Kodak Press Release 16/03/04

Those Using Both Cite Ability to Be More Creative, Offer Greater Variety of Images

ROCHESTER, March 16—While photographers are continuing to look to digital technology to capture at least some of their images, a majority - 52 percent - continue to shoot images only with film, an Internet-based survey conducted by Eastman Kodak Company finds.

Forty-three percent of the survey’s respondents use both film and digital and only five percent use just digital. Indeed, within five years, the percentage of photographers who capture images both with film and digital will climb to 67 percent, the study indicates.

The pulse poll - distributed in the U.S. to photographers in the portrait/wedding, commercial, government and advanced-amateur segments - sought to measure trends concerning importance of film among a sizeable group of photographers. A total of 1,856 photographers replied to the 12-question survey.

While more photographers will embrace digital technology by 2009, two-thirds of them say they still expect to use film to take more than half of their images. This reinforces a demand for film well into the next decade. Four of five photographers surveyed said they now use film to take the majority of their images.

Of photographers who use both film and digital imaging, 36 percent say the ability to be more creative and offer a greater variety of images represents the biggest benefit, while 12 percent say the use of both lowers their costs and makes their work processes more efficient. Another 11 percent say film and digital imaging broaden their customer base and the types of jobs they can take on.

“Our findings show that film isn’t easily replaced. While digital imaging creates new output options, photographers’ commitment to film remains exceptionally strong,” said Mary Jane Hellyar, General Manager, Film Capture, Eastman Kodak Company. “Kodak will continue to support photographers by innovating to meet both their film and digital needs.”

Fifty-three percent cited overall image quality as film’s single greatest benefit, followed by its authenticity, at 18 percent, near-universal availability, 10 percent. Asked the most important reason for shooting film, 30 percent cited artistic preference.

Among other survey findings, the majority of respondents surprisingly scan less than 25 percent of their negatives for storage or image manipulation, and one-in-four photographers don’t scan any film for digital use.

The survey found that more than half of the respondents -51 percent - favor black-and-white film, with those who favor color negative film a distant second at 17 percent. Most respondents prefer film for fine art (37 percent), nature (19 percent) and portrait assignments (15 percent), while photographers use film and digital imaging most commonly for fine art (21 percent) jobs.

The survey captured a cross-section of photographers, with 30 percent having been shooting for more than 20 years, 27 percent shooting for 4-10 years, 24 percent for up to three years and 20 percent for 11-20 years.