Timeline of Historical Film Colors
Introduction
This database was compiled and is elaborated by Barbara Flueckiger, professor at the Institute of Cinema Studies, University of Zurich, with support of the Institute for the Performing Arts and Film, Zurich University of the Arts. It is based on her research at Harvard University in the framework of her project Film History Re-mastered. For more information on the project see article Analysis of Film Colors in a Digital Humanities Perspective and a video produced by Swiss television. Please report errors or suggestions. Many persons and institutions have supported the project, see acknowledgements.
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Detail pages for individual color processes
Follow the links in the column "Color system" to access the currently available detail pages for individual processes. These pages contain more images, a short description, a bibliography of original papers and secondary sources, extended quotes from these sources, downloads of seminal papers, and links.
Results for category "All"
| Year | Color system | Persons (Company) | Images | Principle / patents or original papers / secondary sources |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1947 | Trucolor 2 color | (Consolidated Film Industries) | Subtractive 2 color: Bi-pack, double-coated with dye couplers
Fleet, Roe (1948): The Trucolor Process. In: American Cinematographer, March, 1948, pp. 79 and 101. Ryan, Roderick T. (1977): A History of Motion Picture Color Technology. London: Focal Press, pp. 109-110 and pp. 148-149. Nowotny, Robert A. (1983): The Way of All Flesh Tones. A History of Color Motion Picture Processes, 1895-1929. New York: Garland Pub., p. 195. Coe, Brian (1981): The History of Movie Photography. Westfield, N.J.: Eastview Editions, p. 129. Cornwell-Clyne, Adrian (1951): Colour Cinematography. London: Chapman & Hall, pp. 353-355. |
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| 1948 | Rouxcolor 4 color |  |
Additive 4 color
B.P. 385,141, 1932 Anonymous (1948): Revolution in Color? Rouxcolor. In: Time, 51, 7.6.1948, p. 94. (= http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,854427,00.html) Cornwell-Clyne, Adrian (1951): Colour Cinematography. London: Chapman & Hall, pp. 272-275. Mareschal, Georges (1954): Les procédés de cinéma en couleurs. In: Technique Cinématographique, 25,147, 1954, pp. 286-313, on pp. 292-293. (in French) |
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| 1948 | Cinefotocolor | Daniel Aragonés (Laboratorio Cinefoto de Barcelona) | Subtractive 2 color: Bi-pack
http://www.dequevalapeli.com/perfiles/ver/NjYw, in Spanish Limbacher (1969): Four Aspects of the Film. A History of the Development of Color, Sound, 3-D and Widescreen Films and Their Contribution to the Art of the Motion Picture. New York: Brussel & Brussel 1969, pp. 65. Amorós, A.; Bassa i Bernardo, O. (1984-1985): "El cinefotocolor", Cinematógraf, vol. 2, 1984-85, pp. 133-151 Llinás, Francisco (ed.) (1989): Directores de fotografía del cine español, Madrid, Filmoteca española. Instituto de la cinematografía y de las Artes Audiovisuales, 1989 |
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| 1948 | Pinchart |  |
Additive 3 color: Four lenses, red-green-blue-grey
Cornwell-Clyne, Adrian (1951): Colour Cinematography. London: Chapman & Hall, pp. 280-281. Limbacher (1969): Four Aspects of the Film. A History of the Development of Color, Sound, 3-D and Widescreen Films and Their Contribution to the Art of the Motion Picture. New York: Brussel & Brussel 1969, pp. 44. |
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| 1948 | Technichrome | (Technicolor) | Subtractive 2 color: Dye transfer, 2 color bi-pack, 3 color printing
Coote, J.H. (1949): A Technician's View of the Colour Film. In: Penguin Film Review, 9, May 1949, pp. 73-81, on pp. 77-78. Limbacher (1969): Four Aspects of the Film. A History of the Development of Color, Sound, 3-D and Widescreen Films and Their Contribution to the Art of the Motion Picture. New York: Brussel & Brussel 1969, pp. 58-59. |
