason to buy a new F6, or new anything, that costs as much as those cameras combined. But I encourage you to think about what condition your camera collection will be in twenty years from now. And I encourage you to think about why you cannot buy a new 35mm camera of reasonable quality construction for anywhere near the cost of antique ones.

How many decades will pass before film photography is reduced to hundreds of dusty cameras sitting behind glass as abstract history decorations whose brand names, much less instructions for use, are recalled only by aged nerds?

And I for one, will forestall this sad future with every frame I shoot. How about you?

We can coast along with crossed fingers, riding on pure hope that our vintage mechanics and electronics last as long as our ambitions. Or we can actively progress, maintain and even fortify our and our community's pool of resources to ensure that film photography doesn't die as a result of our own lack of foresight and care.

Because it's not Nikon's fault that they had to kill the F6. It's ours.

We may be able to glean some wisdom from the death of the Nikon F6, perform an autopsy if you will.

The death of the F6 appears to tell us that the average film photographer cannot afford or does not want to pay $2600 for a professional camera. Maybe it tells us that the average film photographer does not place a high value on automation. Maybe it tells us that there no more professional film photographers.

But let's bring in the autopsy of the second to last 35mm SLR, for context. Up until just three years ago, the Nikon FM10 was also available new, for about $300 with lens, at it's peak cost. So that seems to rule out opposition of automation and professional cameras. The bipolar opposite to the F6 didn't sell either!

So let's bring in the only competition to the last of the 35mm SLR's; 35mm rangefinders.

Cosina (who were quietly building the FM10 for Nikon) discontinued the Voigtlander Bessa series five years ago. And Leica. Leica, for all intents and purposes invented the 35mm camera and are now the last to still build them new. They sell two in fact. The MP and M-A. These last new 35mm cameras cost an eye-watering $5,000+ dollars each. Without a lens.

From all this, we might deduce that film photographers don't use SLR's anymore, only rangefinders, and that they prefer Leica and fully manual cameras over any cheaper options, automated or manual. This doesn't seem accurate. You like SLR's, right? I certainly do. And I also certainly appreciate brands other than Leica. In fact, in many forums, film photographers will berate Leica shooters as rich idiots with no common sense. Yet their budget brands aren't there to support film photographers anymore.

Because this is what we've told the market.

We've told the market that we don't want anything new. Lomo only makes toys and Nikon and Leica charge too much for the quality that we demand. We're content with cameras as cheap as we can get them on eBay and if there's anything wrong with them, we can just tinker around with them, potentially endangering photo shoots with them until we get them to work well enough for our temporary purposes. We're telling the market that we don't need new cameras or professional service and warranties. We're telling the market that we don't need development of film camera technology. We're telling the market that film photography is just a nostalgic, gear-head tinkerer hobby, not the occupation of serious artists and storytellers who require reliable equipment, or care if the next generation has access to it.

We're telling the market that we care about collecting antiques more than taking pictures.

It makes you wonder who besides Nikon is listening to us. What critical film resource will be the next to die because a products own demographic won't support its manufacture? And what critical film resources will be left in the clumsy, incapable hands of an ad hoc used market?

It's as if we've voted, with our wallets, against Nikon and for eBay. Do you think that the next new 35mm camera will be made by eBay?

EBay doesn't care about film photography. Yet we've given eBay our money and withheld it from the people who gave us the Nikon F.

I have not included any photos in this blog to represent the lack of film photography that we ourselves are pushing the world towards.

Thanks for reading, happy shooting.

_Follow, Favorite, Like, Add, Insult, ContactJohnny Martyr _

#filmphotography #martyrmusings #news #nikon #35mmcameras #35mmfilm #35mmphotography #35mmslr #brandnew #buy #buynew #buyingcamerasoffebay #buyingfilmcamerasoffebay #cameracollecting #cameracollection #cameratechnology #cosina #deathof35mm #deathof35mmfilm #deathoffilm #deathoffilmphotography #ebay #film #filmcameras #filmproducts #filmresources #futureoffilm #leica #manufacturer #manufacturers #new #new35mmcamera #newfilmcamera #newfilmfilmresources #newfilmproducts #newnikonfilm #newslr #newtechnology #nikkor #nikon35mm #nikonf3 #nikonf4 #nikonf5 #nikonf6 #nikonfilm #nikonfm10 #sell #shoot #shootfilm #technology #trade #voigtlander #wheretobuycameras #wheretobuyfilmcameras

On Fuji Pro 400H and Any Discontinued Stock

You've probably heard by now that Fuji have discontinued what was for many shooters, their go-to, general purpose color film, Pro 400H.

