SECRETARY' S NOTES
A very happy New Year to all of you. let us hope that it brings better fortune to those of our members who have been caught up in the recession, and good health to those of our members who are not so well.
I have made a New Year resolution to try and use more photographic material and get more use out of the equipment we have. More slides, Cibachrome and copy Slides for A.V`s come to mind for attention. How much I carry out is another natter!
If this copy of the Newsletter reaches you late then it is my fault. Bill has had it made up except for this contribution for at least a fortnight. Unfortunately I had a very rough spell of tummy trouble just before Christmas. Stated with pain and not eating then had to go to hospital for testing. It was bleeding brought on by some tablets I have been using for arthritis. Got out on Christmas eve, but have not felt very energetic for a while. It is gradually getting better.
If you have to buy any new items of equipment now is the best time to purchase them. There are some very nasty price rises on the way, which are only being held off by the large stocks dealers are clearing at the present. When you buy in fresh supplies it is likely that the rises are going to be far more than 10% that was predicted. As an example Pentax have put up much of their camera range by as much as 50%. Meopta enlargers also, by the same ammount. It is not only `Black Friday` that has caused the problem but cost of production in the manufacturers homeland.
There are some new film formats coming in the future. Kodak, Fuji and Agfa are combining to produce a new 35mm film. They have been at it for years, now Konica has pipped them to the post with a new slim cassette, only 3/4" across which will enable them to make even more compact cameras. It will be launched in Japan in the Spring. It may mean nothing here as they have slower and faster Slide film for domestic use, but it does not come to Britain.
It has been a dim winter so far this year. There has been the odd occasion when there has been frozen fog pictures to take but they have been few and far between. Let us hope that with the New Year the sun will think of coming out once more and inspiring us to get busy as my 1993 resolution suggested.
Ron.