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| 1948 | Gevacolor Negative | (Gevaert Photo-Produkten N. V ) |   |
Subtractive 3 color: Chromogenic monopack
Ryan, Roderick T. (1977): A History of Motion Picture Color Technology. London: Focal Press, pp. 190-197. |
| 1949 | Trucolor 3 color | (Consolidated Film Industries) | Subtractive 3 color: Color separation on DuPont Release Positive Film
Fleet, Roe (1948): The Trucolor Process. In: American Cinematographer, March, 1948, pp. 79 and 101. Ryan, Roderick T. (1977): A History of Motion Picture Color Technology. London: Focal Press, pp. 109-110 and pp. 148-149. Nowotny, Robert A. (1983): The Way of All Flesh Tones. A History of Color Motion Picture Processes, 1895-1929. New York: Garland Pub., p. 195. Coe, Brian (1981): The History of Movie Photography. Westfield, N.J.: Eastview Editions, p. 129. Cornwell-Clyne, Adrian (1951): Colour Cinematography. London: Chapman & Hall, pp. 353-355. |
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| 1949 | DuPont Stripping Negative | ( E. I. DuPont Company) |  |
Subtractive 3 color: Stripping film
Ryan, Roderick T. (1977): A History of Motion Picture Color Technology. London: Focal Press, pp. 134-135
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| 1949 | DuPont Color Film Type 275 | (E.I. Du Pont de Nemours) |    |
Subtractive 3 color: Color release positive stock, multilayer monopack
Sease, V. B. (1949): DuPont's New Color Film. In: American Cinematographer, 30: 240, 257-258. Cornwell-Clyne, Adrian (1951): Colour Cinematography. London: Chapman & Hall, pp. 740-742. Ryan, Roderick T. (1977): A History of Motion Picture Color Technology. London: Focal Press, pp. 136-138. |
| 1949 | Ferrania color / Ferraniacolor / 3M color | (Ferrania) | Subtractive 3 color: Chromogenic monopack
Ryan, Roderick T. (1977): A History of Motion Picture Color Technology. London: Focal Press, pp. 206-210. Salmoiraghi, Angelo (1992): Ferrania dalle antiche ferriere all’industria dell’immagine. Storia, economia e sviluppo di una realtà industriale. Savona: Marco Sabatelli Editore. |
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| 1949 | Fujicolor | (Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd.) | Subtractive 3 color: Chromogenic monopack reversal
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| 1950 | Chromart Simplex | Hans von Fraunhofer (Anglo-American Colour Photographic Industries) | Subtractive 2 color: Chromogenic monopack
Limbacher (1969): Four Aspects of the Film. A History of the Development of Color, Sound, 3-D and Widescreen Films and Their Contribution to the Art of the Motion Picture. New York: Brussel & Brussel 1969, pp. 66-67. Cornwell-Clyne, Adrian (1951): Colour Cinematography. London: Chapman & Hall, pp. 752-756. |
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| 1950 | Alfacolour / Alfacolor | (Alfa Photographic Laboratories) | Subtractive 2 color: Bi-pack, duplitized film
Cornwell-Clyne, Adrian (1951): Colour Cinematography. London: Chapman & Hall, p. 751. |
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| 1950 | Chromart Tricolor | Hans von Fraunhofer (Anglo-American Colour Photographic Industries) | Subtractive 3 color: Chromogenic monopack
Limbacher (1969): Four Aspects of the Film. A History of the Development of Color, Sound, 3-D and Widescreen Films and Their Contribution to the Art of the Motion Picture. New York: Brussel & Brussel 1969, pp. 66-67. Cornwell-Clyne, Adrian (1951): Colour Cinematography. London: Chapman & Hall, pp. 752-756. |
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| 1950 | Colorvision | (Colorvision, Inc) | Additive 3 color: Beam-splitter
Ryan, Roderick T. (1977): A History of Motion Picture Color Technology. London: Focal Press, pp. 47-48. |
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| 1950 | Eastman Multilayer Stripping Film / Kodak Stripping Film | (Eastman Kodak) | Subtractive 3 color: Stripping film
Capstaff, John G. (1950): An Experimental 35mm Multilayer Stripping Negative film. In: Journal of the Society of Motion Pictures and Television Engineers, 54, pp. 445-453. |