For anyone who's been shooting film for more than a few years, we know this rodeo all to well.

Fuji or Kodak announce a discontinuation (notice that Ilford never does). The bloggers pick it up and spread the word. A near audible, sometimes literally audible gasp sounds across social media. Film adherents begin posting about their sudden and massive hauls from B&H, Adorama, Freestyle, Film Photography Project and then eBay and Amazon and wherever they can lay hands on the newly discontinued stock, before… the inevitable price spike.

Fuji Pro 400H was announced discontinued yesterday morning and within only a few hours eBay auctions for the film at astronomical prices appeared. I was disappointed to see a critical member of the film community posting about buying a stash simply to scalp it out at inflated prices later.

Fuji 400 Pro H - Nikon FM + Nikkor 50mm 1.8 AIS

Maybe I can stand back with a neutral eye on this news because after probably a decade of using Fuji Pro 400H religiously, it's been about another decade since I bought a roll. The loss doesn't bear a single direct effect on my workflow or creative chi. But when Kodak discontinued TMAX P3200 in 2012, and Fuji discontinued FP-3000b in 2013, my heart pumped out of my chest and my head burst like the top of a cartoon thermometer. I immediately got on the phone with retailers in each case (skipped the internet to ensure my order went through) and spent $400 or $500 on small stockpiles of each.

So I understand the emotional reaction.

I really do.

Fuji 400 Pro H - Nikon FE + Nikkor 85mm 1.8 AI'd

As film shooters, the worst threat to our hobby and profession is when our preferred film stock is abruptly marked for extinction. Whole workflows and methods and habits need to be recalibrated from preparing for shoots to editing, scanning and printing. The effect of a stock discontinuation to each of us can be personally devastating. Not to mention earthshattering to our emotional fortitude and spirit to keep film alive.

But I would strongly encourage that we try to look at the bigger picture here and avoid binge buying and panic purchasing Fuji Pro 400H, or any discontinued stock for that matter.

Fuji 400 Pro H - Nikon FM + Nikkor 85mm 1.8 AI'd

There are a few exceptions. If I hadn't binge bought Fuji FP-3000b, I would have never had one of the greatest experiences of my life as a photographer, photographing Veruca Salt with my Polaroid Land Camera and consequently talking to their guitarist Louise Post. And binge buying TMAX P3200 allowed me some time to transition to Delta 3200 for my wedding and documentary portrait work. If you also make a living off a recently discontinued stock or are just very passionate about it, sure, go ahead and binge buy.

But if you're attracted to a film simply because it's now on the exotic film list and you are considering dropping a big chunk of change on it out of curiosity etc, I urge you to think again.

Fuji 400 Pro H - Pentax ME Super + SMC 50mm 1.2

If you are a film fridge hoarder, I'm sure that there's nothing I can say to make you change your mind. And maybe that's just as well. Your hoard, er, collection, will grow increasingly unique and compelling as time goes by. Like reviving wooly mammoths!

If you are down on your finances thanks to COVID or are just an opportunistic sonovabitch, I also probably can't sway you.

But I really think it would be useful if we all took a step back, took a breath and considered spending whatever amount we would blow on a binge buy of discontinued stock on a film stock that is commonly available fresh, instead.

Why? Why is Johnny Martyr always telling me to buy new and expensive cameras and accessories and now he's telling me to jump ship on a rare film stock in favor of something that I can buy any time. What is this guy's problem?!

Fuji 400 Pro H - Olympus OM-1 + Zuiko 50mm 1.8

Look, let's say you blow $500 on Fuji Pro 400H today. Where does that money go? Maybe you'll turn it into $1000 next year by reselling the film when it's no longer available from retailers. Maybe you'll just shoot it and enjoy it. And while those are perfectly valid and logical courses of action, I submit that we stop spending crazy prices on film once a year or three when a film is discontinued, and start spending that money regularly throughout the year on stocks that are still readily available. Do you normally spend $500 a year on fresh film?

If we do that, maybe we can reduce discontinuations to begin with. Right? Today it's Fuji 400H, tomorrow, maybe it will be something else we'd never expect like Superia 400. Or Tri-X.

Don't keep investing in dead product lines. Invest in the survivors. Invest in living film stocks and the future of film. Let's put our money on the film that we can buy fresh today and give our money to Kodak, Fuji and Ilford instead of a film hoarding opportunist on eBay. Sudden spikes in sales to Fuji and Kodak probably only encourage discontinuations at times when the companies need a quick cash injection. Let's not encourage discontinuations. Let's encourage longevity.

