Re: What is APS?

[P3D Michael Kersenbrock <michaelk@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

> Thanks Mike K. for the information... Let me see if I understand this.  The
> APS film is regular (conventional) film of different size and packaging,
> and the camera will put information on it to aid the photofinisher.  Is

Pretty much the case.  I think there are some new emulsions that are out
in APS cartridges that haven't been put into 35mm format yet so there's
perhaps a bit of advantage to APS in that respect, in the short term
anyway.  Timing for the new emulsions were probably done to give APS a
booster start into the market.


> this correct?  And if that's the case, couldn't they add the fotofinishing
> information on regular 35 mm film?  I don't get it...  Now, the big

Where to put it that's fully backwards compatible with current equipment? I
think there already is some optical marking done on the edges on the "outside"
of the perfs, so putting a (presumably opaque) magnetic stripe there probably
wouldn't be backwards compatible.  Advantage of a completely new system is 
that one doesn't have to be compatible -- but APS-Plus! will have to be. :-)

The stripe is an excellent idea, but it seems that the use they're
putting it to is very much less than it could have been.

> question is, what is the trend in the maket?  Is there any chance that the
> APS will displace regular 35 mm?   Also, what is the speed of the APS film? 

Only time will tell.  In any case, 35mm isn't going away anytime soon.  I
think Microsoft will *still* be selling ~6 Million copies of DOS this year.
Things die slowly.  Even 120 film is still being made.  When was it last
popular for the masses?

I was talking to a photo-store fellow when an account rep came over to
try and sell him things.  APS film/stuff in particular.  :-)  He
wasn't ordering anything -- he wanted to see if it took off before
taking on inventory (which he didn't want to get stuck with as he has
in the past with other things).  After the rep left, he told me that his
"position" was fairly typical -- somewhat of a catch-22.   Won't take off
until stores take inventory, and they won't take inventory until it
takes off... :-)  The rep gave him a couple samples of film, but he didn't
know what to do with it.  With some effort, he found an employee who'd take it.

> Are there different kinds of films?

There are several brands, and each has a few types I think.  I haven't 
researched it.  Others may help here.  Lots of ads abound though.  Don't 
think I've seen film in stores yet though.  

The image-thumbnail sheet is pretty nice and handy, but as I mentioned
before, it comes with Kodak premium processing (available at PriceCostco)
of regular 35mm film as well.

> 
> 

Mike K.


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