With all the doom and gloom in the film photography these days it's a wonderful surprise that Kodak continues to produce new products. In this case, they have decided to cut 4x5 and 8x10 sheets of the lovely Ektar 100.

In happier times I made this close-to-orgasmic post about getting my Ektar back from the developer after my trip to the interior of BC this summer.

Read: Wonderful, beautiful Ektar 100

Ektar 100 was a revelation when it came out last year for 35mm and then followed by the 120 format. It has generous tones, detail and, from my fumblings with it, impressive latitude for a color negative film. Negative film is much easier to expose for vs slide. If I was going out to shoot landscapes or art and only had time to grab one box of film it would be Ektar 100. And now I can do it for all three of my formats.

Producing this should actually be easier for Kodak as sheet film has relatively less manufacturing costs for them despite the increase in dimensions. After all, roll-film must be rolled and then packaged that way whereas a sheet is just a negative sheet thrust in a box. Well, that's my decidedly ignorant point of view.

PDN reports that it should be available in April but you don't have to wait now. It's plentiful now in 35 and 120 format. You Europeans can get it in March, evidently.

Links

Kodak's press release:Kodak Offers New Film Choice for Large-Format Photographers with Introduction of KODAK PROFESSIONAL EKTAR 100 Film in 4x5 and 8x10 Sheet Formats

British Journal of Photography: Kodak's Ektar 100 goes large

Wonderful, beautiful Ektar 100