List of discontinued photographic films

Adox was a German camera and film brand of Fotowerke Dr. C. Schleussner GmbH of Frankfurt am Main, the world's first photographic materials manufacturer. In the 1950s it launched its revolutionary thin layer sharp black and white kb 14 and 17 films, referred to by US distributors as the 'German wonder film'.[1] In the 1970s Dupont the new owners of the ADOX brand sold the recipes and machinery of the film (but not the brand name) to Fotokemika in Croatia who continued to produce the films according to the 1950s ADOX formulas under the Efke brand.

The current rights to the ADOX name for photographic products were obtained in 2003 by Fotoimpex of Berlin, Germany, a company founded in 1992 to import photographic films and papers from former eastern Europe. This included the Efke films from Fotokemika which were sold branded as 'ADOX CHS Art' re-uniting the ADOX name with the original Schleussner film formula. Fotoimpex established the ADOX Fotowerke GmbH film factory in Bad Saarow outside Berlin to convert and package their films, papers and chemicals. After the closure of Fotokemika in 2012, ADOX subsequently revived the KB100 film as ADOX CHS II.

Originally founded in Berlin, 1867, its name was changed to AGFA (Actien-Gesellschaft für Anilin-Fabrikation) in 1873. The Wolfen factory was established in 1910 and the original Leverkusen works around the same time. By 1925 under IG Farben, Wolfen was specialising in film production and Leverkusen photographic paper. After the war, Agfa was split into two companies: Agfa AG, Leverkusen in West Germany, and VEB Film und Chemiefaserwerk Agfa Wolfen in East Germany. Initially both companies produced films under the AGFA brand with the same names, such as Isopan F. To distinguish them, the film edge markings were L IF for Agfa Leverkusen, and W IF for Agfa Wolfen. After 1964 films from Wolfen were rebranded ORWO (ORiginal WOlfen). See separate listing. Trading of materials however continued between plants.

Agfa AG (Leverkusen), which saw major investment post war in 1952 as a wholly owned subsidiary of Bayer was subsequently merged with Gevaert based in Mortsel, Belgium in 1964 to form Agfa-Gevaert with Bayer subsequently acquiring full ownership of the merged company. Agfa-Gevaert film products continued to be sold under the AGFA 'rhombus' brand. The Mortsel plant specialised in commercial films including aerofilms and Leverkusen in consumer films. Following a public flotation in 1999 Agfa-Gevaert Group became independent from Bayer. The consumer film division, Agfa in Leverkusen, Germany was spun off into a new company AgfaPhoto in 2004 as a management buyout, a time of significant challenges to the traditional film market with the rapid rise of digital photography, resulting in bankruptcy in 7 months, and the closure of the Leverkusen plant in 2005. Production of aerial films continued at the Agfa-Gevaert, Mortsel plant some of which have been subsequently converted for retail sale by Maco Photo Products.

The AGFA consumer film division with its plant in Leverkusen, Germany was spun off by Agfa-Gevaert into a new company AGFA PHOTO in 2004. At buy out the firm was split into a holding company Agfa-Photo Holding GMBH (licenses) and manufacturing company Agfa-Photo GMBH (leverkusen). The manufacturing company went bankrupt in 7 months resulting in the closure of the Leverkusen plant in 2005. The holding company was unaffected and retains a trademark license from Agfa-Gevaert for the use of the AgfaPhoto brand and 'red dot' logo on products having a photographic application.[17] Since 2005 these rights for consumer film products have been sub-licensed to Lupus Imaging & Media.[18] After 2005 the colour films were initially made by Ferrania while black and white films continued to be AGFA material converted by Ferrania from cold stored master rolls of AGFA APX. Ferrania itself closed in 2009 and so Lupus procured replacement Agfa Photo branded films from Fujifilm (colour) and Harman/Ilford (black and white). The contract with Fujifilm ended in early 2018[19] ending the sale of colour film under the AgfaPhoto brand.[20]

Azomureș or AZO, produced by Târgu-Mureș Nitrogenous Fertilizer Plant, was the photographic brand of Romania since the 1981. The photosensitive materials plant in Târgu Mureș, a city in northern Romania, covering an area of about 7 hectares. The plant produced black and white and color photographic paper and films for general photography, industrial and medical use and black and white and color cinematographic films. Film production ended in 2003.

