Episode 57: Robert Shanebrook's Kodak Moments

Episode 57 of the Camerosity Podcast brings back one of the show's favorite guests, Robert Shanebrook, a former Eastman Kodak employee whose career ranged from building cameras that went to the moon to helping develop some of Kodak's most celebrated film emulsions, including T-Max, which is still produced today. Joining Robert are returning guest Mina Saleeb, first-time caller Jesse Wisdom, and hosts Anthony, Paul, Theo, and Mike, making for a wide-ranging conversation packed with Kodak history and industry insight.

The bulk of the episode centers on Robert's reflections on Kodak's recent statement that it will continue making film as long as demand exists, and what that means for the film community going forward. He recounts his days torture-testing film to ensure quality, and discusses the differences between consumer and professional film tolerances, regional and tropical film variants, and how humidity proves more damaging to film than temperature (with 120 degrees cited as a rough breaking point). He also delves into specific emulsions like Verichrome III and Supra, the transition from Vericolor III to Portra (and how Kodak had to destroy remaining Vericolor III stock once Portra launched), and technical topics like the differences between E2, E3, E4, and E6 processing and how iridium doping eliminated reciprocity failure in film. Jesse contributes historical background on instant photography, revealing that Kodak actually helped Polaroid get off the ground early on, later leading to Polaroid's lawsuit against Kodak in the 1980s, and that Kodak manufactured the negative for Polaroid's Type 55 peel-apart film. Mike shares recent gear acquisitions, including a Kodak Aero-Ektar surveillance lens, a Lomo LC-Wide, and a W-Nikkor 2.5cm f/4 rangefinder lens, while Anthony recounts attending a KEH film event in Atlanta, noting a generational divide between younger and older film enthusiasts who tend not to interact due to differing platforms (Discord versus Facebook).

The overall takeaway is less a single verdict than a celebration of Kodak's enduring legacy and ongoing relevance in film photography, paired with a call for greater connection between generations of film shooters. The episode closes with a plug for Robert's book "Making Kodak Film," which is back in print, and a preview of the next episode, a deep dive into Yashica's history with two dedicated experts.

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Looking back at past episodes of the show, there are a few memorable ones, not necessarily for anything myself or the other hosts contributed, but rather from some of our esteemed guests. Of those esteemed guests, one that consistently piles on great information and awesome anecdotes about our hobby is Robert Shanebrook. A former employee of Eastman Kodak who while working there did everything from build cameras that went to the moon, to helping create some of the company’s best film emulsions ever made, even some like TMax which are still being made today.

With an incredible wealth of knowledge about Kodak’s past and present, Robert still has his fingers on the pulse of the company and the industry and can often give insightful comments on where the industry is headed, so any time Robert agrees to join us, you know you’re in for a ton of great information!

Joining him on this show is returning guest Mina Saleeb and first time caller Jesse Wisdom. Of course, joining Robert, Mina, and Jesse are the four horsemen of the world’s first and only open source film photography podcast, Anthony, Paul, Theo, and Mike!

In this episode, Robert shares his insights into Kodak’s recent announcement of their intent to keep making film for as long as there is demand, and what exactly that means for the film community. Robert reminisces on his days torture testing film and all of the great lengths Eastman Kodak went to making sure only the best film made it to your cameras, he talks about regional films, and a few more memorable film emulsions like Verichrome III and Supra.

In addition, Jesse shares his passion for instant film photography and we learn of some history behind Polaroid’s lawsuit against Kodak in the 1980s, and how if it weren’t for Kodak, Polaroid might have never existed.

Mike brings up his Kodak Aero-Ektar surveillance lens, and two recent pickups, a LOMO LC-Wide and W-Nikkor 2.5cm f/4 rangefinder lens. Anthony shares his experience going to a recent KEH film event in Atlanta and how there is a clear disconnect between younger film enthusiasts and the older generation. Jesse takes a stand and says that we need to connect the two groups of people as each can benefit from talking to another, but young people don’t go on Facebook and old farts don’t go on Discord.

As always, the topics we discuss on the Camerosity Podcast are influenced by you! Please don’t feel like you have to be an expert on a specific type of camera, or have the level of knowledge on par with other people on the show. We LOVE people who are new to shooting and are interested in having an episode dedicated to people new to the hobby, so please don’t consider your knowledge level to be a prerequisite for joining!

The guys and I rarely know where each episode is going to go until it happens, so if you’d like to join us on a future episode, be sure to look out for our show announcements on our Camerosity Podcast Facebook page, and right here on mikeeckman.com. We usually record every other Monday and announcements, along with the Zoom link are typically shared 2-3 days in advance.

