The return of Ektachrome - CES 2017

[Andreas Wideroe]

Here is the pressrelease from Kodak:

Kodak Brings Back a Classic with EKTACHROME Film

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.

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About Kodak
Kodak is a technology company focused on imaging. We provide – directly and through partnerships with other innovative companies – hardware, software, consumables and services to customers in graphic arts, commercial print, publishing, packaging, electronic displays, entertainment and commercial films, and consumer products markets. With our world-class R&D capabilities, innovative solutions portfolio and highly trusted brand, Kodak is helping customers around the globe to sustainably grow their own businesses and enjoy their lives. For additional information on Kodak, visit us at kodak.com, follow us on Twitter @Kodak, or like us on Facebook at Kodak.

[Andreas Wideroe]

There are even rumours about the return of Kodachrome:

https://soundcloud.com/the-kodakery/dis ... ios-at-ces

(go to about 23:40 and listen)

[avortex]

Not exactly 100D. They'll be reformulating Ektachrome, so expect -with a bit of luck- a better film stock ;)

[Andreas Wideroe]

Interesting. I didn't catch that - thanks for the correction. Wonder what they've got cooking. Always loved the 100D.

updating the title.

Best,
Andreas

[etimh]

There are even rumours about the return of Kodachrome:

https://soundcloud.com/the-kodakery/dis ... ios-at-ces

(go to about 23:40 and listen)

"You just broke the internet, right there."

A return of Kodachrome...now wouldn't that be something.

Tim

[doug]

There are even rumours about the return of Kodachrome:

https://soundcloud.com/the-kodakery/dis ... ios-at-ces

(go to about 23:40 and listen)

"You just broke the internet, right there."

A return of Kodachrome...now wouldn't that be something.

Tim

Yes certainly would !
Kodachrome refuses to be forgotten. I frequently hear photographers saying they would love to use it again. Remember, Kodachrome was created by two crazy musicians, Mannes and Godowsky. Despite financial problems over many years they never gave up their dream, and their chemical experiments paid off ! We as an artistic community should encourage their amazing invention to live again...?

In theory perhaps, Kodachrome could be manufactured in quite large batches, because it is like a black and white film and doesn't change much before use. And after processing, the colours remain as we all know, when the films are stored correctly. The problem of course is the unique processing system. But as long as one lab in the world was able to do it, you'd think it would be profitable. Wonder if Dwaynes have kept their machine....

[Mmechanic]

Another myth, that about the two musicians having invented Kodachrome

In fact, their contribution was minor, it was a regular Eastman-Kodak employee and chemist who had discovered the way to go based on Agfa publications. Leslie Brooker found a solution to the problem of the wandering dyes.

Like Bell & Howell Co. who didn’t create the film perforator. They had a Williamson from England and wanted it improved. The American Perforator Co. of Chicago made it for them. Like Thomas Edison who wanted a projector once he acknowledged that peeping machines weren’t the beef. Thomas Armat and Charles Jenkins made it. George Spoor already bought himself into the projectors business of Edward Amet. The lost loop originally was the Lauste loop after its inventor Eugène Lauste, not Latham. George Eastman bought the roll film holder from William Walker, made celluloïd films together with Henry Reichenbach without permission by the inventor Hannibal Goodwin, and got the solution to the problem of deteriorating films from William Stuber.

Centfox bought the anamorphoseur from professor Chrétien. They even bought the name Cinemascope. Two thirds of the cinématographe were created by other people than the Lumière family, namely Charles Moisson and Jules Carpentier. The list is long.

[doug]

Another myth, that about the two musicians having invented Kodachrome

In fact, their contribution was minor, it was a regular Eastman-Kodak employee and chemist who had discovered the way to go based on Agfa publications. Leslie Brooker found a solution to the problem of the wandering dyes.

Like Bell & Howell Co. who didn’t create the film perforator. They had a Williamson from England and wanted it improved. The American Perforator Co. of Chicago made it for them. Like Thomas Edison who wanted a projector once he acknowledged that peeping machines weren’t the beef. Thomas Armat and Charles Jenkins made it. George Spoor already bought himself into the projectors business of Edward Amet. The lost loop originally was the Lauste loop after its inventor Eugène Lauste, not Latham. George Eastman bought the roll film holder from William Walker, made celluloïd films together with Henry Reichenbach without permission by the inventor Hannibal Goodwin, and got the solution to the problem of deteriorating films from William Stuber.

Centfox bought the anamorphoseur from professor Chrétien. They even bought the name Cinemascope. Two thirds of the cinématographe were created by other people than the Lumière family, namely Charles Moisson and Jules Carpentier. The list is long.

According to Wikipedia:
In 1929 money ran out, and Mees decided to help them once more. Mees knew that the solution to the problem of the wandering dyes had already been found by one of Kodak's own scientists, Leslie Brooker. So he gave Mannes and Godowsky enough money to pay off the loan Kuhn Loeb had supplied and offered them a yearly salary. He also gave them a three-year deadline to come up with a finished and commercially viable product.

Not long before the three-year period would expire, at the end of 1933, Mannes and Godowsky still had not managed to come up with anything usable, and thought their experiments would be terminated by Kodak. Their only chance for survival was to invent something in a hurry. Something that the company could put into production and capitalise. Mees, however, granted them a one-year extension, and still not having solved all the technical challenges they had to solve, they eventually presented Mees with a two-color movie process in 1934. Two-color, it must be noted, as was the original Kodachrome invented by John Capstaff some 20 years earlier.

Mees immediately set things in motion to produce and market this film, but just before Kodak was about to introduce the two-color film in 1935, Mannes and Godowsky completed work on the long-awaited but no longer expected, much better, three-color version. On April 15, 1935, this new film, borrowing the name from Capstaff's process, was formally announced.[10]

So if that's true it's pretty amazing back in 1935. And I have some old Kodachrome from that time (not mine I hasten to add !) that still holds reasonable colour. Whatever the reality, this story (from the days in 1917 when they saw an early colour film) would make a good movie !

[Nigel]

Great news! I can't wait to try some.

Good Luck

[kontrabass888]

There is about one and half month to go to arrive the fourth quarter of this year, hope Ektachrome could really come back to the market soon

[BAC]

This is the latest on Ektachrome. It looks like 2018 now but it sounds like they are making progress.

http://www.thephoblographer.com/2017/09 ... rket-2018/

[kontrabass888]

So, they are going to make a market testing... Well, the first question will be the price...
I wish the price is not much higher than before...
The price of the last super8 100D I ordered from kodak was for 12 EUR.

[kuparikettu]

From Kodak's Twitter account:
"Because the world needs more film. #EktachromeIsBack"

[mr8mm]

Early information from Kodak indicates that S8 E100D will be priced at about $35/cart and E100D(7296?) will be available as 16mm by special order with a minimum. 16mm will not be a standard product and not be sold as 100ft spools. Minimum order will be something like 10 to 20 400ft spools at about $0.60 per foot. Release is still first or second quarter 2018.

[kontrabass888]

It will be a really good price if their 16mm 100d costs 0.60 usd per feet,