Kodak to discontinue colour internegative stock

[David Ferguson]

Sad news indeed, from a December Kodak news publication. They're discontinuing 2273 and 3273.

[Steve Guttag]

Now how many of you realized that Kodak still had 16mm magnetic film? I sure didn't. I'm not familiar with all of the various types of Kodak film. Are those the only internegative types or are they just narrowing their selection? Since I don't see 65mm/70mm on the list I presume it is just one version and perhaps not as popular as another?

[Sean McKinnon]

Not being very up on the film stocks available for shooting and processing I would assume there are other 35mm interneg stocks that are available? If not what does this mean for any future small run 35mm?

[Marcel Birgelen]

Now how many of you realized that Kodak still had 16mm magnetic film? I sure didn't. I'm not familiar with all of the various types of Kodak film. Are those the only internegative types or are they just narrowing their selection? Since I don't see 65mm/70mm on the list I presume it is just one version and perhaps not as popular as another?

People are still shooting on 16mm, especially for indie productions as it is far cheaper than 35mm. I've even seen solutions to store synced digital sound on 16mm mag-tracks at a trade show once, although I'm not sure how reliable that is. There's also tons of archival material on16mm film with mag tracks, especially in many broadcast archieves. So I guess there's still a viable market there, although lots of it is being scanned and digitized at 4K nowadays and not being transferred back onto fresh film material.

I don't think there is any 70mm version of the 2273/3273 stock, as it wouldn't make sense to just discontinue the 35 and 16mm versions and continue to produce 70mm.

[Leo Enticknap]

Presumably 2254 will continue to be available.

The main difference in the emulsion is that 2/3273 grain structure is optimized for exposure via analog duplication (contact and optical), whereas 2254 is optimized for exposure via filmout. 2254 is also only available in 35mm: no 16 or 65. It is available in both acetate and polyester, though, which is a relief for archives.

[Steve Guttag]

I wonder if the geniuses at Kodak realize that 2020 is probably not a good year to base any future projections on and that 2021/2022 will likely reveal any backlog what people might have otherwise done. I'm sure they were looking at the trend line of consumption of products prior to 2020 to predict product needs. At least I hope they were. I would like film to be available for anyone that wants to use it.

[Marcel Birgelen]

I guess the Kodak folks also face a pretty abysmal year, so I hope they made an informed decision and not one purely based out of necessity.

Presumably 2254 will continue to be available.

The main difference in the emulsion is that 2/3273 grain structure is optimized for exposure via analog duplication (contact and optical), whereas 2254 is optimized for exposure via filmout. 2254 is also only available in 35mm: no 16 or 65. It is available in both acetate and polyester, though, which is a relief for archives.

Since polyester/ESTAR film is said to last for decades, if not centuries if stored at the right conditions (I guess the pudding still has to be eaten), I wonder why archives still want to use acetate based film stock? Is it only to protect equipment or am I missing something else?

[Mark Gulbrandsen]

Now how many of you realized that Kodak still had 16mm magnetic film? I sure didn't. I'm not familiar with all of the various types of Kodak film. Are those the only internegative types or are they just narrowing their selection? Since I don't see 65mm/70mm on the list I presume it is just one version and perhaps not as popular as another?

Kodak once owned a company whose name escapes me on the west coast where all they made was magnetic film. We used the stuff on many film productions. But because of the bankruptcy they sold off the assets. This could be left over from that company.

[Leo Enticknap]

Since polyester/ESTAR film is said to last for decades, if not centuries if stored at the right conditions (I guess the pudding still has to be eaten), I wonder why archives still want to use acetate based film stock? Is it only to protect equipment or am I missing something else?

You're right and they don't. Some specialist optical step printers can't use polyester, hence most intermediate stocks being available in acetate. I was expressing relief that 2254 will continue to be available on polyester, because archives won't be forced to use acetate (which requires lower humidity, and therefore more expensive, storage conditions, and doesn't last as long) to create preservation elements.

[Steve Guttag]

Mark is searching for "FPC" as the facility that handled their magnetic stocks (and PTR rollers).

[Scott Norwood]

2273 and 3273 are for internegatives for 16mm material shot on color reversal film. That is very much a niche market, though it is important for preserving material where the only existing material is on positive film. I assume that most of that sort of work is done by scanning and outputting data to film now.

Regular color intermediate (for films shot on color negative, which has been normal for several decades) is 2242/3242/5242, which is (for now, anyway) still available.

The full Kodak catalog is here:

https://www.kodak.com/content/produc...Catalog-US.pdf