By Graham K. Rogers

Although many people have moved to digital photography, there is still a fairly large interest in the use of film. While a number of manufacturers produce black and white types, only a small number - such as Fuji - are still making colour films.

An item in the British Journal of Photography (Olivier Laurent) informs readers about the return of Kodak films. The Eastman Kodak holding company's serious financial position which saw it enter Chapter 11 bankruptcy not so long ago. However the UK Kodak Pension Plan has now acquired the parts of the business that are responsible for producing film and intend to continue film output under the name Kodak Alaris, having licensed the use of the name from Eastman Kodak.

As well as film, the new company, which is debt free, will be concerned with film capture, instant printing, photographic paper, theme park photography, as well as scanners and capture software, but will have a focus on instant printing.

The new company says that film remains important but as the film market "is mature", there will not be massive changes in what they offer. Among the professional films offered on the Kodak Alaris site are Portra 160, Portra 400, Portra 800 and Ektar 100. Black & White films include T-max 400, T-Max 100, TRI-X 320/TRI-X 400 and BW400CN. Ektachrome films are reported to have been discontinued.

There are also a number of iPhone and Android apps for consumer and professional services, for example the KODAK Professional Film App that is aimed at professionals to find services where they can buy and process film.

More information on the Kodak Alaris announcements is available on the British Journal of Photography site in the article by Olivier Laurent.

Graham K. Rogers teaches at the Faculty of Engineering, Mahidol University in Thailand where he is also Assistant Dean. He wrote in the Bangkok Post, Database supplement on IT subjects. For the last seven years of Database he wrote a column on Apple and Macs.