Kodak Gold and Ultramax have been revamped and are now being sold directly by the Rochester film factory. Last month, Kodak made headlines by reintroducing the Kodacolor brand along with its ISO 100 and 200 color-negative films. Today, we’re hearing that additional Kodak films are also receiving design updates, a shift in distribution, and potentially lower prices in the future. So, what does this mean for Kodacolor and its redesign? In the previous month’s newsletter, I mentioned another Kodak entity, Kodak Alaris, which operates separately from the Eastman Kodak Company that oversees the Rochester film factory: analog.cafe/r/film-photogr… In brief, Kodak split into two entities during its bankruptcy in 2012, with Kodak Alaris taking on responsibility for marketing and selling films like Ultramax (review: analog.cafe/r/kodak-ultram…) and Gold (review: analog.cafe/r/kodak-gold-f…). This made Alaris a third-party middleman between the factory and distributors. However, that setup appears to have changed, and the original Kodak factory is now starting to sell its films directly to distributors. Although this doesn’t imply that the films are any different from before, there is a chance of seeing *better prices* in the near future since Alaris, as a third party, is being taken out of the process (at least for some films). What about Kodacolor? Is it a new brand? Ultramax and Gold are established brands that have been in our cameras for years. A minor rebranding and possibly better pricing is positive news. However, Kodacolor is a less familiar name today, as it hasn’t been seen on a film box in decades. According to Eastman Kodak, the revived Kodacolor brand is simply a way to market their current emulsions without any modifications. Last month, I identified that Kodak Kodacolor 200 is essentially the same as Kodak ColorPlus. For details on how I discovered this, check out this article: analog.cafe/r/kodak-colorp…. I also recently published a piece about Kodak Kodacolor 100, confirming that it is *not* Kodak Pro Image 100: analog.cafe/r/kodak-kodaco… — which happens to be one of my favorite color-negative films. This highlights that Kodak produces more color film than it may initially appear! #editorial🔥

      It goes up against the Dodge Charger and Nissan Sentra.

      8 hours ago

      by Michael Gauthier

      The finalists for the North American Car, Truck, and Utility of the Year have been revealed.

      Noteworthy surprises and debatable choices include the costly Honda Prelude.

      The winners will be disclosed in January at the 2026 Detroit Auto Show.

      The Los Angeles Auto Show is currently taking place, beginning with the announcement of the finalists for the North American Car, Truck, and Utility Vehicle of the Year awards. Some of the selections may spark controversy, as certain questionable candidates made it through while more deserving options were left out.

      With that in mind, the finalists for the 2026 North American Car of the Year are the Dodge Charger, Honda Prelude, and Nissan Sentra. They surpassed contenders like the Audi A5, Kia K4 Hatchback, and Mercedes CLA.

      Additionally, the Renault 5 has claimed the title of European Car of the Year, while the Ranger, Civic, and ID. Buzz represent American winners.

      This outcome isn’t overly surprising, although the Prelude's selection is notable. It is expensive, slow, and considerably less powerful compared to its rivals, functioning almost like the Cadillac ELR of today's market.

      The 2026 North American Truck of the Year was seeming dull, as half of the candidates were simply trim levels or engine variations. Surprisingly, two of these— the Ford Maverick Lobo and Ram 1500 Hemi— advanced to the finals. This is unexpected since one contender was the 1,025 hp (764 kW / 1,039 PS) Rivian R1T Quad Motor.

      Nevertheless, the revamped Ram 2500 is likely to win the top prize, featuring refreshed styling, an enhanced interior, and a new 6.7-liter Cummins turbodiesel engine delivering 430 hp (321 kW / 436 PS) and 1,075 lb-ft (1,456 Nm) of torque.

      Among the most significant surprises occurred in the race for the 2026 North American Utility Vehicle of the Year. The three finalists are the Hyundai Palisade, Lucid Gravity, and Nissan Leaf.

      They triumphed over several noteworthy new entrants, including the Jeep Cherokee, Honda Passport, Toyota 4Runner, and Toyota RAV4. Cadillac was completely excluded despite having three contenders: the Optiq, Vistiq, and Escalade IQ.

      The winners will be revealed at the Detroit Auto Show in January, but we welcome your opinions in the comments below.