Kodak Brings Back a Classic with EKTACHROME Film

[Canon Rumors]

Las Vegas, NV, Thursday, January 05, 2017 —

To the delight of film enthusiasts across the globe, Eastman Kodak Company today announced plans to bring back one of its most iconic film stocks.  Over the next 12 months, Kodak will be working to reformulate and manufacture KODAK EKTACHROME Film for both motion picture and still photography applications.  Initial availability is expected in the fourth quarter of 2017.

KODAK EKTACHROME Film has a distinctive look that was the choice for generations of cinematographers before it was discontinued in 2012. The film is known for its extremely fine grain, clean colors, great tones and contrasts.

“It is such a privilege to reintroduce KODAK EKTRACHROME Film to the cinematography community,” said Steven Overman, Kodak’s chief marketing officer and president of the Consumer and Film Division. “We are seeing a broad resurgence of excitement about capturing images on film. Kodak is committed to continuing to manufacture film as an irreplaceable medium for image creators to capture their artistic vision. We are proud to help bring back this classic.”

Kodak will produce EKTACHROME at its film factory in Rochester, N.Y., and will market and distribute the Super 8 motion picture film version of EKTACHROME Film directly.

Kodak Alaris, an independent company since 2013, also plans to offer a still format KODAK PROFESSIONAL EKTACHROME Film for photographers in 135-36x format.  KODAK PROFESSIONAL EKTACHROME Film is a color positive film, also known as “reversal,” “slide,” or “transparency” film. Unlike all of the other KODAK PROFESSIONAL Films available today, which are color negative films, EKTACHROME generates a positive image that can be viewed or projected once it is exposed and processed. This makes it ideal for high-resolution projection or presentations. It is also well suited for scanning and printing onto a range of professional-grade photographic media.  Availability is expected in the fourth quarter of 2017.

[sanj]

But but I do not have a film camera for stills.

And all labs in town are shut that process cine film. And no one rents out movie cameras that run film.

Trouble!!!

[rjrowing]

Buy a used one and develop yourself:

Either this way: http://www.filmomat.eu/
or this way: http://www.jobo.com/analog/4063-jobo-colorprocessor-cpe-3-?ecms_lang=EN

[LDS]

And all labs in town are shut that process cine film.

Here I found that in the 'last days of film' commercial labs could no longer deliver enough quality. Only the relatively few professional ones could deliver quality development (at higher prices, of course), but depending on where you live, they can be enough far away. Using courier services adds to the costs, of course. But if you're shooting film today you're not really looking for a cheap imaging solution.

Home processing is not cheap too, and usually more difficult for movie film.

Maybe Kodak will also sell Super8 film development included, like it did in the past.

Now, if they only could bring back Kodachrome too... ok, ok, I stop dreaming. It will be hard enough to find a decent niche for Ektachrome, projection and (expensive) scans are not really big selling points today, especially from 35mm stills, although reversal is easier to scan than negatives.

[Orangutan]

Sounds like a crowd-funding opportunity: a cheap, fully-automated film processing apparatus. 

[LDS]

Buy a used one and develop yourself:
Either this way: http://www.filmomat.eu/
or this way: http://www.jobo.com/analog/4063-jobo-colorprocessor-cpe-3-?ecms_lang=EN

While E-6 films can be developed using a 3-bath process, better results are achieved with the original 6-bath process, which would work better with the larger and more expensive CPP3 processor, for example. Also temperature is more critical, thereby a better controlled processor system helps. Nice to see Jobo still makes its processor - which can also be used to develop prints.

The Filmomat fully automatic processing is cool, though, it also clean itself :-)

Shelf life and proper disposal of chemicals is still an issue, though.

[Pookie]

Excellent news... I have tons of MF and 135 film cameras... Over the last 2 years I have shifted to shooting mostly film over digital. This film stock will be a welcome addition again...

There are still many great developers here in the states if you want to go this route but I personally develop all of my own film (BW, C41 and E6). I use a JOBO unit or hand develop small batches. Temp control is not an issue if you have the right tools. Having a PhD in Molecular and Cell bio made using water baths a no-brainer. Ebay a good used 12L VWR water bath and your done, 38.8 is easy as pie and C41/E6 easier than BW Chemical storage simple... booze flasks and squeeze out the air, your chems will last years. Waste is not a huge issue as most of the chems have had the really nasty stuff swapped out. Silver is your only real issue and our local WM takes it for free.

Film and digital... choice is good !!!!!!!!!!

[Pookie]

And all labs in town are shut that process cine film.

Here I found that in the 'last days of film' commercial labs could no longer deliver enough quality. Only the relatively few professional ones could deliver quality development (at higher prices, of course), but depending on where you live, they can be enough far away. Using courier services adds to the costs, of course. But if you're shooting film today you're not really looking for a cheap imaging solution.

Home processing is not cheap too, and usually more difficult for movie film.

Maybe Kodak will also sell Super8 film development included, like it did in the past.

Now, if they only could bring back Kodachrome too... ok, ok, I stop dreaming. It will be hard enough to find a decent niche for Ektachrome, projection and (expensive) scans are not really big selling points today, especially from 35mm stills, although reversal is easier to scan than negatives.

