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Ektachrome 100 is BACK!!


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Shared it in the Super 8 forum but figured such huge news warranted a post here as well!

 

Kodak is reviving Ektachrome 100D!!

 

http://www.kodak.com/US/en/corp/Press_center/Kodak_Brings_Back_a_Classic_with_EKTACHROME_Film/default.htm

 

 

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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Are they going to do 35mm? I'm not sure they ever officially did it as a motion picture stock, was it only ever special order?

 

I just tried calling Kodak Alaris, who are actually based here for some strange reason, and couldn't get an answer on their front desk number.

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Having read, read, and read again, the announcement by Kodak, there does not seem to be anything in it which refers to specific gauges, part from Super8, in respect of which it is simply said that Kodak intends to market and distribute it directly. This might well be related to their plans for the production of their new Super8 camera and the supply and processing of stock for use in it. The reference to Kodak Alura seems to be specific in that it refers only to still format stock "for photographers in 135-36x format".

 

Of course, "words" can be an imperfect means of communication, but it would surely be something of a nonsense if Kodak is proposing to produce 35mm and Super8 movie film, but not 16mm. Indeed, there is no specific reference to 35mm film, and taking Phil's point, how much 35mm 100D was produced or used before 100D was discontinued?

 

The article referred to by Emiel is, I have to say, slightly more concerning, in that it implies that it is intended to produce 100D only in 35mm and Super8 gauges, but the article does not actually contain a quote to that effect, and it might just be misguided. I do hope so.

 

At this point, therefore, I am contenting myself with the thought that 16mm is a stock Kodak will be available once again for 16mm users. However, perhaps it would be timely to ask Kodak the question specifically. Does anybody have a contact at Kodak from whom clarification might be sought?

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Are they going to do 35mm? I'm not sure they ever officially did it as a motion picture stock, was it only ever special order?

 

I just tried calling Kodak Alaris, who are actually based here for some strange reason, and couldn't get an answer on their front desk number.

The Kodak UK pension fund bought the stills business from Kodak in 2013 and called itself Alaris. So this is their baby. Kodak still makes the film in Rochester but photographic paper has been made in the UK for years.

https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kodak_Alaris

Edited by Mark Dunn
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Good news, but remember, it's only got 7 stops of exposure latitude.

 

Time to dust off the light meters!

 

http://motion.kodak.com/KodakGCG/uploadedfiles/motion/TI2496.pdf

 

attachicon.gifektachrome curves.PNG

 

 

Indeed, E-100 is a tricky stock, especially for beginners setting out on, say, Super 8, not accustomed to manual exposure practices and easily discouraged by non-immediately-gratifying results returning from the lab :) .

 

Kodak Alaris is actually stating in their press release that they are to "…reformulate…" the Ektachrome 100 stock they want to launch. I am unclear if this is more a marketing reference than an chemical-engineering term at this stage. It will be interesting to see if the E-100 stock will indeed be the old 5285 / 7285, or a new type with greater latitude.

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I couldn't resist posting another _______ _ Clark, back to back, so I'll add:

 

I am very glad Ferrania lit a fire under Kodak's ___, and we now have not only reversal stocks being manufactured, but a competitive marketplace developing around it. The key now is to support both companies, but probably Ferrania in particular, I must say. So that both can justify their bottom-lines, and these products can "make sense" economically to their companies.

 

I'm really happy about the potential for 100D in 16mm as well, which should be really useful, and open new options back up, however I have to admit, I'm more excited about a new b/w stock from Ferrania to compete with Tri-X. P30 in 16mm would clean up the default use of Tri-X for everything. Right now I'm shooting on something with tons of expired 7265 reversal, just because of the lower ASA. An authentic P30 would probably make me buy a fridge full on release day.

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Indeed, E-100 is a tricky stock, especially for beginners setting out on, say, Super 8, not accustomed to manual exposure practices and easily discouraged by non-immediately-gratifying results returning from the lab :) .

 

Kodak Alaris is actually stating in their press release that they are to "…reformulate…" the Ektachrome 100 stock they want to launch. I am unclear if this is more a marketing reference than an chemical-engineering term at this stage. It will be interesting to see if the E-100 stock will indeed be the old 5285 / 7285, or a new type with greater latitude.

 

Here's an interview where they give more details:

Film's not Dead: So, In terms of the formulation is it exactly the same, or has it been upgraded?

 

Kodak Alaris T. J. Mooney: Well that is still TBD (to be discussed) which is part of the reason why the availability is set for later this year, in the fourth quarter. Bringing back a film is not as simple as you might think. There's a very significant R&D (Research & Development) that is necessary to re-formulate the product based on component availability and any equipment changes that have been made or any changes to environmental health and safety regulations. So the intent here is to bring back a daylight 100 speed Ektachrome film. Saturation levels and performance characteristics are still TBD at this point but in terms of the old Ektachrome it will certainly be along those same lines and we'll know more as we go along.

Edited by Josh Gladstone
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I have some 5285 100D in the fridge. 35mm

And me too. I grabbed it just before they discontinued but haven't yet used any. Terribly expensive I recall in comparison with 35mm neg, probably at least double.. Do you have any advice on using it ? I presume you have to be spot-on with exposure like with 16mm and S.8. I do hope if they bring this E100D format back, they can lower the contrast a little as well as reducing the 35mm cost.

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In light of Kodak spokespeople already putting in question the extent of being able to actually "reformulate" 7285 (which was one of their marketing claims at the launch event a few days ago), I would keep any hopes for a full return of 7268 well under control – that photochemical re-engineering to meet current international legislation would be seriously non-trivial and very expensive, not to talk about refurb'ing the processing infrastructure.

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