An antique camera fair drew analog fans.
Japanese camera makers are known for being at the forefront of digital imaging technology. The Fuji Film company has been following global trends by gradually rebranding themselves as “Fuji Digital Imaging,” to align themselves with the filmless photo age. However, both amateur and professional photographers have their hearts in quite another place. A recent used camera fair was held in a Tokyo department store, bringing dozens of antique camera dealers together with thousands of camera fans over the course of a week.
A large number of the visitors to the fair were retired men who previously worked as professional photographers or journalists and are unwilling to make the switch to digital. Many of the other shutterbugs in search of vintage gear were hobbyists, but in Japan people take their hobbies seriously. “Well, anyone can use a digital camera,” said a vintage camera fan at the fair while looking over Swedish cameras from the 1960s, meaning that a hobby that is too easy to do is not really a hobby.
While this is bad news for digital camera manufactures, film makers can rest assured that they will have a market in Japan for some time to come.