DIY Photography

Hacking Photography - one Picture at a time

  • News
  • Inspiration
  • Reviews
  • Tutorials
  • DIY
  • Gear
Search

Submit A Story

Kodak’s Professional Film Photography app is now available for the iPad and Android

May 25, 2016 by John Aldred 2 Comments

  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Flipboard
  • WhatsApp

kodak_professional_film_app

Kodak released its free Professional Film App for the iPhone in 2012, and it’s seen a couple of small updates since then. Now, they’ve released both iPad and Android versions of the app.

As somebody who got back into film a few years ago, I’ve kept my eye on various apps that have spawned for iOS and Android. I’ve still not found anything that lets me do everything I need, but the Kodak app has proven to be occasionally helpful.

The Android version looks pretty much identical to the iPhone, and offers the same set of features.

As you’d expect, the app will allow you to find nearby locations where you can not only buy Kodak film, but also where you can get your C41 and black & white film developed.

kodak_pro_film_app_nearby

One feature that is handy, but also has no shortage of alternative apps available, are sunrise and sunset times anywhere in the world and for any date. It’s even less useful when you realise how wildly inaccurate it is.

Both the iOS and Android versions present identical times to each other, however neither of these are correct with the real world.

kodak_pro_film_app_bad_sun_calculator

As you can see, Google presents us with very different times.

kodak_pro_film_google_sunrise

One potentially very cool feature, however, is the Black and White Darkroom Timer. At least, it is if you develop your film yourself and don’t need to rely on labs.

kodak_pro_film_app_darkroom_timer

I say potentially cool, because I don’t feel it’s quite there yet. While many shoot Kodak film, not everybody uses Kodak developer, or Kodak fixer. We also often shoot Ilford or other films as well, or use non-standard processes, such as stronger or weaker dilutions of developer, and stand development.

It makes sense that Kodak would only list their own products, but it would be nice if they would allow us to save our own developing presets, so we don’t have to enter them manually each time. If we have to go to a different app to be able to do this, the darkroom timer feature here becomes redundant.

There is one feature that could be this application’s saving grace, and that’s the film suggestion list. You scroll through until you find the subject you want to shoot and it suggests films from the Kodak product line best suited to that type of photography. It tells you about that type of film, as well as linking to sample images and the technical specs.

kodak_pro_film_app_film_types

It seems like a half-hearted attempt at an app that hasn’t really changed all that much since it was first released.

The film suggestion feature is nice, but it’s nothing you can’t find in a couple of minutes on Google, same with finding places to buy and develop your film. The remaining features can easily be replaced by other applications that actually work.

That the app is now available for both the iPad and Android, almost four years after originally appearing on the iPhone does offer some hope that that attention may once again being given toward development of this application.

If they can fix the Sunrise/Sunset Calculator, let us save our own presets for the darkroom timer, and possibly add a reciprocity failure calculator, it’d be a lot more useful and find a permanent place on my phone. As it stands right now, not so much.

Do you use the Kodak Professional Film app? What do you like or hate about it? What other apps do you use to assist when shooting or developing film? Let us know in the comments.

[via Phoblographer]

FIND THIS INTERESTING? SHARE IT WITH YOUR FRIENDS!

  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Flipboard
  • WhatsApp

Related posts:

Canon brings its Digital Photo Professional software to the iPad Canon will soon require a monthly subscription for their DPP Express app for the iPad Android users rejoice. Prisma for Android is now available GoPro releases new 360º VR app for Android and iOS smartphones

Filed Under: news Tagged With: Android, Black & White, c41, Darkroom, film, iOS, ipad, iPhone, Kodak

About John Aldred

John Aldred is a photographer with over 20 years of experience in the portrait and commercial worlds. He is based in Scotland and has been an early adopter - and occasional beta tester - of almost every digital imaging technology in that time. As well as his creative visual work, John uses 3D printing, electronics and programming to create his own photography and filmmaking tools and consults for a number of brands across the industry.

« Sony pulls away from Vegas Pro, sells Creative Software suite to Magix
Facebook now censors photos for depicting body in ‘undesirable manner’ even when promoting feminist agenda »

Submit A Story

Get our FREE Lighting Book

DIYP lighting book cover

* download requires newsletter signup
DIYPhotography

Recent Comments

Free Resources

Advanced lighting book

Recent Posts

  • Photographer’s Block? Here’s how to get out of a creative rut
  • Zhiyun MOLUS G60 & X100 LED lights are tiny-tiny powerful LEDs
  • Three new full-frame and APS-C Sigma lenses coming soon
  • Sony launches DSC-HX99 retinal projection kit for the visually impaired
  • DIYP Quiz: AI or photo?

Alex Baker is a portrait and lifestyle driven photographer based in Valencia, Spain. She works on a range of projects from commercial to fine art and has had work featured in publications such as The Daily Mail, Conde Nast Traveller and El Mundo, and has exhibited work across Europe

Dave Williams is an accomplished travel photographer, writer, and best-selling author from the UK. He is also a photography educator and published Aurora expert. Dave has traveled extensively in recent years, capturing stunning images from around the world in a modified van. His work has been featured in various publications and he has worked with notable brands such as Skoda, EE, Boeing, Huawei, Microsoft, BMW, Conde Nast, Electronic Arts, Discovery, BBC, The Guardian, ESPN, NBC, and many others.

John Aldred is a photographer with over 20 years of experience in the portrait and commercial worlds. He is based in Scotland and has been an early adopter - and occasional beta tester - of almost every digital imaging technology in that time. As well as his creative visual work, John uses 3D printing, electronics and programming to create his own photography and filmmaking tools and consults for a number of brands across the industry.

Dunja Djudjic is a multi-talented artist based in Novi Sad, Serbia. With 15 years of experience as a photographer, she specializes in capturing the beauty of nature, travel, and fine art. In addition to her photography, Dunja also expresses her creativity through writing, embroidery, and jewelry making.

Copyright © DIYPhotography 2006 - 2023 | About | Contact | Advertise | Write for DIYP | Full Disclosure | Privacy Policy