Kodak Film Production has Doubled from 2015 to 2019

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This video has been making the rounds the past week. About 10 minutes long, it shows how some younger folks are now embracing film. At about the 6:40 mark, they interview Ed Hurley, of Kodak, who mentions film production at Kodak has doubled from 2015 to 2019. Interesting, I thought.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YotUW5WcOh8

Jim B.
 
This is good to know. It seems to me that trends do not necessarily continue in the same direction, but may reverse after a time. The public apparently has all the digital cameras it wants, and is making room for film.
 
There’s never been a better time to shoot film. Let’s hope (gasp) Kodak sees this all as a reason to reconstruct the Kodachrome system. Could they raise $50,000,000 on “Go Fund Me”? (PS, bring back Verichrome Pan as well. Geez, Can You Imagine.... VP135 :)
 
I think folks need to let Kodachrome go.

It was a different process altogether than E-6 and so restarting production would imply a whole lot more than just coating film.

Furthermore, I believe a ton of new interest in film photography is coming from younger generations who, like me, have never shot Kodachrome nor do they have a blinding nostalgia for it.

A "Kodachrome"-esque film that still used E-6 I could still imagine happening but is nevertheless a very long shot. Just getting E100 in larger formats is amazing. Perhaps bringing back the E100 variants like VS is possible.
 
Somebody (besides Lomography) needs to give a decent quality new film camera a go. I think they'd do well. Cosina, time to relaunch something from your back catalogue! :)
 
Kodak Film Production has Doubled from 2015 to 2019
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And so was the price on BW films I used to be able to afford.
Check their new ECN2 prices. Insane...
 
That is good news. I am getting quite tired of hearing "bring back kodakchrome" instead of being happy that they brought back anything.

I'd love to see a 400 speed e6 film, but even if they don't, what we currently have from Kodak is great.
 
Just got a used camera the other day with a roll of K64 in it. Thought of contacting the seller to see if he wanted it; sadly, there's no point. But yes, if Kodak is seeing film sales rise, this is a good thing, regardless of what emulsion.
 
Ambro51 said:
There’s never been a better time to shoot film. Let’s hope (gasp) Kodak sees this all as a reason to reconstruct the Kodachrome system. Could they raise $50,000,000 on “Go Fund Me”? (PS, bring back Verichrome Pan as well. Geez, Can You Imagine.... VP135 :)
Click to expand...

Arguably there *has* been a better time to shoot film. Back in 2005 when I was 20 and started shooting film seriously the cameras were fairly cheap, there were four pro labs in my city and a bunch of 1-hour labs, Polaroid was still in business, Fuji Packfilm cost $8 a box and Kodachrome was available at the supermarket. Not that I ever bothered buying it.
 
Ambro51 said:
There’s never been a better time to shoot film.
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Really? I feel like the 90s was cheaper and there was more of a variety of films easily available. Of course the really nice cameras were still comparatively expensive.
 
Hogarth Ferguson said:
I am getting quite tired of hearing "bring back kodakchrome" instead of being happy that they brought back anything.
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I fully agree. What annoys me about the constant cries to bring Kodachrome back is that I still remember the time when Kodachrome was still available. And guess what. Nobody used it. Not even on forums like RFF. When somebody occasionally posted a photo it was always a decades old picture.

I think the vast majority of the people who claim to want Kodachrome would buy exactly one roll and then be done with it.
 
jsrockit said:
Really? I feel like the 90s was cheaper and there was more of a variety of films easily available. Of course the really nice cameras were still comparatively expensive.
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I have to say I do rather agree, being able to buy new cameras of all sorts and so many films really did rather make for a better experience than the rump end we have today. But each to their own!
 
In addition to the rise in film sales there have been a few other changes to make analog photography attractive to a new generation. Combining Monobath chemistry with the new LabBox allows users to develop film without a darkroom and limited space. Camera scanning is becoming faster and easier with devices specially designed for scanning film. Photo software specifically for converting negatives. Much of this is driven by new users entering the film market. Film may not last forever but let's enjoy the resurgence while it last.
 
I beg to differ - if they brought K64 back I would buy a bunch of it in a heartbeat. :) I might even go back to colour photography.



But I wouldnt be able to afford it. Ektachrome costs a fortune now, can imagine what Kodachrome would cost.
 
In 1980 almost every single consumer still camera on planet earth required film. In 2015; not so much. It's now 2020 and film production has doubled since 2015... What is double of almost zero? Enough to keep the lights on for awhile? 'Coolness' is a fickle companion! I hope Kodak brings in some cash from this blip of interest. Long term my money is on Ilford. Shame they don't make colour...
 
Jamie123 said:
...<snip>....... I still remember the time when Kodachrome was still available. And guess what. Nobody used it........
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Nobody?

Not enough to keep the necessary and expensive infrastructure churning once digital took over, sure. But, “nobody”?
K25 and K64 made up a good 90% of my color film purchases, and certainly would today if it were still available. Even K64 seemed like a compromise.
Not that I am crying to bring it back, because it’s not going to happen, cannot happen unless digital disappeared entirely and everyone was forced off phones and digicams. Then, maybe. Maybe not.

Anyway, glad Kodak might be showing signs of life.
 
Please don't make this a Kodachrome thread. We should be celebrating the fact that film production is way up!

Jim B.
 
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