Kodak Vision 3

[ben-s]

http://www.kodak.com/US/en/motion/hu...volution.jhtml
I've just seen this on another forum. It appears to be a prerelease promo for a new cinematography stock - Vision 3.

So much for kodak becoming a digital-only company by 2008

It set me wondering actually - there have been several new/updated/re-released films this year, from all 3 major manufacturers. - perhaps film is really much more resillient than the critics would make out...

[Photo Engineer]

Not dead but there is a decline and a necessary retrenchment.

With sales dropping over 90%, you have to adjust.

PE

[PHOTOTONE]

Well, interesting to think about. Kodak has, what, about 50,000 employees? Ilford/Harman Technology has, I think less than 200. I would guess that Efke and Foma have less than 100 combined. Don't know what Fuji has, but they are also into manufacture of cameras, both digital and film. It takes higher volume production for Kodak to break even, but they have room to downsize more, if needed, I would think.

[pentaxuser]

When you compare the employee numbers between the players and look at the film market, it asks the question: What else does Kodak do that helps employ 50,000 or 250 times the number employed by Ilford?

The answer is: ........

Thanks

pentaxuser

[Photo Engineer]

Well, Kodak makes color products and digital products as well as having a huge R&D facility for analog and digital. They have hundreds of chemists, physicists, photo engineers, digital engineers, and color engineers that the Ilford does not.

They have a complete set of coating facilities in several locations that have backup engineers to troubleshoot problems from the high speed coaters.

They have slitting and perfing operations for film and packing operations for film and paper.

Many of these are similar to Ilford but about 100x larger or even moreso. I think the biggest difference is the staff to support color, color R&D and digital.

PE

[PHOTOTONE]

I think the biggest difference is the staff to support color, color R&D and digital.

PE

And the need for this level of staff is because of the motion picture industry, so it is not surprising that the motion picture negative films get updated first, and then there is a trickle down effect if the same improvements can be made to still-camera film stocks.

[Photo Engineer]

And, that is why I've said that if the MP industry ever fully converts to digital, analog film is in trouble.

Look up Red 1, the new digital camera.

PE

[PHOTOTONE]

And, that is why I've said that if the MP industry ever fully converts to digital, analog film is in trouble.

Look up Red 1, the new digital camera.

PE

The film industry is still very strongly centered on FILM for initial photography, including higher-end dramatic TV production. This is a matter of taste for many many cinematographers and directors. They have enthusiastically embraced digital post-production though.

I don't know what it would take for small theatres in the small towns of the USA, and in the less developed countries of the world to switch to digital projection...the owners just don't have the money. Even if the equipment manufacturers provide special long-term financing, or lease options, it is hard to justify when you only make $1500 to $2000 a week in gross ticket sales, of which a high percentage of that goes to the film distributor. Traditional film projectors are (for all practical purposes) bullet proof, and last for generations of use, with only minor parts replacement.

[keithwms]

Don't know what Fuji has, but they are also into manufacture of cameras, both digital and film.

Recent Fuji stats:

76k employees, but with ~5000 layoffs since last year
Sales $23.7 bil
Net income $293 mil
R&D spending $1.5 bil
Cap spending $1.4 bil
Sectors: 22% imaging, 37% information, 41% document solutions

The bottom line is that Fuji has remained profitable, and they have also invested very heavily in new research. One of their hotter new directions is the manufacture of triacetate cellulose TAC film used as a polarizing layer in flat panel "privacy" displays. They have apparently cornered that market and the technology came straight out of their film sector.

I am paraphrasing from C&EN, 2 July 2007.

I am not a business expert, but it seems likely to me that the Fuji - Nikon relationship will continue to develop.

[ben-s]

I've been watching the red one closely for quite a while now.
It seems to be a highly capable camera, but people are still talking film for distribution.
Apparently the 4K filmout material looks brilliant.

I personally prefer the idea of the new Aaton "Penelope" camera. It's a 35mm camera capable of 2 or 3 perf operation, but they are going to release a digital magazine for it. According to Aaton, it'll only take a couple of minutes to switch from film to digital and vice versa, the logic being that you can shoot a mixture of both if you want.