Kodacolor (still photography)
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In still photography, Kodak's Kodacolor brand has been associated with various color negative films (i.e. film intended for making color prints with) since 1942.[1] Kodak claims that Kodacolor print film was the world's first true color negative film. The Kodacolor name has subsequently been used on several negative films, including Kodacolor-X, Kodacolor VR and Kodacolor Gold.
As of early 2007, Kodak's current color negative films no longer use the Kodacolor brand name.[citation needed]
Contents |
[edit] Varieties of Kodacolor-branded print film
[edit] Kodacolor
| Kodacolor | |
| Maker: | Eastman Kodak |
| Speed: | 25/15° |
| Type: | Color print |
| Process: | proprietary, which later became known as C-22 |
| Format: | 120, 620, 116, 616, 127, 35 mm, 122[2] |
| Introduced: | 1942 |
| Discontinued: | 1963 |
Kodacolor was a color negative film manufactured by Kodak between 1942 and 1963. It was the first color negative film that they marketed.
When introduced, Kodacolor was sold with the cost of processing the film included, but prints were ordered separately. Both the film and processing procedures were revised through the years. The speed was increased to 32/16° in the 1950's.
After Kodak lost their anti-trust case in 1954, starting in 1955[3] processing was no longer included in the price of Kodacolor. Kodak made the processing information (by then C-22 process) and chemicals available to other film processing labs.
While Kodacolor film was normally daylight balanced, for a while starting in 1956 [4] it was balanced in-between daylight and tungsten, to allow use indoors, or with clear flash bulbs. This was not a great success, and the film returned to daylight balance a few years later.
In 1958, Kodak made Kodacolor available in the 35 mm format. Prior to that, they had only offered Kodachrome in 35mm film.
[edit] Kodacolor-X
| Kodacolor-X | |
| Maker: | Eastman Kodak |
| Speed: | 80/20° |
| Type: | Color print |
| Process: | C-22 process |
| Format: | 35 mm, 120, 620, 116, 616, 126, 127, 828 |
| Introduced: | 1963 |
| Discontinued: | 1974 |
Kodacolor-X was a color negative film manufactured by Kodak between 1963 and 1974. It was introduced along with the Kodak Instamatic cameras which used 126 film.
The film was designed to be processed in the C-22 process, which was the predecessor to today's C-41 process.
Only a few specialty labs still process this film, due to the length of discontinuation. Surviving Kodacolor-X and C-22 films can still yield images, although it requires highly specialist recovery techniques.
[edit] Kodacolor II
| Kodacolor II | |
| Maker: | Eastman Kodak |
| Speed: | 80/20° |
| Type: | Color print |
| Process: | C-41 process |
| Format: | 110, 35 mm, 120, 620, 116, 616, 126, 127, 828 |
| Introduced: | 1972 |
Kodacolor-II was the first of a new generation of Kodak color negative films using the C-41 process. It was designed as a major improvement to meet the needs of the small 13mm by 17mm negatives used in 110 film for the Kodak Pocket Instamatic cameras.
The film was only released in the 110 size in 1972, so that non-Kodak processing labs would have time to set up lines using the C-41 process. The other sizes were released in 1973.
[edit] Kodacolor 400
| Kodacolor 400 (CG) | |
| Maker: | Eastman Kodak |
| Speed: | 400/27° |
| Type: | Color print |
| Process: | C-41 process |
| Format: | 110, 35 mm, 120 |
| Introduced: | 1977 |
Kodacolor 400 was available by or before 1981. It offered a major speed increase over Kodacolor II.
[edit] Kodacolor 100
| Kodacolor 100 | |
| Maker: | Eastman Kodak |
| Speed: | 100/21° |
| Type: | Color print |
| Process: | C-41 process |
| Format: | 35 mm, 120 |
Kodacolor 100 replaced Kodacolor II.
[edit] Kodacolor HR
| Kodacolor HR | |
| Maker: | Eastman Kodak |
| Type: | Color print |
| Process: | C-41 process |
| Format: | Disc |
| Introduced: | 1982 |
| Discontinued: | 1983 |
Kodacolor HR was only available in the Disc format. It was Kodak's first color negative film to use their T-Grain technology. The T-Grain technology offered significant reduction in film grain, which was required for the very small 8x11mm negatives used in the Kodak Disc cameras and film introduced in the same year.
