Forsaking all film for digital

[bmattock]

Sign of the times? Ahead of his time? A complete idiot?

You be the judge - I think it is handwriting on the wall, but what do I know?

Best Regards,

Bill Mattocks

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcont...oto.43a55.html

Forsaking all film for digital
09:03 AM CST on Monday, November 22, 2004

By STEVE QUINN / The Dallas Morning News

PLANO – All Jeff Goulston wanted was a little job security. Having watched thousands of jobs get shipped overseas, the technology consultant saw his long-term prospects drying up.

Camera Stop may be the only store of its kind nationally, industry analysts and manufacturing executives say. And with digital camera sales surpassing film camera sales for the first time last year, it could point to what's ahead in photo retailing.

"A year ago, I might have said he's too early," said Ron Glaz, chief analyst for research firm International Data Corp. in Boston. "Now he's on the cusp where he's positioned himself before the whole market changes. I would say he's set up for the future."

Mr. Goulston opened Camera Stop knowing full well that the family-run shop would have to beat discounters, drugstores, electronics chains and specialty stores to win the digital dollar – particularly during the holidays, when big retailers arm themselves with multimillion-dollar ad budgets.

"People thought I was crazy," said Mr. Goulston, whose longtime passions of photography and technology drove his choice. "But there is nobody in this area who was servicing the needs of the digital photographer from capture to output and everything between – but we do and that's why we're still here a year later."

Sales of digital cameras have been rising steadily since they hit the mass market 10 years ago, while sales of film cameras have started to fall, according to the Photo Marketing Association International.

Even so, the number of households that own film equipment is more than double those that own digital cameras – 74 million to 33 million.

And sales of film prints still lead sales of digital prints by a wide margin – about 26.3 billion to 3.4 billion.


Competitors

Competition comes from electronics stalwarts such as Best Buy, Circuit City, Ultimate Electronics and Conn's, which offer periodic, hard-to-beat discounts on cameras.

Big processors such as discounters Wal-Mart and Sam's Club and drugstores Walgreen and CVS also get a big cut of the business.

Then there are national specialty chains Wolf Camera and Ritz Camera, and established local shops like Competitive Cameras in Dallas or Cooter's Village Camera in Highland Park. These stores have a healthy stock of digital cameras and supplies, but haven't abandoned film.

"Film is by no means dead," said Ramsey Jabbour, owner of 24-year-old Competitive Cameras. "I've had people buy digital cameras, then come back and buy film cameras."

What Mr. Goulston is doing, Mr. Jabbour said, "isn't risky and it isn't cutting edge; he's simply capitalizing on the fastest-growing facet of photography."

For a small shop like Camera Stop to survive, it must attract first-time customers, provide them with options, shower them with service and keep the prices competitive, experts said.

"If people have already bought from him, then he needs them to come back for the rest of the stuff: accessories, printing and archiving," Mr. Glaz said. "If he's a one-stop shop and reasonable, I suspect he will do well."


Ready to adjust

Geoff Wissman, vice president for Retail Forward, a research firm in Columbus, Ohio, said Mr. Goulston must be nimble enough to adjust to the industry's rapid changes and be able to guide customers through the labyrinth of new technology.

"The issue right now is, with the capabilities going up and with how quickly everything is coming out, how much camera do people need to purchase?" he said. "For this kind of specialty store, you need a lot of options in terms of what you can buy, and he needs to play to his strength – that he knows digital cameras and that's all he does."

In a city where big-box retailers dominate, Mr. Goulston's 1,300-square-foot store at Preston and Parker roads in Plano has the charm of a small mom-and-pop business – he and his wife, Lauren, are often joined at work by their dog, a Great Pyrenees.

The store appeals to photographers wanting the point-and-shoots as much as it does the geeks looking to get their hands on CD burners, memory cards or sensor swabs or to print their own photos at one of the three kiosks.

Still, Mr. Goulston operates with the sophistication of an established chain with loyalty programs designed to bring back customers. A camera purchase comes with 10 free prints a month for one year and a one-hour lesson.

It's part of a strategy that includes tracking the competition's pricing, selling equipment made by camera companies rather than electronics makers – and staying digital.