The plant was designed by Japan's Fujitsu to withstand a 9.4 degree earthquake on the Richter scale, consequently due to high cost of demolition the company decided to use the buildings to host cultural events and the photosensitive materials plant was re-opened for this purpose in May 2016.[27]

Was a film manufactured in Belgium.

efke was a brand of (mainly, but not limited to) black and white films and photographic paper produced by Fotokemika Zagreb d.d based in Samobor (near Zagreb), Croatia (former Yugoslavia). Fotokemika d.d acquired the rights to the ADOX film recipes and the production machinery from owners Dupont in the 1970s. As Dupont retained the ADOX brand name, Fotokemika sold the films under the efke brand and continued to manufacture them according to the original 1950s film formulas. The films were also sold by Fotoimpex (Berlin, Germany) under the original ADOX brand name after they acquired the rights to this in 2003. After Fotokemika's closure in 2012, ADOX (Fotoimpex) subsequently revived the KB100 film as ADOX CHS II.

Furthermore Fotokemika had a short lived line of color films[28] and color reversal films called "efkecolor" and "efkechrome" in the 1980s.

Both lines were discontinued in the 1990s due to unknown reasons, presumably due to supply shortages and infrastructural damage as a result of the Yugoslav Wars.

efke B&W film cartridge

ERA's factory was originally founded in 1950 in Shantou, China. It was named Shantou ERA Limited Corporation (ERA) in 1999. Its main products were black and white film, resin coated papers and x-ray film. Kodak China acquired an 80% share of their assets in 1998 and reputedly invested in a color film line. Production of film emulsion seem to have ended, c2008.[29]

Ferrania was an Italian filmmaker based in Ferrania (Liguria), Italy founded in 1923 as a maker of photographic film, papers, and photographic equipment, including cameras. The company was purchased in 1964 by the 3M corporation (US) to become Ferrania 3M and made photographic film sold under the 'Scotch' brand. The films and data storage division was spun off from 3M in 1996 becoming Imation. In 1999, Ferrania was acquired by Schroder Ventures and subsequently sold on to Gruppo Messina (Ignazio Messina & Co. S.p.A.) in 2000, as Ferrania Imaging Technology with film being sold again under the Ferrania brand. However photographic film manufacture ended in 2009. Whilst originally a producer of B&W cine/still films such as P30, as Ferrania 3M it became a significant producer of 'white label' consumer colour films for both retailers and traditional B&W film producers needing a colour film to repackage under their own brand. Examples include; Fortecolor film (also supplied by Konica), the Boots UK pharmacy chain color negative products from ca. 1973 until 2003 and AgfaPhoto color negative and slide films from 2005 until plant closure in 2009 (for Lupus Imaging). Ferrania Technology continues to produce chemicals for medical use and solar panels on part of the original factory complex whilst the film plant was demolished. In 2013 a new company was founded as FILM Ferrania to build a film manufacturing company using the former Ferrania Research laboratory building, its coating machine and other equipment salvaged from the original Ferrania production plant prior to its demolition.

FILM Ferrania s.r.l. is a photographic film manufacturing company located in Ferrania (Liguria), Italy. Following closure of the original Ferrania factory in 2009 the company was re-founded in 2013 on a small part of the original site to build a new film manufacturing base using the former Ferrania research laboratory (L.R.F.) and its narrow coater. FILM Ferrania commenced manufacturing a black and white still film in February 2017 based on P30, a classic 1960s motion picture film stock.

Established in 2009 by Michael Raso, Film Photography Project (FPP) sources a variety of still films including those originally made for technical, motion pictures, industrial or aerial applications for creative purposes. Therefore, films are often available for a limited period.

Factory in Saint-Nazaire, France. Film Washi launched in 2013, producing a handcrafted film, handcoated on traditional Washi paper. Also converting other films industrially coated in larger factories and originally made for technical, motion pictures, industrial or aerial applications.

