Nearly a month after Kodak announced its move to file for bankruptcy protection, the iconic company finally has a good news for film photographers: it will cease the production of digital equipment but will carry on with its film division. Read more about it after the jump!
Kodak is sticking to what made it a household name and an iconic brand: films. Photo via Rochester Institute of Technology
It was not so long ago when film photographers across the globe received a despondent news about the present and future condition of the iconic Kodak: it announced its move to file for bankruptcy protection due to incurred debt and decreased profitability. To us lomographers and film photography enthusiasts, it could only mean one thing—the world was stepping further away from the magic of film.
However, it didn’t take Kodak too long to give us a lighter news. The company has very recently announced that it will cease production of digital cameras, digital picture frames, and pocket video cameras, but will carry on with the production of its film products, in line with its “ongoing strategic review.”
“For some time, Kodak’s strategy has been to improve margins in the capture device business by narrowing our participation in terms of product portfolio, geographies and retail outlets. Today’s announcement is the logical extension of that process, given our analysis of the industry trends,” Kodak’s chief marketing officer Pradeep Jotwani comments.
Reassuring film photographers, Kodak tells in a statement that the consumer products and services that they will continue include “traditional film capture and photographic paper business, which continues to provide high-quality and innovative products and solutions to consumers, photographers, retailers, photofinishers and professional labs.”
If you’re wondering, out of curiosity, about what will happen to Kodak’s digital products, the company says the announcement doesn’t spell the end for its digital cameras. It intends to follow the example of Polaroid by licensing its brand to a third-party manufacturer, and “will continue to honor all related product warranties, and provide technical support and service for its cameras, pocket video cameras, and digital picture frames.”
Read the full report from the British Journal of Photography here.
Even if it was also Kodak who invented the digital camera, we cannot deny that the company is best known, remembered, and esteemed for its film. Do you agree or disagree? Tell us what you think with a comment below!
42 comments
neanderthalis
Thank you film gods!
guanatos
this IS good news amist the chaos that is Kodak nowadays
saidseni
Great! I have a bunch of Kodak film to try at home - if I fall in love with it, I will still be able to find them. Yeah! :D
vicuna
That's good news!!! The core identity of Kodak is film, and it's great they stay to it! :))
undiscovered
thank. god.
sidsel
This is über-good news!!
skrutt
I've also heard that it is only Kodak in North America that is going down, because they do pretty good in Scandinavia and so. But it is good news that they will continue with film! :D
wil6ka
honestly - I had no doubt about it!
herbert-4
I am very glad that Kodak will survive with film, however, I want Kodachrome 25 and Aerochrome back, both in 120 and 35mm, and Plus-X in 620. Thanx
jeffr
Smart move :)
emilios
Excellent!!
litleandi
Beautifully written article. Informative and brings good news. =)
natalieerachel
Yessss!!!
yelkaxee
Woohooo!!
moodification
What a relief!!! That's good news!
albeelee
yes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
vandal
GOOD MOVE KODAK !!! you should also start making new film types !!!
stratski
Yay! Great news. If only Kodak would celebrate this with the re-introduction of Aerochrome...
cfib
YAY Kodak! Now continue Elitechrome ;)
sin-titulo
omg yayyyy! this is such great news for the lomography world!
jackpumpkinhead
This article needs a "Super-Like" Button!
hoseun
Superbbbbb! And aerochrome plz! :D
bgoh29
great news indeed.
cole-westie
cwyeung
I want to like this article but I con't......
From the news released by Kodak Hong Kong, they confirm that Kodak is going to discontinue ALL SLIDE FILM in the coming months.......
superkulisap
Viva Kodak!
peteparker
Great news... !!! Hope Fuji willl keep films too :-)
makofoto
foodeanz
Finally....=)
moushumi
What a relief!
djcosta
I'm happy for it! Better to have Kodak focus on what they've always been good. Film is still alive :) So good to know!
clickiemcpete
Good news indeed!
izzanniznadia
superb!!! now I got the chance to use it :)
hervinsyah
I wanna try Kodak IR before I die. @makofoto : $ 10,000? For how many rolls? slide or negative?
bear_feet
Yessssssss!! \o/
rustik
mangaman
HUZZZAAAAAAAH :)
wzzk
yeaaahhhh! buy all the films!!!
belaf
omg yes!!!!!!!
adam_g2000
It's not surprising that Kodak will discontinue it's slide film, it is very specialist and only a minority will want to or see the benefits of xpro. However film is cheap and easy to produce, so film itself in its basic incarnation will survive for a while yet. Also don't forget, the most interesting and whacky film for xpro continues to be Fuji. The most dramatic colour shifts are still the Sensia 100, Provia, Sensia etc. Elite Chrome and Ektachrome, mainly just enhanced contrast.
carsten-schmitt
But there are still people out there who enjoy slide film for its own sake, especially among more traditional photographers. In fact I am already getting a bit bored by the whole x-pro thing. It is just one of those effects that are cool but - at least for me - lose their appeal and novelty because now pretty much everybody (at least on lomography) is doing it. Once my next slide film is done I'll have it developed in E6. And that one is a Kodak, albeit a re-labeled one.
trevordeanm