Which when you think about it in absolute numbers, is still quite a bit. Kodak made a billion rolls of film a year and Fujifilm about the same. So that means today about 50 million rolls of film are made each year.
It's not as it was, but it's not at artisan levels either.
Edit: peak film was 2004. That feels strangely close to me. I would have guessed on gut instinct 1999.
But when I really think about it, it checks out - I held out on photography between 2004 and 2008 because I didn't have a camera then. But I didn't want to buy a film camera, that felt weird. On the other hand the digital cameras were total crap. In 2008 I bought a compact digital camera which was... passable. And not exactly cheap, $300 equivalent or so.
Today these images are potato quality. All mobile cameras are better. Most film cameras are better.
I didn't get a point and shoot camera until sometime in the early 2000s and didn't transition fully off of film until I got my full-frame EOS in 2006. (And didn't get a smartphone until about 2009 when I got an iPhone 3GS which was sort of their real breakout model.)
So, if anything, I'm a little surprised peak was as early as 2004 or so. But I guess that was the point where casual snapshooters were really starting to switch over to P&S digital in droves--which of course is where a lot of the market volume is.
And now (through the grapevine) I hear the opposite is true - pro (and semi-pro, as the momtographers) photographers make up the bulk market volume.
But the resurgence among happy amateurs, new-comers and those coming back to film, has GOT to be a large chunk. I see 20 somethings go around with film cameras this year!
Yep, I too count the 3GS as the first well-rounded (hehe) iPhone.
A full frame EOS digital body in 2006 was incredibly expensive to me, which I would never have seriously considered. I mean, I could have afforded it, skip on vacation or buy a cheaper car - but the price seemed completely alien and outlandish to me.
On the other hand I splurged on three 32gb 3GS-s for family members, because they seemed like the future.
It's not as it was, but it's not at artisan levels either.
Edit: peak film was 2004. That feels strangely close to me. I would have guessed on gut instinct 1999.
But when I really think about it, it checks out - I held out on photography between 2004 and 2008 because I didn't have a camera then. But I didn't want to buy a film camera, that felt weird. On the other hand the digital cameras were total crap. In 2008 I bought a compact digital camera which was... passable. And not exactly cheap, $300 equivalent or so.
Today these images are potato quality. All mobile cameras are better. Most film cameras are better.