Would Kodak get back into the instant film business?

Chan Tran

Subscriber
Joined
May 10, 2006
Messages
7,092
Location
Sachse, TX
Format
35mm
Fuji is doing well with its Intax line of instant film. Polaroid is also selling a lot of films and cameras. Polaroid I understand is having problem making their film as good as the old Polaroid. I found the short lived Kodak instant film to be very good and in some aspect I liked better than Polaroid. Now the Polaroid patents what ever they were would be expired and Kodak I believe has the expertise to make it so would they get back in the business?
 

brbo

Member
Joined
Dec 28, 2011
Messages
2,290
Location
EU
Format
Multi Format
That's in the "bringing back Kodachrome" category.

I think Kodak is quite happy with box-design level of changes to their film lineup.
 

Don_ih

Member
Joined
Jan 24, 2021
Messages
8,223
Location
Ontario
Format
35mm RF
I don't think the market exists for it, not at a significant scale. Instax is well-established and it would be impossible to compete realistically with it.
 

Lachlan Young

Member
Joined
Dec 2, 2005
Messages
5,019
Location
Glasgow
Format
Multi Format
Instax is by all accounts effectively based off Kodak's instant film technology that they sold off after the lawsuit with Polaroid.
 
OP
OP

Chan Tran

Subscriber
Joined
May 10, 2006
Messages
7,092
Location
Sachse, TX
Format
35mm
But there is enough money in it for Polaroid and Fuji to make it. As far as significant scale? Kodak makes film which is a niche market now. The reason I think about this is how bad the current Polaroid film is and Kodak can make a far superior product as they actually have made it in the 80's.
 

EarlJam

Member
Joined
Jul 18, 2015
Messages
57
Location
Southern Cal
Format
Multi Format
Kodak had to exit the instant market due to Polaroid patent infringement issues. As I recall, it was a quite bloody court fight. Where Kodak could get back into the instant market would be the manufacture of Polaroid film packs, as they did for Polaroid in the mid-late 1960s. I agree that Fuji has a niche with Instax that doesn't leave much, if any, room for a competitor, but there may be a decent market remaining for Polaroid camera and third-party film pack camera back users.

(https://library.torontomu.ca/asc/2013/08/kodak-versus-polaroid-the-battle-for-instant-photography-2/)
https://www.rkdewan.com/blogs/paten...novation-click-clash-cash-kodak-vs-polaroids/
 
OP
OP

Chan Tran

Subscriber
Joined
May 10, 2006
Messages
7,092
Location
Sachse, TX
Format
35mm

Yes but all those patents have long since expired. Polaroid B.V. on the other hand can't quite make the film as good as the old Polaroid could. I believe if Kodak makes instant film it would be far superior to Polaroid.
 

Lachlan Young

Member
Joined
Dec 2, 2005
Messages
5,019
Location
Glasgow
Format
Multi Format
Chan Tran said:
Yes but all those patents have long since expired. Polaroid B.V. on the other hand can't quite make the film as good as the old Polaroid could. I believe if Kodak makes instant film it would be far superior to Polaroid.
Click to expand...

There are components that were used in the emulsions and chemical pods that now have environmental restrictions on them. Getting a direct positive emulsion & thickened monobath to work well is a lot more challenging than people seem to assume it to be. Fuji have had the benefit of Kodak doing most of the hardest work for them in the 1970s/80s.
 

Paul Howell

Subscriber
Joined
Dec 23, 2004
Messages
9,928
Location
Scottsdale Az
Format
Multi Format
There would little room for it the market, and the upfront cost would be very high. Return on investment would be difficult.
 

BrianShaw

Member
Joined
Nov 30, 2005
Messages
16,835
Location
La-la-land
Format
Multi Format
Before you give up, float the idea by Kodak and find out what they really think!
 

zfshi

Member
Joined
Feb 13, 2014
Messages
8
Format
35mm
I certainly hope so. Based on the new kodacolor release, it brings a slight hope to the analog community.
 

Hassasin

Member
Joined
Feb 23, 2023
Messages
1,572
Location
Hassasstan
Format
Multi Format
The biggest detriment to innovation has always been scepticism.

All the same - you cannot fail if you don't try (paraphrasing - you cannot win, if you don't play)
 
OP
OP

Chan Tran

Subscriber
Joined
May 10, 2006
Messages
7,092
Location
Sachse, TX
Format
35mm
Pieter12 said:
Kodak was never a big player the instant film business. Polaroid kicked their ass.
Click to expand...

That's not true! In fact Kodak instant film was less expensive and better than Polaroid. Polaroid sued and successfully shut them down for patent infringement plus almost a billion dollars in award to Polaroid. If Polaroid is correct they claimed that Kodak cost them over 4 billions dollars in lost business so Kodak instant film wasn't bad.
 

Paul Howell

Subscriber
Joined
Dec 23, 2004
Messages
9,928
Location
Scottsdale Az
Format
Multi Format
Kodak instant film and cameras were given good reviews in Pop and Modern Photography. Polaroid had professional level films which Kodak did not make.
 

xya

Member
Joined
Jun 13, 2010
Messages
1,058
Location
Calais, Köln
Format
Multi Format
Lachlan Young said:
Kodak thoroughly researched peel apart films, but did not commercialise them for various reasons.
Click to expand...

The professional Polaroid peel-apart colour film was produced with Kodak made negative film. So they were quite into this business...

...and seen by today's legal standards, Polaroid would have lost the case, because the Kodak Instant film was quite different from the Polaroid film. In fact the Instax film is a copy of the Kodak Instant film...
 
OP
OP

Chan Tran

Subscriber
Joined
May 10, 2006
Messages
7,092
Location
Sachse, TX
Format
35mm

The reason I wish Kodak to make instant film because they have the ability to make it. The Instax is good but they are available only in very small format. The Polaroid is not up to the quality the old Polaroid was.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Menu
Log in
Register
Cookies are required to use this site. You must accept them to continue using the site. Learn more…