{
  "id": 37933,
  "title": "This was the worst film format that Kodak ever invented – but millions still bought the cameras",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/02/this-was-the-worst-film-format-that-kodak-ever-invented-but-millions",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-08-02T09:10:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Digital Camera World",
    "slug": "digital-camera-world",
    "url": "https://www.digitalcameraworld.com/cameras/film-cameras/it-was-the-worst-film-format-kodak-ever-invented-but-millions-still-bought-the-cameras"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The Kodak Disc film format, introduced in 1982, was the culmination of the company's long-standing trend of creating smaller and smaller film formats. Aimed at simplifying film loading and making cameras more user-friendly, the Disc format proved to be a commercially successful venture, despite its inherent image quality shortcomings. The Disc film used a plastic cartridge just 66 x 54 by 4mm thick, with a disk containing 15 individual negatives arranged in a pie-like formation. This format was pocket-sized, with cameras often measuring just 25-30mm thick. However, the smaller negative size came with significant drawbacks. The negative had to be enlarged 14 times for a 4x6in print and 25x for an 8x10in enlargement, which magnified flaws and made the film grain more visible. Additionally, the poor film flatness in many Disc cameras led to blurry images, further undermining image quality. Despite Kodak's attempts to address these issues, the Disc format never achieved the image quality of top-line sub-miniature cameras like the Minox. Demand for Disc cameras waned in the late 1980s, leading to the discontinuation of the line by 1990. The last Disc films were produced in 1998 or 1999, making these cameras mere curiosities today.",
  "summary": "Kodak's introduction of the Disc film in 1982 marked a low point in the company's history, creating a film format that was the worst in terms of image quality. Despite its innovative design, which aimed to make cameras pocket-sized and increase film sales, the Disc film's negative size proved to be a major flaw. The negative was so small that it had to be enlarged 14 times to produce a 4x6in print, resulting in a high level of grain and blurry images. The Disc cameras failed to match the quality of more expensive competitors like the Minox cameras, ultimately contributing to Kodak's declining fortunes in the film market.",
  "key_points": [
    "Kodak Disc format introduced in 1982, aimed at simplifying film loading.",
    "Plastic cartridge size 66 x 54 x 4mm, disk with 15 negatives arranged pie-like.",
    "Smaller negatives required 14x and 25x enlargement for prints/enlargements."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}