Ektachrome Is Back!

[Will2]

Just ordered 5 rolls, I’m back in Super 8!

Me too. Nice to have an online order system working. It's nice to talk the kind Kodak ladies when ordering but kind of a slow process.

[mr8mm]

I contacted Kodak today to place an order for the new E100D. I was informed that first production run has been sold out and they are making a second production run. I was told I may have to wait a week or more but they took the order and I am in the queue. Interesting that the release of E100D has not caused a bump in the price of Kodak stock. I guess the stock market is not as excited about film as the film users.

[Silverdream]

mr8mm,
The probable reason there hasn't been a bump in their share price is because most of the Kodak film business is no longer owned by them. It was sold to a UK pension fund which represented 1000 ex Kodak UK workers and 15000 pensioners back in 2013.
Although Kodak did retain the motion picture business, it is now mainly a printing company.
Considering a lot of this new Ektachrome is being sold for still photography that part of the sale is being handled by Kodak Alaris which is owned by KPP.
The sale of Ektachrome Super 8 film is unlikely to affect Kodak's share price.

Here's part of a news article from 2013;
"Kodak announced today that it has reached an agreement to sell off its two remaining imaging divisions — which includes its photographic film business — in a major deal worth $2.8 billion.
The company is handing over control of its Personal Imaging and Document Imaging divisions to the United Kingdom’s Kodak Pension Plan (KPP), which is the bankrupt firm’s largest creditor."
Taken from;
https://www.google.com.au/amp/s/amp.usa ... mp/2443671

[mr8mm]

Interesting but the E100D is being sold from the motion picture website and when ordering by phone for the Ektachrome is the same as ordering the negative stocks. And the Ektachrome is being manufactured in Rochester by the motion picture division. The motion picture division is being supported by the motion picture studios that want the negative stocks for motion picture production. I am not sure how all this works out.

[Silverdream]

It's very simple.
Kodak Alaris owns the photographic products business such as still film and paper.
Eastman Kodak owns the motion picture film products business.
EK makes the films for KA but EK can not sell still film or paper products. KA owns and operates an ex Kodak factory in the UK for manufacturing photographic paper.
If EK is selling still film on their website then those items would be credited to KA.

[mr8mm]

Very interesting. I do know that Ektachrome is not made in the same building as the negative films. My understanding was the two processes are not compatible. Different company or different chemistry? Or both. Whatever film is more successful than the printing division which may have the honor going bankrupt a second time.

[Silverdream]

After doing a bit more research I discovered that the UK factory closed in 2016. I'm not sure where photographic paper is now made, but the base was coming from Germany at the time. Kodak has increased outsourcing of some products so perhaps they're being supplied by independent companies.
From my reading it appears that all of the Kodak film types are now being made on the one coating line at Rochester in building 38. This is their newest machine.
This is an interesting read about that line;
https://www.google.com.au/url?sa=t&sour ... TLZy6Q3vGN

The amount and scale of infrastructure that film manufacturing used was incredible.
It's a pity most of the factories have been torn down as some looked quite nice from an architectural point of view.
In Australia Kodak had a factory on a 36 hectare site at Coburg Melbourne. It was closed in 2004 and later cleared for a housing estate. How boring!
Someone did a 3D simulation of the administration building that used to be there;
https://www.google.com.au/url?sa=t&sour ... uqjz4p20hh

[EdWood]

Its really wonderful to see Ektachrome on sale again although I guess I was one of the lucky people who had a big enough stock of it to keep me going as did others. Ordered some of the new batch and will look forward to giving it a twirl shortly. ;)

[Will2]

I have a feeling Kodak may be a little surprised at the demand for the new Ektachrome both in Super 8 and still film. The small camera shop in Dallas that promotes film is selling out everything they get in.

Doesn't mean Kodak is completely out of the woods but hopefully a good sign.

[BAC]

My film came!