Film has been slowly building and coming back over the last 3-4 years in the wedding/portraiture industry. Even amateurs are starting to shoot more film. I think this news announcement really highlights this trend.

I don't know where you live but here in the states there are many good options for development. With courier service your at about 15-20$ a roll. With self-dev I'm at 2-3 dollars a roll. In 2017 I'll be offering film only shoots to my wedding packages and actually made more money shooting film in 2016 with the gigs done in MF. Don't know where your getting your info for on the film selling point... as a wedding photographer I've seen more interest in shooting film than digital here in this market now days. I'm booked for the next 7 months and 70% is FILM !!!! I'm more than happy to oblige as the digital only photographers are left in the dust.

Oh, and the biggest surprise in event shooting is INSTANT film... I take a Polaroid 600SE with Instax wide to wedding receptions and make a killing. Every shoot I go to I take more and more packs and sell out every time. People love getting pics instantly. A pack cost me 12$/20 images and I sell them for 5$ a shot. It's INSTANT cash. 

Kodachrome !!!! Your ARE dreaming... that ain't going to happen anytime soon.

[LDS]

Film has been slowly building and coming back over the last 3-4 years in the wedding/portraiture industry. Even amateurs are starting to shoot more film. I think this news announcement really highlights this trend.

But isn't that a market better suited for negative films like the Kodak Portra or Fujicolor Pro? But do you thn digitize the films, or print them on chemical paper as well?

I'm just happy anyway if Kodak reintroduce Ektachrome because it was what I used to shoot with (besides Kodachrome...)

I don't know where you live but here in the states there are many good options for development.

I live in Italy, not far from Milano, where some good labs can still be found (thanks to the fashion and art markets). As said, however, they are not cheap. If you can make the right money from your photos, of course it doesn't matter. For amateurs, it may start to become expensive, especially for those who live far away from a good lab.

I learnt developing E-6 films many years ago helping a family friend who worked as a photographer, he was using a Jobo processor too, but he always pointed out the shelf life of chemicals (as a student, I couldn't afford mine own color darkroom then to test). Can you really achieve years of conservation? Well, you have the right background, I never liked chemistry too much... but I'd like to get back again to develop film, if it becomes a sustainable niche.

Don't know where your getting your info for on the film selling point... as a wedding photographer I've seen more interest in shooting film than digital here in this market now days.

I was pointing out what Kodak said in its statement. It doesn't look to me commercial projections and scans for print could be really selling point for reversal films today. Hi-res digital projectors, big screen and fully digital workflows in most cases work better. But there are of course reason to shoot reversal film today.

Oh, and the biggest surprise in event shooting is INSTANT film... I take a Polaroid 600SE with Instax wide to wedding receptions and make a killing.

I'm not surprised at all, such cameras are welcome in any kind of party/event.

Kodachrome !!!! Your ARE dreaming... that ain't going to happen anytime soon.

I know, I known...

[slclick]

http://www.ilfordlab-us.com/page/57/Black-and-White-Prints-from-Film.htm

Makes my large stack of135 get smaller all the time. Generally my 2nd body to my 5D3 is a Canon Elan 7En and I occasionally do a clone image with the same lens, especially landscape shots on a tripod. It's interesting to see the differences and similarities.

[josephandrews222]

http://www.ilfordlab-us.com/page/57/Black-and-White-Prints-from-Film.htm

Makes my large stack of135 get smaller all the time. Generally my 2nd body to my 5D3 is a Canon Elan 7En and I occasionally do a clone image with the same lens, especially landscape shots on a tripod. It's interesting to see the differences and similarities.

I for one am quite interested in reading more about 'the differences and similarities' you've observed.

[slclick]

http://www.ilfordlab-us.com/page/57/Black-and-White-Prints-from-Film.htm

Makes my large stack of135 get smaller all the time. Generally my 2nd body to my 5D3 is a Canon Elan 7En and I occasionally do a clone image with the same lens, especially landscape shots on a tripod. It's interesting to see the differences and similarities.

I for one am quite interested in reading more about 'the differences and similarities' you've observed.

In a word? Contrast. Of course I'm comparing a finished (SOC) product vs a pre PP RAW where the contrast etc are open for manipulation. Now, I'm coming from a film background where usually I'm controlling the contrast via enlarger filters but surrendering to a lab these days. So it is very interesting to me how each emulsion conveys grain and contrast. My two favorite films are Delta 400 for contrasty images and T Max 100 for smooth tones, even portraiture.

[bholliman]

Excellent news...

Just curious, what are the advantages of film over digital?  How does the image quality compare?

[Berowne]

This is good news, I made thousands of slides and my (analog) Leicas are still alive.

[slclick]

Excellent news...

Just curious, what are the advantages of film over digital?  How does the image quality compare?

There are no true advantages but some enjoy the craft, the control, the reminiscing, the smell. Why do anything retro, classic or vintage? The drives are many and vary from shooter to shooter but for me the process was the enjoyable part. The control, the trial and error. It's far more hands on working with analog and a lab than a keyboard. There are solutions, and temperatures to adjust and consider, every film/paper variety works a little differently....


 It's playtime!