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Eastman Kodak, the brand known for iconic Kodachrome film, was thought to have ceased operations. However, according to a new post on Instagram, the company appears to be back in business, with the launch of two new film colors. This is quite something for analogue photographers, who haven’t seen a new film from the company for a while now. Here’s a look at what Kodak has to offer.
On October 1, the company announced Kodacolor 100 and Kodacolor 200, both of which are 135-format film. The company has announced new products almost a decade after announcing that they would sell the film directly to retailers. Eastman Kodak had been developing film over the past few years, but when it announced its bankruptcy for the first time in 2013, it established Kodak Alaris, a separate unit for this business. The latter became an “exclusive” distributor, especially for still photography film.
Per the new Instagram post, Kodacolor 100 and Kodacolor 200 will be directly distributed to retailers instead of Alaris. In addition, this is not a new launch per se. Rather, as Kodak says in its post, the films are “sub-brands” of existing films. Which means you get the same quality that you expect from the company. In other words, Eastman Kodak regained the rights to distribution.
For the uninformed, Kodak has been facing financial difficulties for some time. However, a recent report by The Verge revealed that Kodak has about $500 million in debt. This has been mounting, and the report stated that they may have to cease operations. But since then, the company has revealed how its “investments” have changed its capacity. As they said in the post:
The launch is made possible by our recent investments that increased our film manufacturing capacity and, along with the introduction of our KODAK Super 8 Camera and KODAK EKTACHROME 100D Color Reversal Film, reflects Kodak’s ongoing commitment to supporting the long-term health of the film industry.
However, the post doesn’t reveal which existing film this Kodacolor is derived from. The company states that users will find the same fine-grained, saturated colors and sharpness that their existing film does. Regarding the ISO difference, the 100 setting is designed for daytime use, while the 200 setting is suitable for slightly darker areas.
This could be really helpful for the company to gain its success, just like its compact camera. The company has also launched products such as Kodak Charmera and Pixpro, which have further helped establish their brand. These devices are not made by Kodak but by third-party companies.
The new films will come to the United States and then Canada. If you are keen on buying it, head to Kodak’s website.