A few months ago, however, Mr. Goulston had a moment of weakness. He now sells film because he "got tired of sending people two doors down to Albertsons to get film."

"We have to take a realistic price approach, but we still want to win their business and keep it," Mr. Goulston said. "Sometimes if it means giving discounts on accessories because they bought a camera, we're willing to work with them."

So far, he said, his store is turning a profit, though he declined to discuss start-up costs or sales.

Mr. Goulston's business and the prospects for growth are buoyed by the growing simplicity of digital cameras, industry executives said.

Digital photo processing services are becoming more available, and beginning photographers don't have to invest hundreds of dollars in computer software, printers and special paper.

Additionally, people are becoming more comfortable with the transition from film to digital cameras. Those who never owned one are willing to try; those who have already owned one are upgrading.

"I don't think the photography culture has changed because people still want prints," said Elliott Peck, Canon's vice president/general manager of sales and the consumer-imaging group. "The ease of use is the driving force behind increasing the business. The industry is doing a great job of letting customers know this is affordable."


Film slowly fading

It may take an entire generation for digital to completely take over the industry, according to manufacturing executives whose companies still roll out new lines of film cameras.

And camera retailers such as Ritz Camera and Wolf Camera will continue to sell the appropriate balance of film and digital equipment.

For now.

"It's not inconceivable that you'll see digital-only stores, but I don't see it in the immediate future," said Dave Dumont, head of merchandising for Ritz Camera Centers, parent company of Ritz and Wolf.

"It's what's driving our business, but as much as the film business is down, there is still such an installed user base with millions who have cameras in the closet and take them out for the holidays."

[g0tr00t]

Personally, I welcome the digital rEvolution. From what I have learned, photog's used to keep their developing skills secret from one another, due to photography being an ART only for the artists. Then came the Brownie....and everyone was an ARTIST....Then came color and whoa - B&W was going to die a quick death....which it didn't.

Now we have the digital camera descending upon us. From what I see, the stuff I do in the darkroom is going to get thrown back in the art that it was when it was first invented.

The PS guru's are going to be the top of the industry, but I will be a rare breed (and so will my kids when the get old enough to shoot/develop film). I am going to pass my digital expertise as well as I my film expertise to my kids.

I am also making a portfolio of my photos and plan to frame them and my digital prints and head to some shows with a friend of mine.

The darkroom developer will rise as an artisit and film will be here for a long time. We just won't be able to go to the local store and buy some FP4.....

[Pherdinand]

Hm. So what is the genoius trick the guy does, and gets ahead of everyone? Having a shop only-digital? Or offering 10 prints if you buy from him, and one hour lesson? Couldn't get out more from the text (i'm a bit tired, true).

Thanks for the link, anyway...

[bmattock]

Originally posted by Pherdinand
Hm. So what is the genoius trick the guy does, and gets ahead of everyone? Having a shop only-digital? Or offering 10 prints if you buy from him, and one hour lesson? Couldn't get out more from the text (i'm a bit tired, true).

Thanks for the link, anyway...

1) His shop only does digital.
2) He and his staff are experts in all aspects of digital photo technology.
3) He offers an end-to-end service, from selling the cameras to the batteries to the memory cards, to printers and kiosk-style enlargements and kiosks.

Why is this 'genius?'

Not doing film means his capital resources are tied up in stock that is moving quickly. I'm not complaining, but a brown bottle jug or a packet of D76 on a shelf is going to sit there for awhile, yes?

He can compete with Walmart and Best Buy - not on price, but by being subject-matter experts and being willing to explain things to consumers who are just getting into digital and are bewildered.

Ultimate hand-holding and not making customer feel stupid - offering an end-to-end service - breeds customer loyalty.

The same things can be brought to any field of endevour - but it so happens that digital is moving quickly. There is much to know, much to keep up with, and it all must be explained to the masses who won't read and won't keep up, but demand the 'best' when they decide to open their checkbooks. And it all must be provided without being condescending - even stupid customers know when they're being patronized oftentimes.

