APS film

The Advanced Photo System (or APS) was introduced in 1996 as an alternative to or even as modern replacement of the still-popular 35mm format. The film cartridges are optimized for fully automatic film load, enclosing the 24mm wide film completely when not in use. The film is even put back into its cartridge when it has been developed.

Most cameras support 3 exposure formats:

• C for "classic" (25.1 x 16.7 mm; aspect ratio 3:2; 4x6" print or 10x15 cm print)
• H for "HDTV" (30.2 x 16.7 mm; aspect ratio 16:9; 4x7" print or 10x18 cm print)
• P for "panoramic" (30.2 x 9.5 mm; aspect ratio 3:1; 4x12" print or 10x24 cm print)

The C and P formats are formed by cropping, each format can be selected via the camera (with the exception of some disposable cameras) at any time for use with the format. The H format is the original format. Every single image on the developed film has this format, the print format is just an information given by the camera onto a magnetic storage on the film.

The magnetic data storage on the film is possible by the transparent magnetic coating of the film's back. Data for certain purposes is stored there on several tracks. This offers a unique set of advantages:

• PQI print quality improvement by storage of filmtype, film length, film speed, film ID,
• and for each image the print format, the preselected number of prints, the title, and the exposure data

Some APS-film-viewers offer the possibility to change the information of this magnetic storage, for example to switch the print format, or to add informations for a slideshow on that viewing device.

The exposure data is useful for corrections of underexposure or matters like that by the photo laboratory. It's also used for removing a film from a camera for putting it back into it later. Thus a photographer can switch from the color film he actually uses to a black and white film for some exposures, and vice versa, until both films are full. The additional mechanical marker in the film cartridge shows when a film is full. This marker shows whether the film is empty, in use, full, or developed.

The exposure numbers are stored twice, once as magnetic data, and another time enlighted on the film which has just one perforation with two holes per image. The film's basic material is refined polyethylene naphthalate (A-PEN) foil, and its film emulsion is improved compared to pre-1996 35mm film emulsions.

examples of APS cameras

cameras made by film makers				cameras made by other camera makers			single-use cams
Fujifilm	Kodak	Konica	Agfa	Nikon	Canon	Minolta	Kodak

Adoption

Despite of the features of the new film its size hindered its adoption by professional photographers, having only 56% of the frame size of 35mm film. It had been planned to give this sort of film a higher resolution to give APS users a clear advantage. But soon the 35mm films had been sold with the same resolution. Most cameras for APS film were very compact, but some 35mm cameras were nearly as compact (for example some of the the Olympus µ or Rollei prego cameras) so that the advantage of APS was nearly neutralized. So the system was accepted mainly by those who liked the three print formats. Nevertheless the cute cameras had a lot of fans. Every of the big three camera makers produced a unique camera series for the APS films, the Nikon Nuvis, Canon Ixus (Canon Elph) and Minolta Vectis series. Fujifilm offered two series of APS cameras, the Fotonex and the nexia cameras. Olympus made the i-zoom and the newpic series. The APS fans could even choose between several APS SLR cameras and camera bodies made by these companies. Minolta and Nikon made them new AF-lenses, Minolta even a new lens mount.

APS film was much better suited for use in compact 'point and shoot' cameras for the general public than for professional use, and while it fulfilled this need well less than 5 years after its release Digital technology became affordable and convenient, pushing APS format into a very small market share where it remains to this day. Though the film is still sold and developed in most places 35mm is, it can cost up to one and a half times as much to develop. Nowadays only the film speeds 100, 200 and 400 ASA have been left available.

The digital cameras which offer features like compactness and 3 print formats are still expensive, like the Leica D-LUX 2, or have no viewfinder, like the Panasonic Lumix DMC LS3. So the APS system will stay popular for a while among its fans. But the characteristic conception of fully automatic compacts with zoom lens and zoom finder has already been taken over for one of the most popular digital camera layouts of today.

Top: APS adaptor for film scanner, film slot of compact camera Middle: an APS film cartridge, another in sales capsule Bottom: four films in different states, the left one in the film slot of a SLR

film cartridges

The film cartridges of the APS system differ from that of any other cartridged film rolls. That's because APS films are loaded fully automatically after closing a film load slot that's filled with a cartridge. On top of a cartridge a white symbol appears beside one of the numbers 1 to 4.

APS film states: symbol beside number

• full moon near 1: film is empty
• half moon near 2: film is not full
• the cross near 3: film is full
• rectangle near 4: film is developped

Better cameras like the SLR in the picture allow unloading and reloading. That's interesting for those who want to switch between a 100 ASA film and a 400 ASA film as often as necessary until both films are full.

resources

Links

• Kodak redbook: APS at www.kodak.com [1]
• Flickr photo group of APS amateurs and professionals at Flickr [2]
• an astonishing APS camera collection at www.kitamura.co.jp [3]
• submin.com's APS pages at www.submin.com [4]
• how to open an APS cartridge at www.camerahacker.com [5]

Literature

• Michael Simon, "Neue Wege der Fotografie mit Fujifilm", Gilching 1996, ISBN 3-88955-090-8 (German language!)
• Heiner Henniges, "Die Neue Dimension der Fotografie", Augsburg 1996, ISBN 3-8043-5082-8 (German language!)