PriceSCAN Blog: Film Camera Prices Drop With Rise of Digital

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Film Camera Prices Drop With Rise of Digital

Digital Cameras & Camcorders | Jul 20, 05

As a new technology emerges, its often interesting to take a look at what happens to the price of that which it supplants. One example may be found in the market for film cameras, where one can see a significant decline in the cost of many models as digital camera resolution improved.

To be sure, the high resolution and sensitivity of film continues to hold the loyalty of some serious photographers. For these diehard artists, photojournalists and serious amateurs, the accent of digital may have a silver halide lining. Readers of this blog know the price of increased digital camera resolution has been plunging (see, for example, “Price Drops On Digital Cameras For Graduation And Summer”), and it appears the film camera market has been forced to respond with its own price drop to remain competitive.
Consider the Canon EOS 3. Back in September of 1999 this 35mm SLR went for north of $1, 200. But as the digital photography revolution moved forward, the EOS 3’s price declined; it may now be purchased for under $820.
Time Period: 9/20/1999 through 7/11/2005
Each tick mark represents one week
Red = High Price, Blue = Average Price, Green = Low Price

Pretty much the same story hold for another 35mm SLR, the Nikon F100. Back in 1999 it would have run you about $1,200 and now costs less than $850.
Time Period: 9/20/1999 through 7/11/2005
Each tick mark represents one week
Red = High Price, Blue = Average Price, Green = Low Price

You can find many more examples of remarkable price drops for both film and digital here. So if you’re still a fan of film, you need not curse the market for megapixels; the rise of digital may have just saved you a bundle on your next camera.