If you have strolled into a camera shop recently or browsed through film forums, you might have noticed unfamiliar yellow-and-red boxes sitting on the shelves. Names like Ektacolor Pro, Ektapan, and Kodacolor have suddenly reappeared, leaving plenty of photographers wondering what is happening in Rochester.
Did Kodak formulate brand-new emulsions overnight? Not quite.
Between corporate licensing splits, direct distribution shifts, and third-party respoolers, the current film market is full of duplicate names, recycled vintage branding, and cinema rolls in disguise. Here is the breakdown of what is actually on the shelves, what is inside the canisters, and which rolls share the exact same DNA.
Why Is Kodak Renaming Film?
To understand the sudden influx of "new" Kodak-branded boxes, you have to look at the legacy of Kodak's 2012 bankruptcy restructuring.
When Eastman Kodak emerged from Chapter 11, the consumer imaging side—including global distribution rights for still films—was spun off to Kodak Alaris. Eastman Kodak retained the Rochester manufacturing plant, while Alaris packaged, priced, and distributed the photographic lines.
That split divided the trademark rights:
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Kodak Alaris exclusively owned the trademarks to modern brands like Portra and T-Max.
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Eastman Kodak retained the factory, alongside heritage trademarks like Kodacolor, Ektacolor, and Ektapan.
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Shared trademarks like Gold, UltraMax, Tri-X, Ektar, and Ektachrome could be sold by both entities under varying agreements.
When Eastman Kodak moved to distribute still photographic films directly alongside Alaris, they could not legally print the Portra or T-Max names on their own retail boxes. Instead, they reached into their historical archives, pulled out legacy names, and packaged existing master emulsions under those heritage badges.
The Official Lineup: The Master Translation List
If you see these on a shelf, the emulsion inside matches an existing Kodak master roll:
| Box Name | What It Actually Is | Emulsion & Edge-Code Details |
| Kodak Ektacolor Pro 160 | Kodak Portra 160 | Identical professional colour negative; fine grain and natural skin tones. |
| Kodak Ektacolor Pro 400 | Kodak Portra 400 | Identical high-latitude professional colour stock. |
| Kodak Ektacolor Pro 800 | Kodak Portra 800 | Identical high-speed, warm-bias colour stock. |
| Kodak Ektapan 100 | Kodak T-Max 100 | Modern tabular-grain (T-Grain) black-and-white. |
| Kodak Ektapan 400 | Kodak T-Max 400 | Identical sharp, fine-grain 400 B&W stock. |
| Kodak Ektapan P3200 | Kodak T-Max P3200 | Multi-speed, pushable low-light black-and-white (35mm only). |
| Kodacolor 200 | Kodak ColorPlus 200 | Direct twin of ColorPlus. Delivers vintage warmth and classic grain. Canisters have long carried internal "Kodacolor 200" metal stamps. |
| Kodacolor 100 | Lomography Color Negative 100 base | Not Pro Image. Shares the medium-contrast emulsion Kodak coats for Lomography 100 ("Classicolor"), carrying the internal 100-8 rebate code. |
Stocks like Kodak Gold 200, UltraMax 400, Tri-X 400, and Ektar 100 retain their names across the board, though packaging layouts differ slightly depending on whether Eastman or Alaris handled distribution.
The "Unofficial" Kodak Rebrands: Motion Picture and Aerial Stocks
Beyond Eastman Kodak's own rebadging, third-party brands have built full product lines by converting industrial and cinema master rolls into standard 35mm and 120 formats:
Kodak Vision3 Cinema Stocks
Hollywood's primary motion picture film features a protective carbon "remjet" layer that standard lab C-41 machines cannot process without contamination. Boutique brands chemically strip this layer before spooling, allowing regular minilab development:
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CineStill 800T, Candido 800, Amber 800: Kodak Vision3 500T (5219) with remjet removed. Removing the backing causes distinctive red halation around specular light sources.
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CineStill 400D: Kodak Vision3 250D (5207) with remjet removed.
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CineStill 50D: Kodak Vision3 50D (5203) with remjet removed.
Kodak Aerocolor IV (2460)
Originally designed for high-altitude aerial surveillance, this stock has no orange C-41 mask, a clear polyester base, and extended red sensitivity.
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Spooled and sold under names including SantaColor 100, Flic Film Elektra 100, and Lumina 100.
Kodak Eastman Double-X (5222)
Kodak’s classic black-and-white motion picture emulsion, unchanged in formulation since 1959.
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Respooled directly as CineStill BwXX, Cinematography Project Double-X, and various independent lab bulk rolls.
Practical Takeaways for Your Film Bag
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No need to mourn "missing" stocks: If your local shop is out of Portra 400 or T-Max 400, pick up Ektacolor Pro 400 or Ektapan 400 without adjusting your development times, exposure ratings, or scanning profiles.
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Watch your point-and-shoot metering: Factory Eastman Kodak and Kodak Alaris rolls carry standard DX barcodes. Respooled cinema stocks (Vision3, Double-X) or boutique rolls (SantaColor) frequently use non-coded canisters or plastic cassettes. If your camera lacks manual ISO controls, verify the canister has an accurate DX sticker applied.
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Compare shelf prices: Because two distribution pipelines now exist for many of these emulsions, retail prices fluctuate between Alaris-packaged boxes and Eastman-packaged rolls. Shopping across both names can save a noticeable amount per roll.
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