Film Photography News — September 2025 Recap
Kodak Surprise, Analogue aF-1, Kodak Charmera, Free Film, and Tariffs
7 min read by Dmitri.Published on . Updated on .
☞ This is the 78th monthly Analog.Cafe Newsletter with the latest film photography lore. Sign up to get it via email on the last Tuesday of every month (it’s free).
What’s new?
Analogue Amsterdam shares their new point-and-shoot film camera prototype. A surprise new film from Kodak. Chill: film prices are reasonable (I’ll explain). New film & cameras on sale at FilmBase. Free film giveaway refresh. Kodak Charmera flies off the shelves.
Lastly, I’ll address the new tariffs and shipping issues that may be affecting your international film/camera/printed art purchases and sales.
💛 GOLD members get to learn about the best film camera according to sizable stats, invert film negatives and fix expired film scans automatically with film Q, and sometimes, win free film!
In this newsletter: What’s new? Free film. Kodacolor 100 — a new Kodak film? Analogue aF-1. Film is cheap. Don’t believe me? Read this. Kodak Charmera. FilmBase film and film cameras. On tariffs and shipping. Latest on Analog.Cafe. Support this blog & get premium features with GOLD memberships!
Free film.
I’ve been giving away film to GOLD members at the end of each month all summer. I’m now out of Kodak Vision 3 film, but I’ve purchased bulk rolls of excellent black-and-white film and packed them in upcycled metal canisters, labelled Cinema Shorts BW 200 and Cinema Shorts BW 3200.
The three-packs of this new film are available at the shop (with optional lab services) in very limited quantities — and they can also be won by anyone who holds a GOLD membership. This month, the winner is:
Sam 🎉
Congratulations, Sam, and enjoy your free film! I’ve sent you an email with the next steps.
The next winner will be announced in the October issue of this newsletter (next month). Learn more.
Kodacolor 100 — a new Kodak film?
A few hours ago, @dolo_foto shared a photo of ten new Kodacolor 100 35mm film rolls with branding resembling the original Kodacolor name, which was produced in the early 2000s. This new film has not been announced by Kodak, yet one of the stores that may be selling it appears to have already listed Kodacolor 100 and Kodakolor 200 films (priced $9.50 and $9.75, respectively).
Some Reddit and Threads users speculated that the above films may be rebranded Kodak Pro Image 100 and Kodak ColorPlus 200. However, that hasn’t been confirmed.
Kodak is known to produce films that differ slightly in colour renderings and physical properties (examples include ColorPlus vs. Gold, and the various ISO 800 colour films) for various brands — including themselves.
Analogue aF-1.
Analogue aF-1 is the newest point-and-shoot film camera (still in development — see details and specs here). The team behind it shared a few videos with me via email that showcase the prototype.
I’ve also received a sample photo taken with the aF-1, along with an explanation about the missed focus (due to the production team’s ongoing work on the autofocus and autoexposure systems).
The prototype closely resembles the renders the team shared with us earlier on their website. It helps to see it in someone’s hands, which shows the device’s size and materials.
I’m hoping that Analogue will share more videos and photos of this camera in use. This is just a prototype phase, of course, and it all looks promising so far.
I think the lens has good potential based on the high-resolution sample the team shared — even if it’s not in focus. The lines look straight, the earrings are in focus and look fairly detailed; there are no significant aberrations, and the bokeh looks nice and soft.
There’s still a lot to learn about the quality of the film transport mechanism, overall reliability, flash, and the production date. So far, the project is behind schedule by about ten months, yet it’s great to see the aF-1 move closer toward what looks to be something small with a very nice lens.
This camera is currently on pre-order for €400 (with a €5 deposit).
Film is cheap. Don’t believe me? Read this.
It may not feel like it, but today’s film prices are actually significantly lower than they were in the 1990s, when adjusted for inflation.
In the 1990s, everyone was shooting analogue. Around that time, film was manufactured and sold at the greatest rate in history. And yet, newspaper articles from that era reveal the prices for consumer film were higher than they are today, once the inflation is factored in.
Folks who shot on film in that period confirm that it did not feel cheap.
We are no longer forced to use film as the only way to photograph things. Digital photography can be much cheaper, especially if you use digicams or browse the used market for capable hardware at reasonable prices. Yet millions of us still prefer film for numerous reasons and will likely continue to shoot it even if prices rise further next year. Some of us may need to start scanning and developing at home, bulk loading, or using chemistry more efficiently — but these can be fun skills to learn with a payoff in greater control and understanding of the tools and processes.
Kodak Charmera.
A new 1.6MP keychain digicam took the internet by storm this month, selling out almost instantly at shops globally. Kodak Charmera, designed and built by RETO, the same company that made the excellent and affordable plastic RETO Pano, comes in seven designs in blind boxes, which seems to be all the craze these days, thanks to the international success of Labubu dolls.
Like the Labubus, Charmeras are cute, hang on a chain, and are a surprise each time the package is unwrapped. However, these cameras take photos and cost much less (originally listed for $30, although some sellers have begun increasing their prices).
More about Kodak Charmera: specs and sample photos.
FilmBase film and film cameras.
I’ve listed several new cameras, hand-rolled film (with optional lab services, which include high-quality scans and 3-way shipping), and books on my Etsy store, FilmBase.
Shipping and tariffs are included in all prices. FilmBase is a tiny five-star-rated shop that’s been selling small batches of film-tested, serviced, and expertly packaged cameras (often the same ones I review on this website) for half a decade.
On tariffs and shipping.
As a small shop owner based in Canada, I’ve been forced to deal with the postal workers’ strike and the new tariffs in the US, which have been affecting my shipping rates.
If you’re selling to or within Canada, be it film, film cameras, zines, photobooks, or anything else, please be aware that packages dispatched via EMS (i.e., government mail services, such as USPS, Royal Mail, and Australia Post) will be stuck until the strike is resolved.
If you’re shopping at Canadian stores, wherever you are, ensure that they clearly explain how they will arrange your shipment.
US readers: shops like mine (FilmBase) will cover the price of tariffs on your behalf. However, if you’re buying from overseas, whether through Etsy, eBay, or any other platform, please be prepared to pay extra to get your item. How much? This will depend on where your item was made (i.e., a Japanese-Konica camera will incur the Japanese tariff rate, even if shipped from Canada); you can use online tariff calculators to get an estimate.
I hope you found this tip and the rest of the email helpful. Thank you for reading! 👋