Forte (Forte Photochemical Industry VAC) was a Hungarian manufacture of photographic film and paper products originally established in 1922. They ceased to manufacture products in January 2007. Only B&W films were coated by Forte. Colour films were supplied by other manufacturers, and packaged into Forte branding.

FOTON was the brand name of Warszawskie Zaklady Fototechniczne (Warsaw Phototechnical works) a Polish state owned enterprise established in 1949 in Warsaw producing photographic film. The company was established in a surviving building from the former Jozef Franaszek works on Ul. Wolska (Wolska Street) which had produced photographic and other specialised paper. The Franaszek works was burnt out in the Wola massacre in 1944 during the Warsaw Uprising.

The company manufactured X-ray and black and white cinema film, still camera film (from 1950) and microfilm. At the end of the 1950s, FOTONKOLOR cinematographic positive film for making screen copies was launched and for a brief period colour negative film produced in the 1960s until a decision for the GDR (ORWO) to supply colour film in Comecon countries. Black and white papers and plates and photochemicals and later colour photographic papers under the FOTON brand were produced by a sister company at Bydgoskie Photochemical works dating from 1925 also in Warsaw at Ul. Garbary 3 (from 1970s at Ul. Piękna 13). In 1969 FOTON signed a licensing agreement with Ilford for the production of X-ray and photographic film, however various delays meant the new production line was not opened until the late 70s. FOTON ceased producing film in the 1990s. The buildings were taken over by FOTON Trading Sp. z o.o. and now they serve for commercial activity.[40] Bydgoskie Photochemical works was acquired by Foma Bohemia in 1997 but due to decline of the traditional film market was declared bankrupt in 2007.

Xiamen Fuda Photographic Materials or Fuda was a Chinese manufacturer of photographic material based in Shanghai China. In 1984, Kodak helped Fuda build their color film production line with color film being produced under license from Kodak.[45] Kodak china acquired their assets in 1998.[29]

FUJIFILM is a Japanese manufacturer of photographic films, papers and cameras established in 1934. Fujifilm stopped making traditional black and white films and photographic papers in 2018 but in 2019 announced a return to black and white film.[46] They also produce a range of traditional color negative and reversal films (and associated photographic papers and photochemicals) as well as instant film. See Fujifilm photographic films and List of photographic films. Historically, however, they were one of the major producers of colour negative and slide films producing a wide range of own brand professional and consumer films in competition with Kodak and Agfa-Gevaert. (The other main colour film producers; Konica and 3M Ferrania specialising in 'white label' consumer product). The film range is divided into black and white film Neopan, Color negative film Fujicolor and Colour slide film Fujichrome together with instant 'pack film'. They also undertook contract manufacture for AGFA PHOTO colour negative/slide films from c2008-2018.[47][48]

• Type: Black and white
• Speed: ISO 40, DIN 17°
• Available formats: 35 mm
• Granularity: Extremely fine
• Resolving power: Extremely high
• History: said to be Agfa Copex micrography film, sold with special low-contrast developer to increase dynamic range
• Primary usage: General black-and-white photography, with scanning in mind
• General characteristics: PET base for better film flatness, strong contrast and low exposure tolerance, fine grain not much subject to grain aliasing in usual resolution scans[90]
• Discontinued

Ilford is a UK manufacturer of photographic materials based in Mobberley, Cheshire known worldwide for its black and white films, papers and chemicals. Following bankruptcy in 2004 it was rescued in a management buy out and is now a brand of Harman Technology Ltd trading as Ilford Photo. Discontinued film versions include:

Eastman Kodak was founded in 1888. During most of the 20th century, Kodak held a dominant position in photographic film. However Kodak struggled to manage the transition to digital photography and filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2012. Whilst Kodak films for still cameras continue to be manufactured by Eastman Kodak in Rochester, New York, US since its Chapter 11 bankruptcy they are now sold and marketed by Kodak Alaris, a separate company controlled by the Kodak UK Pension fund based in Hertfordshire, UK.[91]

See web page taphilo.com[92] for a list of Kodak film number to film type.

