While the transition from film to digital was a major upheaval for the photo industry, it was arguably the demise of the compact camera that had the biggest economic impact. Many of these cameras may have been cheap and cheerful, but they sold in vast numbers and all the major manufacturers promoted extensive ranges of models.
Compared to the compact camera business, the SLR was small fry, but the revenue generated by the sales of point-and-shoots financed the development of higher-end products, many of which would not have been financially viable otherwise.
At the height of the 35mm compact camera’s popularity – spanning from the late 1970s to the mid-1990s – the choice of models available at any one time would easily have been a couple of hundred with prices starting at under $50. In addition to the camera-makers, the film companies were involved too – Kodak, Konica, Fujifilm and Agfa. Even Polaroid marketed entry-level 35mm compacts for a while and, at the other end of the market, there were Leica, Minox, Rollei and Contax. Many of the Japanese camera brands that are no longer around today were major players in the 35mm compact camera market, including Minolta, Konica (again), Yashica and Chinon. Even Mamiya offered a line of compact cameras in the early 1980s and, of course, locally Hanimex marketed a huge selection of mostly budget models. Samsung and Panasonic were involved long before the arrival of the digital era (the latter’s models initially marketed under the National brand). Perhaps tellingly, all this time Sony was working on electronic ‘filmless’ projects.
Format For Success
As photography became steadily more accessible and affordable, there was a growing demand for cameras that were smaller and easier to use. The 35mm format was the logical choice, especially as, since 1934, it came in preloaded cassettes that were easier to load than rollfilm and much more convenient than the self-loaded, reusable types that needed, among other things, a darkroom.
The Leicas and Zeiss Ikons that were instrumental in popularising 35mm film were expensive, but in the late 1930s more affordable designs – such as Kodak’s Retina and Retinette models – began appearing and the format rapidly gained in popularity. Post World War II, a number of Japanese camera
