The physical media renaissance is powered in part by the growing popularity of film cameras, and now one of the more iconic photography brands of yesteryear is providing a fillip for those looking beyond the best mirrorless cameras.
Eastman Kodak, the company behind the legendary Kodak brand, will begin selling 35mm film directly to distributors in the United States and Canada for the first time in a decade.
That’s to help the brand keep up with the demand for film, which it says has doubled in the last five years. The increase in popularity seems to have travelled beyond the curiosity of the best instant cameras, which may have a lower focus on image quality and immediate gratification.
The new colour-negative films KODACOLOR 100 and KODACOLOR 200 will be available in 135 format rolls, with the company saying the films are sub-brands of existing Kodak films. The company doesn’t specify which films the ‘new’ reels are based upon, but promised “fine grain, saturated colours, high sharpness, wide exposure latitude, and consistent colour reproduction.” Kodak says there have been no sacrifices in terms of quality.
Kodak says the idea is to keep up with the renewed demand for film and to “increase supply and help create greater stability in a market where prices have fluctuated.” With the greater availability, film camera photographers can expect greater consistency in both pricing and availability through more retailers.
“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 Colour Reversal Film, reflects Kodak’s ongoing commitment to supporting the long-term health of the film industry,” Kodak said in a post, ironically, on Instagram (via Digital Camera World).
Earlier this year, Kodak announced it had reopened a manufacturing facility with upgraded equipment. That will have contributed to the latest expansion of availability.
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