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| 1950 | Eastman Color | (Eastman Kodak) |    |
Subtractive 3 color: Chromogenic monopack
Craig, G.J. (1953): Eastman Colour Films for Professional Motion Picture Work. In: British Kinematography, 22,5, 1953, pp. 146-158. Foster, Frederick (1953): Eastman negative-positive color films for motion pictures. In: American Cinematographer, 34,7, July 1953, pp. 322-333, 348. Ryan, Roderick T. (1977): A History of Motion Picture Color Technology. London: Focal Press, pp. 148-158. Hanson, Wesley T. (1981): The Evolution of Eastman Color Motion Pictures. In: Journal of the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers, 90,9, 1981, pp. 791-794. Happé, Bernard (1984): 80 Years of Colour Cinematography. London: British Kinematograph Sound & Television Society, p. 16. Parker, David L. (1973): "'Blazing Technicolor,' 'Stunning Trucolor,' and 'Shocking Eastmancolor.'" In: Tom Shales et al. (ed.): The American Film Heritage, The American Film Institute. Washington, D.C.: Acropolis Books Ltd., pp. 19-27. |
| 1950 | Eastman Color negative type 5247 | (Eastman Kodak) | Subtractive 3 color: Chromogenic monopack, daylight, 16 ASA
Ryan, Roderick T. (1977): A History of Motion Picture Color Technology. London: Focal Press, pp. 148-158. Koshofer, Gert (1988): 50 Jahre moderne Farbfotografie. Die Farbfilme des Weltmarktes von 1936 bis 1985. In: MFM, 5/88, pp. 216-217; 6/88, pp. 259-260; 7/88, pp. 306-307. |
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| 1950 | Ansco Color negative / positive process | (Ansco Division of General Aniline and Film Corporation,) |       |
Subtractive 3 color: Chromogenic monopack, negative / positive
Rowan, Arthur (1952): 'The Wild North' introduces MGM's new Ansco Color process. In: American Cinematographer, 33,3, March 1952, pp. 106-107, 122-124. Mitchell, Robert A. (1953): The new Ansco Color film and process. In: American Cinematographer, 34,4, April 1953, pp. 166. Ryan, Roderick T. (1977): A History of Motion Picture Color Technology. London: Focal Press, pp. 139-142. |
| 1950 | Opticolor | (Société Civile de Recherches Scientifiques) | Additive 3 color: Lenticular screen
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| 1951 | Supercinecolor / Natural Color | (Cinecolor Corporation) |  |
Subtractive 3 color: Color separation, duplitized film, third layer added
Gundelfinger, Alan M., (1950): Cinecolor Three-Color Process. In: The Journal of the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers, 54: 74-86. Belton, John (2000): CinecoIor. In: Film History, Vol. 12, No. 4, Color Film (2000), pp. 344-357. Ryan, Roderick T. (1977): A History of Motion Picture Color Technology. London: Focal Press, pp. 104-106. |
| 1951 | Eastman Lenticular Print Film Type 5306 | (Eastman Kodak) | Additive 3 color: Lenticular screen
Koshofer, Gert (1988): 50 Jahre moderne Farbfotografie. Die Farbfilme des Weltmarktes von 1936 bis 1985. In: MFM, 5/88, pp. 216-217; 6/88, pp. 259-260; 7/88, pp. 306-307. |
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| 1951 | Agfacolor Negative | (Farbenfabriken Bayer AG, dept. Agfa Photoverkauf, Leverkusen) | Subtractive 3 color: Chromogenic monopack, daylight
Koshofer, Gert (1988): 50 Jahre moderne Farbfotografie. Die Farbfilme des Weltmarktes von 1936 bis 1985. In: MFM, 5/88, pp. 216-217; 6/88, pp. 259-260; 7/88, pp. 306-307. |
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| 1952 | Dugromacolor | Roger Dumas, Georges Grosset and André Marx |  |
Additive 3 color: Beam-splitter, substandard
Augello, Antoine (1951): La cinématographie en couleurs. Le nouveau procédé Dugromacolor. In: Génie Civil, 128,7, 1951, pp. 130-133. (in French) Cornwell-Clyne, Adrian (1951): Colour Cinematography. London: Chapman & Hall, pp. 750-751. Limbacher (1969): Four Aspects of the Film. A History of the Development of Color, Sound, 3-D and Widescreen Films and Their Contribution to the Art of the Motion Picture. New York: Brussel & Brussel 1969, pp. 60. Mareschal, Georges (1954): Les procédés de cinéma en couleurs. In: Technique Cinématographique, 25,147, 1954, pp. 286-313, on p. 293. (in French) |