It was also Kodak's first film to use an improved cyan color-coupler, that makes the cyan dye in the negative much more stable[5]
[edit] Kodacolor VR 1000
| Kodacolor VR 1000 (CF) | |
| Maker: | Eastman Kodak |
| Speed: | 1000/32° |
| Type: | Color print |
| Process: | C-41 process |
| Format: | 35 mm |
| Introduced: | 1983 |
| Discontinued: | 1986 |
Kodacolor VR 1000 was announced in 1982[6], and available in 1983. This was also a T-Grain film, which made possible such a high speed film with tolerable grain.
[edit] Kodacolor VR 100
| Kodacolor VR 100 (CP) | |
| Maker: | Eastman Kodak |
| Speed: | 100/21° |
| Type: | Color print |
| Process: | C-41 process |
| Format: | 35 mm, 120, 110, 126 |
| Introduced: | 1982 |
| Discontinued: | 1986 |
Kodacolor VR 100 was introduced along with the 200 and 400 speeds in 1982[7] [8]. This transitioned the entire Kodacolor line of films to T-Grain technology.
The Kodacolor VR films were also Kodak's first to use developer-inhibitor-releaser[9], which improved edge effects for higher sharpness.
[edit] Kodacolor VR 200
| Kodacolor VR 200 (CL) | |
| Maker: | Eastman Kodak |
| Speed: | 200/24° |
| Type: | Color print |
| Process: | C-41 process |
| Format: | 35 mm, 120, 620, Disc |
| Introduced: | 1982 |
| Discontinued: | 1986 |
Kodacolor VR 200 used T-Grain technology. It was also available in the Disc film format (CVR).
[edit] Kodacolor VR 400
| Kodacolor VR 400 (CM) | |
| Maker: | Eastman Kodak |
| Speed: | 400/27° |
| Type: | Color print |
| Process: | C-41 process |
| Format: | 35 mm, 120 |
| Introduced: | 1982 |
| Discontinued: | 1986 |
Kodacolor VR 400 used T-Grain technology.
[edit] Kodacolor VR-G 100
| Kodacolor VR-G 100 (CA) | |
| Maker: | Eastman Kodak |
| Speed: | 100/21° |
| Type: | Color print |
| Process: | C-41 process |
| Format: | 35 mm, 120 |
| Introduced: | 1986 |
Kodacolor VR-G 100 was later sold as Kodacolor Gold 100.
[edit] Kodacolor VR-G 200
| Kodacolor VR-G 200 (CB) | |
| Maker: | Eastman Kodak |
| Speed: | 200/24° |
| Type: | Color print |
| Process: | C-41 process |
| Format: | 35 mm, 120 |
| Introduced: | 1986 |
Kodacolor VR-G 200 was later sold as Kodacolor Gold 200.
[edit] Kodacolor VR-G 400
| Kodacolor VR-G 400 (CC) | |
| Maker: | Eastman Kodak |
| Speed: | 400/27° |
| Type: | Color print |
| Process: | C-41 process |
| Format: | 35 mm, 120 |
| Introduced: | 1986 |
Kodacolor VR-G 400 was later sold as Kodacolor Gold 400.
[edit] References
- ^ Kodak History: 1930 - 1959, kodak.com. Article retrieved 2006-12-02.
- ^ Kodak Cameras - The First Hundred Years, by Brian Coe. Lists that Kodak produced Kodacolor in 122 for a very limited period in the 1940s.
- ^ Time: New Kodak Developments, time.com.
- ^ New York Times: New Kodacolor Rollfilm Announced by Eastman Types Combined, February 5, 1956.
- ^ Wilhelm: The Permanence and Care of Color Photographs, wilhelm-research.com.
- ^ Time: Fast Film Coup, time.com.
- ^ Kodak: History of Kodak 1980-1989, kodak.com.
- ^ New York Times: New Kodak Films, nytimes.com.
- ^ New York Times: New Color Films: Faster, Brighter, Sharper, July 7, 1983.
[edit] External links
For Kodacolor-X:
- Processing of older Kodacolor films requiring Process C-22 :
- Process C-22 UK, Europe and Australia
- C-22 processing at Frugal Photographer USA and Canada
- Film Rescue USA and Canada
- Rocky Mountain USA