Established 1873 in Japan, Konishiroku (Konica) was a major producer of colour film, cameras and related products, including film development processors and printing technology. Originally Konica film and paper was sold under the brand name of "Sakura" meaning Cherry Blossom in English. Along with 3M Ferrania they were a significant producer of 'white label' consumer color films for both retailers and traditional B&W film producers needing a colour film to repackage under their own brand. Only in later years did they make significant efforts to market film under the Konica brand. In 2003, Konica merged with Minolta to form Konica Minolta. In 2006, the merged company closed down its photo imaging division, which produced color film, color paper, photo chemicals and digital minilab machines (at the time it was the 3rd largest film producer behind Kodak and Fujifilm, AgfaPhoto having collapsed a year earlier).[119] The company produced the following films:

Launched in 2014, KONO! is a small European analogue photographic company based in Austria that produces a range of 'creative' 35mm format films under both 'Kono!' and 'dubblefilm' brands, the latter in conjunction with mobile app 'dubble'.[120] Most KONO! films are based on stock originally intended for shooting motion pictures, scientific purposes or other places photosensitive emulsions were used. All films are hand rolled onto recycled 135 film cassettes.[121][122]

Headquarters in Vienna, Austria. Lomography is a globally-active organization dedicated to analogue, experimental and creative photography. Lomography offers films under its own brand procured from various manufacturers.

Lucky Group Corporation in Baoding, Héběi province, China produced a range of colour, black and white, and chromogenic black and white consumer films. Colour film was produced initially in conjunction with Kodak after signing a 20-year partnership which Kodak ended in 2007 after four years.[129] Production of all consumer films ceased in 2012. In 2017 Luckyfilm, an offshoot of Lucky Group re-released an improved black and white film for the consumer market, however this had ceased to be available by 2019.

Headquarters in Stapelfeld, Germany. Film sales through www.macodirect.de

Negra Industrial, S A. was a film manufacturer based in Barcelona, Spain established c1928 producing black and white negative film, photographic paper and chemicals. Color film was rebranded stock from other producers mainly Konishiroku (Konica) and 3M (Ferrania). Film production appears to have ended in 1984.[132]

After WW2, Agfa was split into two companies: Agfa AG, Leverkusen in West Germany, and VEB Film und Chemiefaserwerk Agfa Wolfen in East Germany. Initially both companies produced films under the AGFA brand with the same names, such as Isopan F. To distinguish them, the film edge markings were L IF for Agfa Leverkusen, and W IF for Agfa Wolfen. In 1953 in a trade agreement it was agreed that VEB Film und Chemiefaserwerk would have the sole rights to the AGFA brand in Eastern Europe and Agfa AG, would retain sole rights to the AGFA brand in the rest of the world. This hampered Wolfens exports and therefore after 1964 films from Wolfen were rebranded ORWO (ORiginal WOlfen). ORWO ceased production of film in 1994 following the collapse of the company after privatisation, after a brief revival re-branding other manufacturers products the company was again insolvent in 1997, the constituent parts sold off. Part of the original factory survives as the Industry and Film museum Wolfen.[133] However the association of the ORWO name with film lives on as a brand of FilmoTec GmbH who since 1998 produce high quality black and white cinema and technical films, based in Wolfen with coating contracted out. Their cine camera films UN54 and N74 plus are also re-packaged by third parties as still camera film.

Rera is a small range of photographic films for 127 (4x4) format roll film cameras assembled in Japan by Kawauso-Shoten. Film is bought in and converted for 127 format and sold through main retailers. Discontinued films include:

Perutz was a German film manufacturer. It was taken over by Agfa-Gevaert in 1964. Films included.

Polaroid B.V. is a Dutch photography company that was founded in 2008 as the 'Impossible Project' to re-introduce instant film for Polaroid cameras. Impossible bought the production machinery from Polaroid for $3.1 million[139] and leased a building, called Building Noord, which was formerly part of the Polaroid plant in Enschede, Netherlands but had to re-invent the emulsions and processes. Polaroid Corporation's brand and intellectual property were acquired by Impossible Project's largest shareholder in 2017 and the company was later renamed 'Polaroid Originals' before becoming 'Polaroid' in 2020.[140][141] Based in Enschede, Polaroid manufactures film for its own and selected original Polaroid instant cameras. Instant films are marketed by format rather than emulsion.

