Kodak

Eastman Kodak Company, founded in 1888 by George Eastman in Rochester, New York, is one of the most influential brands in the history of photography. As a pioneer of analog photography, Kodak made photography accessible to the masses with affordable cameras and roll film. Despite challenges in the digital age, Kodak remains a leading manufacturer of high-quality photographic films, valued worldwide by professional photographers, artists, and analog enthusiasts. Under the leadership of Kodak Alaris, which has managed the film and paper division since 2013, the brand is experiencing a renaissance, driven by the rediscovery of analog photography.
Product Portfolio
Kodak offers a comprehensive range of color and black-and-white films for 35mm, 120mm, and large format cameras, known for their quality, versatility, and unique color reproduction:
Color Films (Negative):
Kodak Portra: The Portra series (160, 400, 800) is ideal for portrait and wedding photography, featuring natural skin tones, fine grain, and high dynamic range. Portra 400 is particularly versatile for a variety of lighting conditions.

Kodak Gold 200: An everyday film with warm colors and good sharpness, popular for snapshots.

Kodak ColorPlus 200: Entry-level film with vibrant colors, optimized for daylight photography.

Kodak UltraMax 400: Suitable for fast-action or low-light situations, with saturated colors.

Color Slide Films:
Kodak Ektachrome E100: A slide film with brilliant, vibrant colors and ultra-fine grain, ideal for landscape and travel photography. Its reintroduction in 2018 revived demand for slide films.

Black and White Films:
Kodak Tri-X 400: A classic for reportage, street photography, and fine art work, known for its strong contrasts, distinctive grain, and flexibility when pushing (e.g., to ISO 1600).

Kodak T-Max: T-Max 100, 400, and P3200 offer fine grain and high sharpness, ideal for studio or landscape photography. T-Max P3200 is optimized for low-light scenarios.

Kodak Professional BW400CN: A chromogenic black and white film developed in C-41 chemistry for smooth contrast and ease of processing.

Specialty Films:
Kodak Vision3: Originally developed for the film industry (e.g., 500T, 250D), this cine film is also used in still photography, offering unique color depth and high dynamic range.

The films are available in 35mm (24 or 36 exposures), 120mm medium format, and large format sheets (e.g., 4x5 inches). Kodak also offers disposable cameras with built-in film, such as the Kodak FunSaver, for spontaneous shots.
Innovation and Technology
Kodak has shaped film photography with numerous innovations:
T-Grain Technology: Introduced with T-Max films, the flat, tablet-shaped grain structure improves sharpness and reduces grain, especially at high ISO values.

Color Dynamic Range: Films like Portra offer high dynamic range (up to 14 stops), preserving fine details in highlights and shadows.

Push/Pull Flexibility: Films like Tri-X or Vision3 can be over- or underexposed and developed accordingly, allowing creative freedom.

Cinema Adaptation: Vision3 films, originally developed for Hollywood, are also popular in analog photography due to their robustness and color depth, despite the need for ECN-2 development.

Design and Ease of Use
Kodak films are known for their consistency and ease of handling. The films are packaged in sturdy metal or plastic cassettes that protect against light and moisture. Clear labels (e.g., ISO, format) and DX coding on 35mm cassettes facilitate use in automatic cameras. C-41-compatible black-and-white films like BW400CN allow development in standard labs. Slide films like Ektachrome require E-6 development but offer unparalleled color for projection or scanning.
Areas of Application
Kodak films cover a wide spectrum:
Portrait and wedding photography: Portra 160/400 for natural skin tones and soft light.

Street and reportage photography: Tri-X 400 for high-contrast, dynamic images, especially in black and white.

Landscape and travel photography: Ektachrome E100 for vibrant colors or T-Max 100 for fine details.

Artistic photography: Vision3 films for cinematic aesthetics or push processing for experimental results.

Everyday photography: Gold 200 and ColorPlus 200 for colorful snapshots.

Quality and Market Position
Kodak remains synonymous with quality in analog photography. The films are produced in Rochester, New York, where strict quality controls ensure consistency. The reintroduction of Ektachrome in 2018 and the expansion of production capacities reflect Kodak's commitment to analog photography. Despite competition from Fujifilm and Ilford, Kodak is benefiting from the analog renaissance, especially among younger photographers who appreciate the unique aesthetics of films like Portra and Tri-X. The brand maintains close ties with the community through initiatives such as the Kodak Professional Film App, which offers development guides.
Kodak stands for unparalleled color reproduction, long-lasting quality, and creative versatility, making it the first choice for photographers who want to experience the magic of analog photography.