After I'm long dead, I love to imagine a world where my daughter walks into a physical camera store buys a fresh roll of Tri-X and the clerk shows her how to put it in my 1930 Leica. Sounds nice, doesn't it?

Kodak Tri-X 400 - 1930 Leica I/III + Leitz 5cm f2 Summar

While I binge bought TMAX P3200 and FP-3000b when their discontinuations were announced, I vowed to myself not to buy anymore of those films once I ate through my stockpile. For the reasons above. If Kodak wasn't going to make P3200, I'd shift fully to support Ilford 3200 ASAP. And that is what I did. And look how that turned out. Kodak revived P3200 almost 6 years later.

And two years after Fuji discontinued Acros 100, they released Acros 100 II.

I'm not suggesting that a boycott on discontinued film binge buys and panic purchases will always revive those stocks, but I am willing to bet my disposable income that our money is better used to support films that are not marked for discontinuation. These are the films that are going to keep film photography alive and well. Investing in them is investing in our future.

Kodak Portra 400 - Leica M6 TTL .85 + Voigtlander 50mm 1.5 Nokton

In their press release, Fuji state that 400H was discontinued due to difficulty acquiring the unique materials required to manufacture this film. They didn't drop the film because it wasn't selling. This is why Kodak originally dropped P3200. No amount of supporting these products could change the availability and cost of those materials at those times. So don't. Shift and pivot.

It's not easy for any of us when a film is discontinued, but we're not going to make it any easier for ourselves by scalping one another and investing in consumable goods that are no longer made.

Good luck determining a new path after the current supply of Fuji 400H dries up.

Thanks for reading and happy shooting!

_Follow, Favorite, Like, Add, Insult, ContactJohnny Martyr _

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Autopsy of the Nikon F6

This time last year, photographer Thomas Eisl and I set out to dispel myths and to remind the world that we could still buy the world's last newly made 35mm SLR, the Nikon F6, brand new.

Sadly, nearly exactly one year later, Nikon has officially announced that this important camera is being discontinued after a bold 16 year run.

Thomas and I battled claims and statements throughout the comments sections on Petapixel, WordPress, Facebook and Twitter that the F6 cost was unwarranted and that it was no better than [provide example here] used cameras.

We heard that our little article may have actually caused a small uptick in new Nikon F6 sales. But in retrospect, I can't help but wonder if the arguments against the ideology of buying new film cameras from the film community itself, influenced Nikon's decision to halt production of our last 35mm SLR.

Admittedly, I probably come off as a bit of a cheerleader at times; encouraging people to buy $2,600 35mm SLR's and new lenses and accessories from Nikon instead of used versions from eBay. But look, I don't think that film photographers get it. We are a niche market. Each of us have the potential to be big fish in a little pond. What we say on social media and what we choose to spend our money on makes a difference. Manufacturers are watching and listening and basing decisions on what resources they are able and willing to provide for us from what we say and do.

And if you think I'm just an elitist blogger who gets kick-backs from retailers and is out of touch with real-world expenses, I just want to share with you that I have made exactly $15.74 in ad revenue from this blog this year. I myself do not have enough money in my checking account at this moment to buy a Nikon FM from eBay much less a Nikon F6 from B&H. So I get it. Lack of money is a hard line.

Please don't think I'm talking down to anyone when I say that we need to consider the bigger picture when we post discouraging remarks about the few manufacturers who provide our finite resources. Consider that if we cannot contribute money to our cause, we can contribute verbal support or, at the very least, withhold influential counterproductive comments.

Today, you may own twenty Nikon 35mm SLR's that work fine and you might not see one scrap of reason to buy a new F6, or new anything, that costs as much as those cameras combined. But I encourage you to think about what condition your camera collection will be in twenty years from now. And I encourage you to think about why you cannot buy a new 35mm camera of reasonable quality construction for anywhere near the cost of antique ones.

How many decades will pass before film photography is reduced to hundreds of dusty cameras sitting behind glass as abstract history decorations whose brand names, much less instructions for use, are recalled only by aged nerds?

And I for one, will forestall this sad future with every frame I shoot. How about you?

We can coast along with crossed fingers, riding on pure hope that our vintage mechanics and electronics last as long as our ambitions. Or we can actively progress, maintain and even fortify our and our community's pool of resources to ensure that film photography doesn't die as a result of our own lack of foresight and care.

Because it's not Nikon's fault that they had to kill the F6. It's ours.

We may be able to glean some wisdom from the death of the Nikon F6, perform an autopsy if you will.