The Rollei brand for photographic film is licensed to Maco (Hans O. Mahn GmbH & Co. KG, Maco Photo Products) a German-based supplier of photographic films. They offer a range of black and white and colour films produced by Agfa-Gevaert and other suppliers. Discontinued films are listed below:

The company based in Saint Petersburg, Russia was founded in 2009 producing analog film products. It adopted the Silberra name in 2017 to introduce a range of black and white films.[148]

SPUR (Speed Photography & Ultra high Resolution) is a supplier of own brand specialist photochemistry and films based in Langerwehe, Germany.

Vincent Moschetti, the proprietor of the website OneYearWithFilmOnly.com (later renamed OnFilmOnly.com) released his own branded film in 2018. In April 2022 the founder announced closure of the brand due to rising costs.[152] Film cassettes are uniquely packaged in cardboard film canisters.

Svema (Russian: Свема, Светочувствительные Материалы) was the former name ("NPO "Svema") of the Shostka Chemical Plant, located in Shostka, Sumy Oblast, Ukraine. It was founded in 1931 in Ukrainian SSR.

"Svema" was the major photographic film manufacturer in the USSR and the second largest film producer in Europe, but their film lost market share in former Soviet countries to imported products during the late 1990s. They made black-and-white photographic film, photographic paper, B&W/colour cine film and magnetic tapes until 2000. Colour film was made with equipment dismantled from the Agfa-Wolfen Factory after World War II. The plant's production of photographic products slowed through the 1990s and ceased film production entirely in 2003 with the final coating of X-ray films there and the plant closed completely in 2005. After attempts by the state to sell the business, bankruptcy processes were completed in 2015. The coating machinery was sold for scrap and the main buildings were demolished c2018.[156]

A decade prior to the plant's closure a small group of Svema employees had founded Astrum holdings in a rented building on the site in 1995, buying bulk film from various sources which they converted and packaged, for retail sale. Originally sold under the Astrum name (film expiring up to 2019), they later acquired rights to the Svema trademark and now apply the name to a range of films for nostalgic value, but this no longer manufactured in Ukraine, only re-packaged there.[157]

Tasma – Тасма in Russian Cyrillic characters was a manufacturer of photographic films located in Kazan, Russia, it has been in operation since 1933 (starting as “Film Factory No. 8”. The name “Tasma” is derived from the Russian phrase «Татарские светочувствительные материалы» “TAtarskie Sveto MAterialiy.” - “TAtar Sensitized Materials;”it was adopted by the company in 1974. Prior to the fall of the Soviet Union, the company offered an array of color photographic products from the year 1950 as well, but these were discontinued following the fall of the Iron Curtain. After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the company was reorganized as a free enterprise and privatized in 1992. Photographic film production ceased in the 1990s and today they specialise in industrial films including aerial photography films. Films generally supplied without spool in a black paper wrapper and box.

Valca was a Spanish film manufacturer established in 1940 headquartered in Bilbao. The company name comes from the factory location in Sopeñano, Burgos; Valle de Mena (Mena Valley) through which flows the Rio Cadagua (Cadagua River) which provided cooling water for the factory.[158] The company produced black and white negative film, photographic paper and X ray films. Ilford acquired an equity interest in Valca in 1960, resulting in technical co-operation and Valca acting as Ilford distributors in Spain. The agreement lasted until 1976 when Ilford sold its shares.[159][160] It was particularly successful in the X-ray film market and in 1991 it had a 17% share of its national market and 1% of the US market, the latter accounting for 60% of production, with 65% of X-ray film exported in total. While black and white film was produced in-house, colour film was rebranded stock from other suppliers. The company underwent re-structuring in 1991 due to financial problems, reportedly due to poor management and the factory finally closed in 1993.[161][162]

• List of photographic films