| 1952 | Agfacolor Negative, type 2 | (Farbenfabriken Bayer AG, dept. Agfa Photoverkauf, Leverkusen) | Subtractive 3 color: Chromogenic monopack, daylight
Koshofer, Gert (1988): 50 Jahre moderne Farbfotografie. Die Farbfilme des Weltmarktes von 1936 bis 1985. In: MFM, 5/88, pp. 216-217; 6/88, pp. 259-260; 7/88, pp. 306-307. |
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| 1952 | Ansco Color Negative, type 843 | (Ansco Division of General Aniline and Film Corporation,) | Subtractive 3 color: Chromogenic monopack, daylight, 16 ASA
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| 1953 | Eastman Color Negative, type 5248 | (Eastman Kodak) | Subtractive 3 color: Chromogenic monopack, Tungsten, 25 ASA
Ryan, Roderick T. (1977): A History of Motion Picture Color Technology. London: Focal Press, pp. 148-158. Koshofer, Gert (1988): 50 Jahre moderne Farbfotografie. Die Farbfilme des Weltmarktes von 1936 bis 1985. In: MFM, 5/88, pp. 216-217; 6/88, pp. 259-260; 7/88, pp. 306-307. |
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| 1953 | Ansco Color Negative, type 844 | (Ansco Division of General Aniline and Film Corporation) | Subtractive 3 color: Chromogenic monopack, Tungsten, 16 ASA
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| 1954 | Agfacolor Negative, type B 333 | (VEB Filmfabrik Agfa Wolfen, GDR) | Subtractive 3 color: Chromogenic monopack, daylight
Koshofer, Gert (1988): 50 Jahre moderne Farbfotografie. Die Farbfilme des Weltmarktes von 1936 bis 1985. In: MFM, 5/88, pp. 216-217; 6/88, pp. 259-260; 7/88, pp. 306-307. |
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| 1954 | Agfacolor Negative, type G 334 | (VEB Filmfabrik Agfa Wolfen, GDR) | Subtractive 3 color: Chromogenic monopack, Tungsten
Koshofer, Gert (1988): 50 Jahre moderne Farbfotografie. Die Farbfilme des Weltmarktes von 1936 bis 1985. In: MFM, 5/88, pp. 216-217; 6/88, pp. 259-260; 7/88, pp. 306-307. |
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| 1954 | Technicolor V: Dye transfer prints from Eastmancolor negative | (Technicolor) |         |
Subtractive 3 color: Dye transfer
Haines, Richard W. (1993): Technicolor Movies. The History of Dye Transfer Printing. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland, pp. 65-119. |
| 1955 | Mondiacolor | Chevalier | Additive 3 color: Mosaic screen
Chevalier, Georges E. (1960): Procédé photomécanique pour préparer des supports mosaïques multicolorés utilisables pour la photographie et cinématographie additive en couleur et produits en résultant. Mondiacolor, Jul, 29 1960: FR 1237109. (in French) Mareschal, Georges (1954): Les procédés de cinéma en couleurs. In: Technique Cinématographique, 25,147, 1954, pp. 286-313, on p. 300.(in French) |
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| 1955 | Anscochrome | (Ansco Division of General Aniline and Film Corporation,) | Subtractive 3 color: Chromogenic monopack, reversal, 16mm
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| 1955 | Agfacolor Negative, type 3 (CN3) | (Agfa AG, Leverkusen, Bayerwerk) | Subtractive 3 color: Chromogenic monopack, universal
Koshofer, Gert (1988): 50 Jahre moderne Farbfotografie. Die Farbfilme des Weltmarktes von 1936 bis 1985. In: MFM, 5/88, pp. 216-217; 6/88, pp. 259-260; 7/88, pp. 306-307. |
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| 1956 | Eastman Embossed Kinescope Recording Film | (Eastman Kodak) | Additive 3 color: Lenticular screen
Koshofer, Gert (1988): 50 Jahre moderne Farbfotografie. Die Farbfilme des Weltmarktes von 1936 bis 1985. In: MFM, 5/88, pp. 216-217; 6/88, pp. 259-260; 7/88, pp. 306-307. |
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| 1958 | Ektachrome Commercial | (Eastman Kodak) | Subtractive 3 color: Chromogenic monopack, 16mm reversal
Ryan, Roderick T. (1977): A History of Motion Picture Color Technology. London: Focal Press, pp. 167-179. |
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| 1958 | Columbiacolor | (Columbia Pictures, Hollywood) | Subtractive 3 color: Chromogenic monopack, Eastman Color
