The Digital Revolution in Photography | Film is Dead
THE DIGITAL REVOLUTION IN PHOTOGRAPHY
Let's briefly talk about the digital revolution in photography. Photographic film was the primary photographic material and commodity, generating billions of dollars for Kodak and dozens of other companies. When the digital revolution began, many companies actively participated, while Kodak, on the contrary, resisted to the bitter end.
KEY EVENTS OF THE DIGITAL REVOLUTION
1975 - The digital camera is invented in Kodak labs
1981 - The first digital camera goes on sale: the Sony Mavica (570×490 pixels)
1982 - Sony Mavica 2
1984 - Canon, Copal, Panasonic, and Hitachi introduce digital cameras.
1985 - Fuji and Konica enter the digital camera market.
1985 - Kodak introduces a 1.4-megapixel sensor, but they do not produce prototypes or market it.
1986 - Nikon and Philips introduce cameras.
1988 - The first full-fledged digital camera, the Fuji DS-1P (640x480 resolution = 0.4 megapixels).
1990 - By this point, ALL major camera manufacturers have entered the digital photography market.
1994 - Apple's first digital camera, the QuickTake 100 ($750, 640x480 resolution), is released. The camera is actually made by Kodak.
1995 - The first Kodak DC50 camera is released. Kodak is the last major manufacturer to enter the race.
1996 - The first camera in the Canon PowerShot series is released. This is one of the most successful digital cameras in history.
1998 - Prices for digital cameras drop to $350.
2001 - The Kodak EasyShare series is released, low-cost cameras that are expected to restore Kodak's traditional leadership in the low-cost camera market.
2001 - The film market (analog) begins to decline sharply.
2005 - A threefold decline over four years makes it clear to everyone that analog film is on the brink of extinction.
2007 - Kodak becomes unprofitable. A major global manufacturing giant falters.
2011 - Kodak and Fuji (who have similar business models, prioritizing film sales) file for bankruptcy.
2020 - Film sales are still strong, and it is used by professionals. The film market has shrunk by approximately 10,000 times.
Flexible film appeared in the late 19th century. George Eastman bought someone else's patent and perfected it. Since 1905, Kodak has been developing its core business model: selling cheap cameras (often even at a loss), hooking its customers on film. Margins on film reached 30-60%. After the 1930s, 35mm film became the standard. Leica is credited with popularizing 33mm. After the 1940s and 1950s, the market for amateur film became significant.
By 1980, Eastman Kodak was the world leader in film sales. Fuji was the leader in Japan, and Agfa and Kodak were the leaders in Europe. The market size ranged from $15 to $50 billion annually worldwide. Manufacturers such as Canon and Nikon had more diversified businesses than Kodak. Sony is the most diversified company in the photography market. In contrast to these companies, Kodak had a very narrow business model – it sold cheap cameras, and the company's main income was film. And when the digital revolution took hold, Kodak collapsed.
THE STORY OF THE COLLAPSE OF ANALOG FILM
In 1975, Kodak engineer Steve Sasson invented digital photography. This device had a resolution of 0.01 megapixels, or 1,000 pixels, and recorded 30 photographs on an audio cassette. Recording one photograph took about 30 seconds. Years lay ahead to perfect the technology for industrial mass production. And most importantly, to accustom users to this new reality. It was a revolution. It's obvious to us now. Back in 1975, only a few understood it.
After the invention of digital photography, Sony took over. In 1981, they introduced the Sony Mavica. It's important to understand that Sony didn't intend to sell this camera; they wanted to make history as the first manufacturer of a digital camera. And they succeeded.
In 1982, Sony rushed to release the Mavica 2. This camera would indeed go on sale, but it was still a novelty. People bought it for experimentation, like expensive toys. Meanwhile, Sony successfully established itself as a pioneer in digital photography and video. The invention of the digital camera at Kodak labs must be among the most important inventions of the 20th century.
In 1984, Canon introduced its first digital camera, alongside Copal, Panasonic, and Hitachi. In 1985, Fuji and Konica joined the fray. A year later, Kodak
introduced its development—a 1.4-megapixel sensor—a significant achievement, and it seemed as if Kodak were about to introduce a real product to the market.
However, Kodak's management again decided against pursuing this direction, as they clearly couldn't jeopardize film sales. They're not going to saw off the branch they're sitting on.
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