The death of the F6 appears to tell us that the average film photographer cannot afford or does not want to pay $2600 for a professional camera. Maybe it tells us that the average film photographer does not place a high value on automation. Maybe it tells us that there no more professional film photographers.

But let's bring in the autopsy of the second to last 35mm SLR, for context. Up until just three years ago, the Nikon FM10 was also available new, for about $300 with lens, at it's peak cost. So that seems to rule out opposition of automation and professional cameras. The bipolar opposite to the F6 didn't sell either!

So let's bring in the only competition to the last of the 35mm SLR's; 35mm rangefinders.

Cosina (who were quietly building the FM10 for Nikon) discontinued the Voigtlander Bessa series five years ago. And Leica. Leica, for all intents and purposes invented the 35mm camera and are now the last to still build them new. They sell two in fact. The MP and M-A. These last new 35mm cameras cost an eye-watering $5,000+ dollars each. Without a lens.

From all this, we might deduce that film photographers don't use SLR's anymore, only rangefinders, and that they prefer Leica and fully manual cameras over any cheaper options, automated or manual. This doesn't seem accurate. You like SLR's, right? I certainly do. And I also certainly appreciate brands other than Leica. In fact, in many forums, film photographers will berate Leica shooters as rich idiots with no common sense. Yet their budget brands aren't there to support film photographers anymore.

Because this is what we've told the market.

We've told the market that we don't want anything new. Lomo only makes toys and Nikon and Leica charge too much for the quality that we demand. We're content with cameras as cheap as we can get them on eBay and if there's anything wrong with them, we can just tinker around with them, potentially endangering photo shoots with them until we get them to work well enough for our temporary purposes. We're telling the market that we don't need new cameras or professional service and warranties. We're telling the market that we don't need development of film camera technology. We're telling the market that film photography is just a nostalgic, gear-head tinkerer hobby, not the occupation of serious artists and storytellers who require reliable equipment, or care if the next generation has access to it.

We're telling the market that we care about collecting antiques more than taking pictures.

It makes you wonder who besides Nikon is listening to us. What critical film resource will be the next to die because a products own demographic won't support its manufacture? And what critical film resources will be left in the clumsy, incapable hands of an ad hoc used market?

It's as if we've voted, with our wallets, against Nikon and for eBay. Do you think that the next new 35mm camera will be made by eBay?

EBay doesn't care about film photography. Yet we've given eBay our money and withheld it from the people who gave us the Nikon F.

I have not included any photos in this blog to represent the lack of film photography that we ourselves are pushing the world towards.

Thanks for reading, happy shooting.

_Follow, Favorite, Like, Add, Insult, ContactJohnny Martyr _

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On Fuji Pro 400H and Any Discontinued Stock

You've probably heard by now that Fuji have discontinued what was for many shooters, their go-to, general purpose color film, Pro 400H.

For anyone who's been shooting film for more than a few years, we know this rodeo all to well.

Fuji or Kodak announce a discontinuation (notice that Ilford never does). The bloggers pick it up and spread the word. A near audible, sometimes literally audible gasp sounds across social media. Film adherents begin posting about their sudden and massive hauls from B&H, Adorama, Freestyle, Film Photography Project and then eBay and Amazon and wherever they can lay hands on the newly discontinued stock, before… the inevitable price spike.

Fuji Pro 400H was announced discontinued yesterday morning and within only a few hours eBay auctions for the film at astronomical prices appeared. I was disappointed to see a critical member of the film community posting about buying a stash simply to scalp it out at inflated prices later.

Fuji 400 Pro H - Nikon FM + Nikkor 50mm 1.8 AIS

Maybe I can stand back with a neutral eye on this news because after probably a decade of using Fuji Pro 400H religiously, it's been about another decade since I bought a roll. The loss doesn't bear a single direct effect on my workflow or creative chi. But when Kodak discontinued TMAX P3200 in 2012, and Fuji discontinued FP-3000b in 2013, my heart pumped out of my chest and my head burst like the top of a cartoon thermometer. I immediately got on the phone with retailers in each case (skipped the internet to ensure my order went through) and spent $400 or $500 on small stockpiles of each.

So I understand the emotional reaction.

I really do.

Fuji 400 Pro H - Nikon FE + Nikkor 85mm 1.8 AI'd

As film shooters, the worst threat to our hobby and profession is when our preferred film stock is abruptly marked for extinction. Whole workflows and methods and habits need to be recalibrated from preparing for shoots to editing, scanning and printing. The effect of a stock discontinuation to each of us can be personally devastating. Not to mention earthshattering to our emotional fortitude and spirit to keep film alive.

