KODAK
Kodak/Eastman Kodak have put date codes on their motion picture films since
1916. The date codes are available on various websites.
For 8mm products different codes were used.
Kodak 8mm Date Codes
The UK also identified
the quarter and in the USA the half, in which the film was finished. This was by
the distance of the year symbol from the ‘KODAK’ edge print. The distance
increased by 1/16 of an inch (about 1.7mm) per quarter (1/8 inch for the second
half of the year in the USA). See the samples below. Click thumbnail to
enlarge.
KODAK 4 figure stock numbers:
The first figure identifies the base type:
1-4 Nitrate 5-9 Safety Base ( Note that current stocks use 2 for 35mm
Polyester and 3 for 16mm Polyester)
5 is used for 35mm Cine and 7 for 16mm Cine
The second figure further identifies the base type:
0 NC Base
1 Portrait Base
2 Cine Neg Base
3 Cine Pos Base - Cine Pos emulsion
4 Cine Pos Base - Cine Pos emulsion
5 Yellow Dyed Emulsion
Figures 3 and 4 identify the particular stock
Examples: 5302 - Fine Grain Release Positive 5=
35mm Safety Base, 3 = Cine Pos Base Cine Pos Emulsion
1503 - Duplicating Negative 1 =Nitrate Base 5 = yellow dyed emulsion
During the late 60's 35mm Plus-X negative was identified as 4231, I do not
know why this stock had this number it was eventually changed to 5231.
Some dates of Introduction of Kodak Stocks:
Orthochromatic Negative |
Sept 1889 |
Regular Positive |
1908 |
Duplitized Positive |
Jun 1909 |
Safety positive |
Jun 1909 |
Panchromatic Negative |
Aug 1913 |
Tinted Base Positive |
May 1921 |
Super Speed Ortho |
Feb 1922 |
1503 Duplicating Negative |
Dec 1926 |
Type 1 Pan |
Mar 1928 |
Type 2 Pan |
Apr 1928 |
Clear Track |
May 1929 |
Sonochrome Positive |
May 1929 |
Reprotone |
Jan 1929 |
1355 Duplicating Positive |
Mar 1929 |
Supersensitive Pan |
Feb 1931 |
1505 Duplicating Negative |
Jun 1931 |
Sonospeed |
Jun 1931 |
Background Pan |
Feb 1933 |
1362 Duplicating Positive |
Jun 1934 |
Super-X Pan |
Mar 1935 |
1203 Duplicating Negative |
May 1936 |
Zelcras Duplicating Negative |
May 1936 |
1365 Duplicating Positive |
May 1936 |
IMPORTANT NOTE: Some of these dates do
not correspond to the dates on the Kodak website: I copied this
information in 1969 from hand written notes and I do not have any corroboration
of these dates. Also these would be the dates of introduction in the UK.
'KODAK' edge printing 1917 to 1986.
Some samples illustrating how the word 'KODAK' was printed on Motion Picture
Film
Kodak AG Edge Printing for Cine Positive: 5 figures as follows:
1st Figure: Last figure of year of manufacture
2nd Figure: Factory of base manufacture 1 = Rochester; 2 = Harrow, 3 =
Copenick, 4 = Vincennes
3rd Figure: Factory of Coating 1 = Rochester; 2 = Harrow, 3 = Copenick, 4 =
Vincennes
4th and 5th Figure: Week of year of coating
Information of 16mm date codes for Kodak AG Copenick and Kodak Pathe
Vincennes 1934-1939
FUJI
Fuji identify the date by putting a two figure year code and a two
letter quarter code. JM- Jan-Mar; AJ April-June; JS July-Sep; OD Oct-Dec. See
the samples below. Click thumbnail to enlarge.
1980 Oct-Dec 1983 Jan -Mar
AGFA
Agfa did not put date codes on their film. From the early 20's until 1924 the
edge print 'Agfa' was printed in 'BOLD' typeface with the top of the A
flattened. From 1924 on the type face was thinner and the A had a sharp top. See
the samples below. Click thumbnail to enlarge.
1922
1924
SELO
Film was identified thus between approximately1928 to 1933. See the sample
below. Click thumbnail to enlarge.
ILFORD
Name |
Date of Introduction |
Edge Number Code |
|
Cinematograph Film |
1923 |
|
|
Selo 16mm Negative |
1935 |
|
|
Selo 16mm Positive |
1935 |
|
|
Selo 16mm reversal |
1935 |
|
|
HP3 |
1943 |
|
|
Pan F |
1946 |
J or K |
|
FG Pan Pos |
1953 |
|
|
Hyper Pan |
1953 |
|
|
HP3 |
1953 |
16mm A, B or C 35mm L or M |
|
N |
1957 |
|
|
FP3 |
1958 |
16mm L or M 35mm A,B or C |
|
HR |
1959 |
|
|
Mark V |
1965 |
S or T |
|
HRT |
1965 |
|
16mm Blue sensitive telerecording Film |
A |
1965 |
|
|
FP4 |
1969 |
A, B or C |
|
L |
1975 |
|
|
Fine Grain Safety Positive |
|
‘Ilford Safety Film’ also letter S between Perfs |
|
HPS |
|
F or G |
|
Newsreel Positive Film |
|
|
Available only in 35mm |
Panchromatic Positive Type 1 |
|
|
|
FP4 Plus |
1995 approx |
A, B or C |
|
HP5 Plus |
1995 approx |
F,G or H |
|
SFX200 |
1995 approx |
D or E |
|
|
|
|
|