For our next episode, we are devoting the entire show to Yashica. From the earliest Yashica TLRs to Nicca rangefinders to screw mount Yashica SLRs to the final Contax/Kyocera/Yashica SLRs, we plan on covering the entire output of this once great Japanese camera maker. To help us traverse Yashica’s long history, we will be joined by not one, but two Yashica experts who are certain to share with us a great deal of Yashica history and GAS! If you’ve ever had any questions about your Yashica Electro or Samurai, this is the episode you won’t want to miss, so be sure to join us on Monday, October 30th for the recording of Episode 58!

In This Episode

The Ultimate Debate: Tim Tam Biscuits vs Mint Slices (aka Girl Scout Thin Mints)
Kodak’s Statement That They’ll Stay in the Film Business As Long As There’s Demand
Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer Has Increased Interest in Film / 65mm Kodak Double XX Film
How Kodak Scaled Down Their Production While Keeping Quality High
Kodak Built in Different Tolerances for Consumer and Professional Films / Kodak Torture Tested Film
Does Film Need to be as Consistent Today As It Used To Be?
You Can Make a Lot of Stuff and Throw Away What’s Bad, Or You Can Just Make Only Good Stuff
Did Kodak Ever Resell or Give Away Their Film That Failed Quality Checks?
Is Expired Film Stored at a Consistent Temp More Stable than Film Stored in Varying Temperatures?
120 Degrees Seems to be the Breaking Point for Film / Humidity is More Detrimental than Temperatures Are
Were There Differences in the Same Film Produced in Different Markets? / Tropical Film and Cameras / Kodak ProImage 100
The HBO Series Euphoria Was Shot on Ektachrome / Why Aren’t There More Ektachrome Films?
Differences in E2, E3, E4, and E6 Processes / Chemical vs Light Reversal
How Similar are 1990s Pro Film to Today’s Portra? / Iridium Doping Gets Rid of Reciprocity
There Was Supposed to Be a Film Before Portra / Vericolor III
When Portra Came Out Kodak Couldn’t Sell Their Vericolor III Anymore So It Had to be Destroyed
What Happened to Kodak Professional Supra Film?
Instant Film / At Kodak the People Working on Instant Film Were in Silos
Kodak Initially Helped Make Polaroid Film / Edwin Land Would Have Failed Without Kodak’s Help
Kodak Made the Negative for Polaroid Type 55 Peel Apart Film
How Kodak Would Work With Fuji / Advanced Photo System
Kodak Had an Earlier Attempt to Make a New 35mm Film in 1979
Aero Ektar Military Lenses / Lenses with Thorium / Don’t Lick Radioactive Lenses
Ice Station Zebra / 30 Mile Long Rolls of Film in Satellites
Dental X-Ray Film / Minilabs in Dentist Offices / Yashica Dental-Eye
Anthony Goes to KEH and Sees a Bunch of Youtube Influencers with Very Expensive Cameras / Film Discord Servers
Younger People are Enthusiastic About Film and Older People Are Enthusiastic, But the Two Groups Aren’t Talking to Each Other
Shooting Expired Film Means Something Different Depending on Who You Ask
Mike Has a Cat Camera In a Can Made in Japan by Holga (WTF?!) / Film Photography Echo Chambers
Mina Bought a KMZ Horizont After the Soviet Episode / Mike Gets a LOMO LC-Wide / W-Nikkor 2.5cm f/4 Rangefinder Lens
Robert Shanebrook’s “Making Kodak Film” Book is Back In Print, So Order Now if You Want One

Links

If you would like to offer feedback or contact us with questions or ideas for future episodes, please contact us in the Comments Section below, our Camerosity Facebook Group or Instagram page, or email us at [email protected].

The Official Camerosity Facebook Group – https://www.facebook.com/groups/camerositypodcast

Camerosity Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/camerosity_podcast/

Keppler’s Vault 56: Kodak 35mm Film Prototype – https://mikeeckman.com/2020/02/kepplers-vault-56-kodak-35mm-prototype/

Robert Shanebrook – http://www.makingkodakfilm.com/

Mina Saleeb – https://www.instagram.com/crookandflail

Theo Panagopoulos – https://www.photothinking.com/

Paul Rybolt – https://www.ebay.com/usr/paulkris and https://www.etsy.com/shop/Camerasandpictures

Anthony Rue – https://www.instagram.com/kino_pravda/ and https://www.facebook.com/VoltaGNV/

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