Announcement Kodak made on June 14, 2006
As part of the portfolio revamp, Kodak will discontinue sales of its S8 KODACHROME 40 Movie Film. Final sales of KODACHROME Super 8 will be based on product availability over the coming months. Sales of KODACHROME 16 mm films will continue, unaffected by this announcement.
The decision to discontinue KODACHROME in Super 8 was driven entirely by marketplace dynamics.
"Because the 'home movie' market has shifted to digital, sales of KODACHROME Super 8 film have declined significantly," according to Mayson. "In tandem with that decline, the availability of processing for KODACHROME Super 8 cartridges has diminished. In other words, fewer and fewer labs worldwide have the machines and the chemistry necessary to process this film emulsion in the Super 8 format."
Kodak will give customers at least a year to process their KODACHROME Super 8 film with Kodak or seek an alternative.
Kodak remains committed to the Super 8 format, as evidenced by the new film announced today. Kodak is building on a product line that covers the needs of enthusiasts, from a choice of stocks in negative, black and white, and reversal films. Kodak's intent is to maintain the format as long as it is supported by marketplace conditions