Written by Katya Rowny
If you’re a film shooter like myself, then you can probably commiserate with the recent spike in film prices.
According to PetaPixel, “The company responsible for the distribution of Eastman Kodak’s photographic films, planned to raise the price of its films by varying amounts, with the overall average coming out to about 17%.”
To some that may not sound like a big deal, but for the average person getting into the hobby with the other costs associated with film, i.e. getting your film developed by a lab, and scanning and shipping negatives, it adds up.
I, unfortunately, have an expensive taste as I love Kodak Portra’s line of different ISO films. From the super pricey Portra 800, ranging from $15-$20 per roll(!) for 35mm, and the lovely Portra 160, which can cost upwards of $75 for a 5 pack.
Knowing that my love affair with Portra was dwindling due to my wallet, I hunted for a similar affordable option and ways to shoot film on a budget.
Flic Film and the Creation of Elektra 100
Enter Flic Film of Alberta, Canada. Describing themselves as an “analog centric company,” Flic Film hopes to fill the gaps in this niche industry by offering beginner friendly developing kits and accessories.
Dave Marshall started Flic Film during the pandemic due to supply chain problems. Not only does Flic Film offer a wide variety of film chemistry sets, they also sell respooled Kodak films (branded as Elektra 100).
Find Flic Film Elektra 100 at B&H Photo.
A Rebranded Aerocolor Film
Elektra 100 film is respooled Kodak Aerocolor IV color negative film. Because Kodak and Aerocolor IV are trademarks of Eastman Kodak Company, Flic Film has branded this as Elektra 100.
This aerial surveillance film is still in production today but only available in bulk, making it easier for companies such as Flic Film to acquire and respool for the public.
Other film companies have followed suit, rebranding Aerocolor IV under the names of Lomography Santacolor 100, Popho Luminar 100, and Film Washi X.
An article published on Analog.cafe concluded the following in his article reviewing Santacolor 100, “To be clear: only Luminar 100 and Film Electra 100 directly name their source emulsion, Kodak Aerocolor IV 2460. But given this film’s unique look, a uniquely clear-ish film base, and the brands’ passing mentions of a color surveillance film manufacturer with a box speed of ISO 100, it’s reasonable to assume that all film brands mentioned above use the same emulsion.”
The Benefits of an Aerial Surveillance Film
“Kodak Aerocolor IV Negative Film 2460 is for general use in medium- to high-altitude aerial-mapping and aerial-reconnaissance photography. It is suited for geological, pollution, archeological, crop and forestry studies; traffic control; city planning; railway, highway, and hydraulic engineering; oceanography; and remote sensing, as well as other areas where photogrammetry is used. It is also well suited and recommended for use in digital film recorders.”
KODAK Aerocolor IV Technical Data Sheet
Being an aerial surveillance film, Aerocolor IV has some strong advantages for use in film cameras. From its natural color rendition, wide exposure latitude, great sharpness and resolving power, to low grain – thanks to T-grain technology – and common C-41 development. This means that any lab can develop it!
A lot of repackaged color films are cinema films made for ECN-2 development. You can develop it in C-41, but it will change the look and might not look natural. There may also be “remjet” on the film that must be removed first.
Testing Out Elektra 100
I bought my film from Roberts Camera Store based in Indianapolis for roughly $13 a roll back in April and have put two rolls through my trusty Olympus XA2. You can find it online at B&H Photo.
Both rolls were developed and scanned by two different film labs using a Frontier and Noritsu scanner. The differences are slight if noticeable at all.
The images throughout this article have not been edited in any way except for straightening of the image.
I shot my first roll over a period of a week or so testing it out in different weather conditions. As many of you know the weather in the PNW can be unpredictable at best.
I shot the second roll while on vacation in Montana, where the weather conditions were not that much better, unfortunately. I was worried how this film would hold up in overcast conditions due to the low ISO, but overall I was very pleased with the results I’ve seen so far.
Elektra 100 Film Results: Colors, Grain, & Exposure Latitude
One of the first things I noticed was the light piping through the first couple of shots. The thin film base makes it more susceptible to light leaks when loading. I was curious, so I did not heed the warning to load in subdued light.
On my second roll, more light piping occurred towards the end of the roll as well.
Flic Film Elektra 100 has really pleasing colors. I am a fan of bright vivid colors leaning towards the warmer tones, and this film did not disappoint. The colors are very true to life with the reds and greens being prominent.
These images have very little grain and there is a good amount of contrast. Even though some of the weather was overcast, the images aren’t too cool or gray looking.
I was delighted with the bright reds and beautiful greens, and surprised by the richness of the blue skies. Some of the shadowy parts of the photos look a little underexposed but could be fixed post processing or by changing the exposure settings.
I am by no means an expert on using this film, but it is user friendly, especially during summertime. The overall richness of the colors and tones remind me of Portra, but I can see how dialing in your settings (exposure and shutter speed) can make a difference with the image straight out of camera.
Due to the wide latitude of this film, most of the exposure “mistakes” can be fixed with editing, but I refrained from doing any editing of my images so I could study the nature of this film.
Buying this film will cost $11 – $15 per roll. On the Flic Film website, there is a list of shops that carry their film, and most will ship worldwide, and you can pick it up at B&H Photo here.
With the cost of shipping, this isn’t one of cheapest color films available, but thanks to the ingenuity of the smaller brands like Flic Film, the Elektra 100 will help revive the analog world.
Thank you so much, Katya! Katya is a regular contributor for Shoot It With Film, and you can check out her other articles here, such as the Olympus XA2 Point & Shoot Film Camera Review.
You can also find more of Katya’s work on her website and Instagram.
Leave your questions about Flic Film Elektra 100 color film below in the comments, and you can pick up some for yourself at B&H Photo.
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