Last Updated on 11/10/2017 by Chris Gampat
Sadly, things aren’t looking extremely great for Kodak right now
Unfortunately, things aren’t looking so stellar for Kodak right now. Specifically, we’re referencing Eastman Kodak who produces a lot of those interesting Kodak branded products like 3D cameras, the Kodak Ektra, software, printing systems, etc. The company formed after Kodak emerged from Chapter 11 back in 2013. But unfortunately, they’re also the producer of Kodak motion picture film. And while Kodak Portra, Ektar, Tri-X and Gold aren’t tied to Eastman Kodak but instead Kodak Alaris, the layoff and lower profits could mean a few problems.
Before I go on, let me explain that previous paragraph a bit more because I’ve seen a lot of misinformation on the web. Alaris deals with film. Eastman deals with more tech stuff, though partially with film due to the motion picture film products they sell. So the two companies are still tied together and work with one another, but they’re still separate. Whenever you read about a new Kodak 3D camera or something digital, then you’re probably reading about Eastman Kodak; whom the news is primarily about today.
According to the Democrat and Chronicle, “Kodak reported a net loss of $46 million on revenues of $379 million. The State Street-based company said net earnings were $12 million in the third quarter of 2016.” Additionally, there are more than 400 jobs being cut as a result. While this is very unfortunate, we can’t say that we didn’t see it coming. Eastman Kodak has been struggling for some time now unfortunately.
The cut and lower profits could, if my understanding is correct, affect the arrival of Kodak Ektachrome’s return. In talks with Kodak reps, Kodak Ektachrome is directly tied to the production of the Super 8 film emulsion. It’s just more or less being repackaged, sized, and rolled for 35mm film cameras. In fact, Kodak (not sure which one) opened up a lab in Queens, NY to help it along and has been working with other labs on how they’d support the film’s processing. Kodak Motion Picture film, which again, is produced by Eastman, is repackaged and modified by CineStill for still camera use. We’re not sure how that’s going to affect their supply either. Kodak already stated the film will ship in smaller quantities next month but will go into full mass production next year.