Finland-based organization Camera Rescue has rescued 46,000 analog cameras and it plans to more than double that number by 2020. Cameraville recently interviewed the organization’s Juho Leppänen to discuss the mission, as well as the unique challenges they face.
Camera Rescue launched in 2018 with the mission of preserving analog cameras for future generations. The organization finds used film photography gear and puts it through what it calls a ‘camera rescue process,’ which includes testing and, when necessary, repairing the devices. Rescued cameras are then sold through KameraStore.com.
The organization’s core team member Juho Leppänen discussed Camera Rescue’s mission and work in a 10 minute video from Cameraville, including the technical issues the team has to overcome. A lack of technicians capable of repairing these cameras remains a problem, though the team is addressing that problem by training a new generation of repair technicians.
“We took all the guys we could find that have the experience [and] they’ve been teaching newer guys,” Leppänen explained.
Beyond the organization’s own work, Leppänen details technical issues facing the analog photography market. “If we want new cameras, we need a new mechanical shutter,” according to Leppänen, who also pointed toward aging scanning technology that must be updated.
“Most of the scanners that are around are based on Windows XP,” which is no longer supported, Leppänen said. Though new scanners could be developed, cost remains an issue, with Leppänen explaining that it may cost €3 million just to produce the first batch of new scanning technologies.
The analog photography industry also requires new automated film development machines and an overall low barrier, in terms of difficulty and cost, for new photographers to get started. “If we want new people to come to film,” Leppänen explained, “we need to make the first roll very easy, and to make the first roll easy, it needs to be cheap.”
Additional videos about Camera Rescue, as well as the team’s history, can be found on Cameraville’s blog.
