Kodak Removes Remjet

In this episode of the Analog.Cafe Podcast, Daren and Dmitri chat about the recent update to Kodak Vision 3 films, which was eight years in the making!

As you may or may not know, Kodak sells a huge amount of film to cinema studios. This footage is branded Vision 3, which is different from all other Kodak emulsions we put in still cameras. The main difference, until now, has been the remjet layer — a black carbon deposit on the back of the film that has to be washed off before development (or risk ruining the chemicals and the film itself).

This month, Kodak announced that they've reformulated their motion picture films to no longer require remjet, meaning they can be developed like any other colour-negative (in either C-41 or ECN-2).

Together, we unpack this technology, what it means for film photography and photography in general. Daren and Dmitri also touch on related subjects, like grain simulations, what it takes to stand out in the crowd photography space, and why we love the analogue process.

We also chat about our own efforts to replicate CineStill 800T at home.

"We're always going to have sick people, why can't we also have sick film?"

— Dmitri, on why Fujifilm should start investing in film again, a product that's been sidelined by the company in favour of the more profitable medical research.

(Dmitri is the bald one.)

Show links:

• Kodak factory tours https://www.analog.cafe/comments/tnq0
• Kodak silver caps on film canisters https://petapixel.com/2021/06/30/kodaks-35mm-canisters-now-have-silver-caps-due-to-metal-shortages/

• More on Kodak and Kodak Alaris relationship: Is Kodak Okay? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xf1vFv7Mc-0 

• Can we make CineStill at home? https://www.analog.cafe/r/how-to-fake-cinestill-800t-q69c (more links coming soon, follow Daren https://www.youtube.com/@LearnFilmPhotography and Yvonne https://www.youtube.com/@YvonneHansonPhotography )

• CineStill's factory at Kodak Rochester (Kodakery Podcast): https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/cinestill-with-brian-and-brandon-wright/id1075930391?i=1000446319972 

• Our test using nature to develop film: https://www.analog.cafe/r/i-developed-film-in-cannabis-9ozs and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JjMStAcKlqQ 

• Music Video shot on never-before-seen Kodak film: https://www.analog.cafe/comments/hvaf

• Hypersensitization: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Photographic_hypersensitization

• https://SoftGrainBooks.com — Daren's small Canadian publishing company that sells art photography books.

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