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| 1959 | Dynachrome | Subtractive 3 color: Chromogenic monopack, small gauge, double 8
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| 1959 | Moviechrome | (Ansco Corp) | Subtractive 3 color: Chromogenic monopack, reversal, 16 mm
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| 1959 | Eastman Color Negative, type 5250 | (Eastman Kodak) | Subtractive 3 color: Chromogenic monopack, Tungsten, 50 ASA
Koshofer, Gert (1988): 50 Jahre moderne Farbfotografie. Die Farbfilme des Weltmarktes von 1936 bis 1985. In: MFM, 5/88, pp. 216-217; 6/88, pp. 259-260; 7/88, pp. 306-307. |
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| 1959 | Eastman Color Reversal Film SO-260 | (Eastman Kodak) | Subtractive 3 color: Chromogenic monopack, reversal, daylight, 160 ASA
Koshofer, Gert (1988): 50 Jahre moderne Farbfotografie. Die Farbfilme des Weltmarktes von 1936 bis 1985. In: MFM, 5/88, pp. 216-217; 6/88, pp. 259-260; 7/88, pp. 306-307. |
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| 1959 | Eastman Color Reversal Film SO-260 | (Eastman Kodak) | Subtractive 3 color: Chromogenic monopack, reversal, Tungsten, 125 ASA
Koshofer, Gert (1988): 50 Jahre moderne Farbfotografie. Die Farbfilme des Weltmarktes von 1936 bis 1985. In: MFM, 5/88, pp. 216-217; 6/88, pp. 259-260; 7/88, pp. 306-307. |
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| 1960 | Ektachrome ER | (Eastman Kodak) | Subtractive 3 color: Chromogenic monopack, 16mm and 35mm reversal
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| 1960 | Eastman Ektachrome ER, type 5257 | (Eastman Kodak) | Subtractive 3 color: Chromogenic monopack, reversal, daylight, 160 ASA
Koshofer, Gert (1988): 50 Jahre moderne Farbfotografie. Die Farbfilme des Weltmarktes von 1936 bis 1985. In: MFM, 5/88, pp. 216-217; 6/88, pp. 259-260; 7/88, pp. 306-307. |
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| 1960 | Eastman Ektachrome ER, type B, type 5258 | (Eastman Kodak) | Subtractive 3 color: Chromogenic monopack, reversal, Tungsten, 125 ASA
Koshofer, Gert (1988): 50 Jahre moderne Farbfotografie. Die Farbfilme des Weltmarktes von 1936 bis 1985. In: MFM, 5/88, pp. 216-217; 6/88, pp. 259-260; 7/88, pp. 306-307. |
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| 1960 | Agfacolor Negative, type 4 (CN4) | (Agfa AG, Leverkusen, Bayerwerk) | Subtractive 3 color: Chromogenic monopack, universal
Koshofer, Gert (1988): 50 Jahre moderne Farbfotografie. Die Farbfilme des Weltmarktes von 1936 bis 1985. In: MFM, 5/88, pp. 216-217; 6/88, pp. 259-260; 7/88, pp. 306-307. |
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| 1962 | Panacolor | Michele P. L. Martinez (Panacolor, Inc) |   |
Subtractive 3 color: Color separation, multilayer print
Ryan, Roderick T. (1977): A History of Motion Picture Color Technology. London: Focal Press, pp. 218-221. Limbacher (1969): Four Aspects of the Film. A History of the Development of Color, Sound, 3-D and Widescreen Films and Their Contribution to the Art of the Motion Picture. New York: Brussel & Brussel 1969, pp. 70-71. |
| 1962 | Agfachrome | (Agfa AG) | Subtractive 3 color: Chromogenic monopack, reversal, small gauge
Koshofer, Gert (1988): 50 Jahre moderne Farbfotografie. Die Farbfilme des Weltmarktes von 1936 bis 1985. In: MFM, 5/88, pp. 216-217; 6/88, pp. 259-260; 7/88, pp. 306-307. |
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| 1962 | Eastman Color Negative, type 5251 | (Eastman Kodak) | Subtractive 3 color: Chromogenic monopack, Tungsten, 50 ASA
Koshofer, Gert (1988): 50 Jahre moderne Farbfotografie. Die Farbfilme des Weltmarktes von 1936 bis 1985. In: MFM, 5/88, pp. 216-217; 6/88, pp. 259-260; 7/88, pp. 306-307. |
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| 1962 | Agfacolor Negative, type G 432 | (VEB Filmfabrik Agfa Wolfen, GDR) | Subtractive 3 color: Chromogenic monopack, Tungsten
Koshofer, Gert (1988): 50 Jahre moderne Farbfotografie. Die Farbfilme des Weltmarktes von 1936 bis 1985. In: MFM, 5/88, pp. 216-217; 6/88, pp. 259-260; 7/88, pp. 306-307. |
Last update May 5, 2013 (updated on a regular basis).