Lots of risks here - Walmart & Best Buy may crush him where he can't compete - price. He may end up with obsolete stock on his shelves that he can't sell quickly enough, while the value of it drops like a stone (a danger in stocking any 'technology' I'm afraid). Customers may not feel like paying extra for extra service - but I suspect a significant minority will.

I think there is a living to be made here. Not that it is without risks, but there is opportunity.

In the early 1900's, smart people opened gasoline filling and automobile service stations. This is like that, in my opinion.

Best Regards,

Bill Mattocks

[Pherdinand]

I see. Thanks for the extra explanation, Bill.

[g0tr00t]

Bill, makes sense. Thanks.....

[hoppinghippos]

but I think like bill mentioned, his stock is going to become obsolete faster than you can say "cash or card?". big stores have the volume to take occasional losses from price drops but I"m not sure if a small shop like his can.

[l.mar]

Film? What's film? Personally, I think that the wave of the future is in tintypes. So much faster and less toxic than Daguerrotypes!

[Solinar]

Good luck getting someone to hold your hand while explaining the nuances of operating a digital camera at Walmart or Costco.

L. I tried placing one of those memory cards in my negative carrier on my Durst. Not only highlights, but even the shadows tended to block up. Maybe my camera is overexposing the memory card.

[FrankS]

David, I agree with your earlier post! Let the great unwashed and uncultured masses migrate to digital. Digital will become the point and shoot medium of choice, while real film, especially B&W, will become the serious, arty medium, and wet darkroom alchemy will once again become a virtually unkown and mysterious knowledge passed from one practitioner to another, preserving a secret brotherhood.

[That Guy]

Well, I would go to his shop. And I don't even use digital. He's running a shop based on quality and service, much like the shop that I go to. And you have to respect that.

There's too many people, some even come to this website, that don't see the value in this kind of service. Sure, I can get film and processing cheaper elsewhere other than Art's, but I don't get service at Walgreens.

[DougK]

Interesting looking store... sounds like a cool idea. Many of the folks I've seen selling digital cameras don't know much about photography at all and thus are worse than useless to a first-time buyer.

On a side note, I can't help but think after the research I've been doing into digital lately that the time when I switch back to digital may be approaching. Great strides have apparently been made in battery life, storage media , etc. since I got my Dimage 7i and manufacturers have negated or minimized most of the issues I had in those areas. I really only have one serious complaint left with digital and that is I wish the manufacturers would make the ergonomics of the compact digital cameras more like the compact fixed-lens rangefinders we all know and love. I would dearly love to have an affordable, pocketable digital camera that does away with movie modes I'll never use, obtuse menu systems, and just lets me shoot like I can with my XA or C35. Until I find that camera, though, I'll keep one foot firmly planted in the film world.

[SolaresLarrave]

Interestingly enough, he decided to carry film. What else do you expect to find in a camera store?

Smart man... but I hope he can sell old, outdated inventory fast enough. If not, I'd like to go when he wants to have a big sale offering the Nikon D70 at super sale prices!

[Todd.Hanz]

I think he'll survive if he keeps a limited number of the top brands/models in stock and reorders as his sales increase. That may be the problem though, with two PMA shows a year manufacturers are releasing new models at light speed, the 6 megapixel Canon G5 you bought in march has been replaced with a 7.1 megapixel Canon G6 in August and so it goes.
While I shoot alot of film ( I've got bricks of Tri-X and Acros on my Xmas list) I also shoot alot of digital. Digital isn't that bad, look in the gallery, they're all digitized (scanned) images

[SolaresLarrave]

Bill, you're right there. One cannot afford to be an ostrich. That's why I'm hoping these cameras (in my case the D70 or some other Nikon body) go down in price. I live in a small town, but, despite to my relative closeness to a large city, I can't get many things unless I order them through the web. What about the day when (let me gasp) Target or my grocery store no longer carry film (but still have discardable P&S)?

In the meanwhile, I've been fantasizing about a Nikon Coolpix 2100. A student of mine had one in Costa Rica and they're very competent micropixelers and have delightful macro capabilities. The only blink on the screen: you can't go beyond making 4X6 prints with that one, and, to be quite honest, if there's something I like is the 9X17 print I have in my studio... taken with a diminutive G1 with very cheap chromogenic Kodak film.

But times change...

