Advanced Photo System
by Wayne R. Palmer
Next year this time, Kodak in conjunction with the major camera manufacturers plan to drop a new film format upon us called the Advanced Photo System or APS. Of course, it is not compatible with your current camera. The format will be smaller than 35mm and will come packaged pre-loaded in it’s own cannister. It will offer three different print size formats selectable by the user and a magnetic strip which will record exposure information the film processor can use in delivering you better results. As I understand it, the film remains in the cannister even after it has been processed. Initially it is to be offered for point and shoot cameras but will eventually make its way into the SLR market with claims of 1/3 smaller cameras being available.
A big question comes to my mind. Why? The primary reason cited seems to be that the 35mm cartridge, being some 50 years old, still has a high rate (20%) of failure in film loading.
Hmmm..this sounds familiar. I remember that being some of the reason behind the development of 126, 110, and disc films. The difference this time is instead of having the format dumped upon them, the camera makers are involved with the development of this new format.
I’ve been scratching my head on this one. With the terrific advancements in making 35mm cameras easier to use and film quality being at its best ever, I’m not sure I grasp the logic of a new film format that would produce a smaller image and appear to require more storage space. I would think film processors would resent having to make a sizeable investment in new equipment to accomodate a new film format, particularly the on-site (mini-lab) locations where most of the photo finishing industry growth has been occuring. Having seen the rise and fall of the disc film format in a matter of a few years, I’m more than skeptical about APS. With the growth of digital imaging, I feel film’s Golden Age has arrived and its usage will greatly diminish as we enter the 21st century. A new format at this time seems questionable. With Kodak heavily involved with the developments of both the Advanced Photo System and digital imaging, are they just trying to cover all bases?