But I would strongly encourage that we try to look at the bigger picture here and avoid binge buying and panic purchasing Fuji Pro 400H, or any discontinued stock for that matter.

Fuji 400 Pro H - Nikon FM + Nikkor 85mm 1.8 AI'd

There are a few exceptions. If I hadn't binge bought Fuji FP-3000b, I would have never had one of the greatest experiences of my life as a photographer, photographing Veruca Salt with my Polaroid Land Camera and consequently talking to their guitarist Louise Post. And binge buying TMAX P3200 allowed me some time to transition to Delta 3200 for my wedding and documentary portrait work. If you also make a living off a recently discontinued stock or are just very passionate about it, sure, go ahead and binge buy.

But if you're attracted to a film simply because it's now on the exotic film list and you are considering dropping a big chunk of change on it out of curiosity etc, I urge you to think again.

Fuji 400 Pro H - Pentax ME Super + SMC 50mm 1.2

If you are a film fridge hoarder, I'm sure that there's nothing I can say to make you change your mind. And maybe that's just as well. Your hoard, er, collection, will grow increasingly unique and compelling as time goes by. Like reviving wooly mammoths!

If you are down on your finances thanks to COVID or are just an opportunistic sonovabitch, I also probably can't sway you.

But I really think it would be useful if we all took a step back, took a breath and considered spending whatever amount we would blow on a binge buy of discontinued stock on a film stock that is commonly available fresh, instead.

Why? Why is Johnny Martyr always telling me to buy new and expensive cameras and accessories and now he's telling me to jump ship on a rare film stock in favor of something that I can buy any time. What is this guy's problem?!

Fuji 400 Pro H - Olympus OM-1 + Zuiko 50mm 1.8

Look, let's say you blow $500 on Fuji Pro 400H today. Where does that money go? Maybe you'll turn it into $1000 next year by reselling the film when it's no longer available from retailers. Maybe you'll just shoot it and enjoy it. And while those are perfectly valid and logical courses of action, I submit that we stop spending crazy prices on film once a year or three when a film is discontinued, and start spending that money regularly throughout the year on stocks that are still readily available. Do you normally spend $500 a year on fresh film?

If we do that, maybe we can reduce discontinuations to begin with. Right? Today it's Fuji 400H, tomorrow, maybe it will be something else we'd never expect like Superia 400. Or Tri-X.

Don't keep investing in dead product lines. Invest in the survivors. Invest in living film stocks and the future of film. Let's put our money on the film that we can buy fresh today and give our money to Kodak, Fuji and Ilford instead of a film hoarding opportunist on eBay. Sudden spikes in sales to Fuji and Kodak probably only encourage discontinuations at times when the companies need a quick cash injection. Let's not encourage discontinuations. Let's encourage longevity.

After I'm long dead, I love to imagine a world where my daughter walks into a physical camera store buys a fresh roll of Tri-X and the clerk shows her how to put it in my 1930 Leica. Sounds nice, doesn't it?

Kodak Tri-X 400 - 1930 Leica I/III + Leitz 5cm f2 Summar

While I binge bought TMAX P3200 and FP-3000b when their discontinuations were announced, I vowed to myself not to buy anymore of those films once I ate through my stockpile. For the reasons above. If Kodak wasn't going to make P3200, I'd shift fully to support Ilford 3200 ASAP. And that is what I did. And look how that turned out. Kodak revived P3200 almost 6 years later.

And two years after Fuji discontinued Acros 100, they released Acros 100 II.

I'm not suggesting that a boycott on discontinued film binge buys and panic purchases will always revive those stocks, but I am willing to bet my disposable income that our money is better used to support films that are not marked for discontinuation. These are the films that are going to keep film photography alive and well. Investing in them is investing in our future.

Kodak Portra 400 - Leica M6 TTL .85 + Voigtlander 50mm 1.5 Nokton

In their press release, Fuji state that 400H was discontinued due to difficulty acquiring the unique materials required to manufacture this film. They didn't drop the film because it wasn't selling. This is why Kodak originally dropped P3200. No amount of supporting these products could change the availability and cost of those materials at those times. So don't. Shift and pivot.

It's not easy for any of us when a film is discontinued, but we're not going to make it any easier for ourselves by scalping one another and investing in consumable goods that are no longer made.

Good luck determining a new path after the current supply of Fuji 400H dries up.

Thanks for reading and happy shooting!

_Follow, Favorite, Like, Add, Insult, ContactJohnny Martyr _

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