[SolaresLarrave]

Todd, nice to see you again around here!

[Todd.Hanz]

Nice to be seen again, I started back in school and this semester is killing me! Spending too much time on the books and not enough time behind an RF, looking forward to the winter break so I can shoot some.

Todd

[nwcanonman]

I agree with Chris. My local Ritz is a "Cell Phone/Accesories/Developer", not a camera shop.
Since we have no real Camera stores in my area, I send my film to a great pro-lab in another state that gives incredible customer service. Yes I can get cheaper, but I can't get consistant quality with real service like that in any area these days ~ ; - )

[l.mar]

"L. I tried placing one of those memory cards in my negative carrier on my Durst. Not only highlights, but even the shadows tended to block up. Maybe my camera is overexposing the memory card."

__________________
Andrew In Austin, Texas

Not only that, but I can't seem to get any discernible images trying to print the memory cards through my wood contact printing frames, not even on that new-fangled P.O.P. paper!

[DougK]

OK, I'm going to eat a little crow from my previous post. I just got back from a vacation in the Florida Keys and took only my Olympus XA (sorry, Joe, I couldn't squeeze the Konica into my bag). I'm pretty sure most of the pictures will turn out but I kept wishing I'd packed my Dimage 7i so I could review and make sure I got it right; some of these were truly one-time opportunities of light and color. One of the folks I was traveling with brought a newer digital camera than mine (Olympus 4MP, can't remember the exact model) and her battery life was quite impressive even when she had to drop in a set of alkalines, so I am now fully willing to be wrong on that score and admit that there might not be such a serious barrier any more. Her photos were pretty good quality as well. At least I'll be able to post the vacation pics here guilt-free since they were shot with a rangefinder

I'll be running the film to the developer later this afternoon, hopefully I can post the keepers soon.

[MP Guy]

Boy, I remember the days when I lived in s. fl and was in the keyes every single week end. What a great place to just lay back and forget about everything.

[canonetc]

Originally Posted by FrankS

David, I agree with your earlier post! Let the great unwashed and uncultured masses migrate to digital. Digital will become the point and shoot medium of choice, while real film, especially B&W, will become the serious, arty medium, and wet darkroom alchemy will once again become a virtually unkown and mysterious knowledge passed from one practitioner to another, preserving a secret brotherhood.

I also agree; B/W will become more of a specialized service for the public, especially for weddings and portraiture. I offer my wedding clients a portfolio of hand-printed, fiber-based B/W prints, and they love the idea of a UNIQUE portfolio of hand-made artistry, not some commonplace digital album that all their other married friends have and often complain about.

Still, I've only seen one pro lab machine that matches film-print quality and I think it's called the FUJIPIX. I've compared my color digital images (shot on 20D) printed on the FUJIPIX to color film images printed on the same machine, and the prints look identical except film had better saturation. Anyway, long live film and B/W!

Chris
Canonetc

[impact07]

I, for one, welcome our new digital overlords.

[MCTuomey]

The guy's a good merchant, I think. He's intent on keeping close to his customers' desires and wants, end to end, so I doubt he'll be buying much stock that won't translate into sales. If his stock isn't moving, he'll have a good feel as to what will help it move. He's got a plan, a darn good one. I like his thinking and hope he does well.

Don't know about the writing on the wall. People still buy, train, and ride horses well after the advent of the motor-driven carriage. Film will live on, as long as we all buy it in sufficient volume to support its manufacture. Let's be sure to do business regularly with those who support our preferences, especially those brave few who still repair our cameras professionally. Shoot more, shoot often, I say, and provide a reason for film makers to go on and on ...

[jan normandale]

I like to see more digital cameras being sold. This encourages people to let go of some very nice photographic equipment. I use digital but I have bought more film cameras in the last 6 months than before. Prices are very good.

When you shoot film you have a negative or positive. Stored properly, they last and have more data on that film than any reasonably priced digital camera is able to provide. I take the film, have it put onto a CD and file the film and dump the CD into my computer. If I need a large print. Voila I have it on film. I can do it. You can't get large prints of similar quality from a digital camera yet. Considering image quality I am still in the film camp and not looking to leave.

Jan