Advanced Photo System

thumb|upright=1.2|right|Advanced Photo System logo

Advanced Photo System (APS) is a film format for consumer still photography first marketed in 1996 and discontinued in 2011. It was sold by various manufacturers under several brand names, including Eastman Kodak (Advantix), FujiFilm (Nexia), Agfa (Futura) and Konica (Centuria). Development was led by Kodak starting in the mid-1980s.

Like prior attempts to displace 135 film from the amateur photography market, including 126 film (Instamatic), 110, and disc, APS used a film cartridge to reduce loading errors. APS also could reduce camera and lens size and weight by using a smaller image format; unlike the older amateur formats, image quality would be maintained by using newly developed films, featuring emulsions with finer grain size and a flatter base material. The other major innovation delivered by APS was the "information exchange" process in which the camera recorded data directly on the film; this would simplify cropping prints to a desired aspect ratio and potentially could provide photofinishers with exposure data to optimize print quality. However, by the time APS was released in 1996, the first digital cameras had appeared, providing many of the same benefits with the additional convenience and economy of eliminating the developing process.

History

thumb|Nikon Nuvis 160i, an APS camera

Kodak began developing "Project Orion" in the mid-1980s and solicited partners starting in the late 1980s. In 1991, Canon, Fujifilm, Kodak, Minolta, and Nikon formed a consortium to complete the new photographic system, and the alliance was publicly announced in 1992. Initial testing of APS film cartridges with 40-exposure rolls started in 1994; details about the magnetic-stripe information encoding and formats were provided later that year, although the prototype "Standard" frame size, at that time, was narrower than the final APS-C frame, with a 7:5 aspect ratio, . APS was announced to the photofinishing market in October 1995 and officially launched at the Photo Marketing Association show in Las Vegas in February 1996. according to Kodak, of all film that it received for processing showed some defects attributable to loading error. In addition, the smaller film size potentially could result in APS point-and-shoot cameras with greater zoom ranges in the same size as existing 35 mm compact cameras,

Despite the potential benefits, APS never really caught on with professional photographers because of the significantly smaller film area (58% of 135 film) and narrow selection of film types. In controlled testing, Popular Photography found that prints from one new emulsion developed for APS were significantly sharper than an equivalently-sized prints using a legacy 135 film emulsion, despite having to enlarge the APS frame by a greater magnification ratio. However, the new emulsion also could be (and later was) used for 35 mm film, eliminating the advantage of the smaller format. Film selection also hindered adoption of APS. Color slide film, popular with professional photographers, proved unpopular in APS format and was soon discontinued, although chromogenic black-and-white IX240 film continued to be produced.

In January 2004, Kodak announced it was ceasing APS camera production.

Both Fuji and Kodak, the last two manufacturers of APS film, discontinued production in 2011.

Design

The film is 24 mm wide, and has three selectable image formats:

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|+APS image formats

Updated usage

Presently the format names APS-C and APS-H are most often used in reference to various makes of digital SLR that contain imaging sensors that have approximately the same crop factor as those formats, albeit with different actual dimensions, as APS-H digital sensors have a 3:2 aspect ratio, not the 16:9 aspect ratio of the APS-H film frame. Some of the lenses originally released with the APS SLRs have survived and are now marketed towards use on "APS" digital SLRs for the same reason. In reference to digital cameras, APS may also mean active pixel sensor, a type of CMOS image sensor.

Film and cartridge

thumb|upright=1.2|right|KODAK Advantix APS film cartridge

The film is on a polyethylene naphthalate (PEN) base,

Kodak initially released its APS color print films under the Advantix brand, in ISO 100, 200, and 400 speeds; in July 1996, Kodak introduced ADVANTIX 200 Professional. By 2000, Kodak had introduced a monochrome print film.

In 1998, Fujifilm offered color print and slide film under the established Fujichrome (ISO 100) and Fujicolor brands (ISO 100, 200, and 400) along with a new "SmartFilm" brand; by 2002, Fujifilm had dropped the reversal film and was branding its APS color print film as Fujicolor Nexia, extending the range to ISO 800.

Information exchange (IX)

A major distinction of APS film is the ability to record information other than the image. This metadata information is most commonly used for print aspect ratio, but can also be used to record the date and time that the photograph was taken, store a caption, and record exposure data such as shutter speed and aperture setting. This information can be read by the photo printing equipment to determine the print aspect ratio, print information on the back (or, rarely, the front) of the photograph, or to improve print quality. The system was invented by four engineers at Kodak, who were awarded patents in 1992 and 1993 and who jointly were named the National Inventor of the Year in 1996.

Two methods for storing information on the film are employed: "magnetic IX" and "optical IX". Optical IX is employed by less expensive cameras and disposable cameras, and employs a light source to expose a small section of the film, outside of the image negative area. This method is limited to determining the print aspect ratio of the finished print. Magnetic IX reportedly caused some problems for photo processors, who found their magnetic reading heads had to be cleaned frequently, or that their equipment's ability to print this information was limited, but Kodak's testing indicated magnetic deposits were not a concern. APS compact camera]]

The format was introduced in 1996 by Kodak, Fujifilm, Minolta, Nikon, Canon and others. APS was mainly used for point and shoot amateur cameras, Several of the cameras at launch shared a common design, including the Fujifilm Endeavor 100 / Minolta Vectis UC / Nikon Nuvis Mini and Kodak Advantix 5600MRX / Minolta Vectis 40.

Argus Inc. (APSxxx)
Canon (ELPH (Americas) / IXUS (Europe) / IXY (Japan))
Contax (T ix)
Fujifilm (Endeavor, Nexia)
Kodak (Advantix)
Konica (BiG mini S, Revio)
Minolta (Vectis)
Nikon (Nuvis)
Olympus (Centurion, iSnap, iZoom, Newpic)
Pentax (efina)
Samsung (Impax, Rocas)
Vivitar
Yashica (Acclaim)

Three SLR systems with interchangeable lenses also were released.

APS SLR cameras

File:Canon EOS IX (283183733).jpg|Canon EOS IX

File:Minolta Vectis Lens.jpg|Minolta Vectis S-1 with complete lens lineup

File:My Minolta Vectis S-100 (5182436253).jpg|Minolta Vectis S-100 with 28~56 mm kit lens

Image:Nikon Pronea 600i img 0604.jpg|Nikon Pronea 600i

File:Nikon Pronea S img 1320.jpg|Nikon Pronea S with IX-Nikkor lenses

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Three APS SLR systems were released as:

Canon EOS IX (EOS IX and IX Lite)
Minolta Vectis (S-1 and S-100)
Nikon Pronea (6i/600i and S) with IX-Nikkor lenses Before the system was released, Herbert Keppler expressed doubt about the potential market for APS SLRs, as both professional and amateur photographers would be constrained by the format's limitations, but thought the reduced size could appeal for niche uses such as photographers who want a more flexible lightweight travel option than a point-and-shoot.

| rowspan=2 | EF

| 30– s, B; synch:  s

| || w/ 2×CR123A

! EOS IX Lite

| 30– s; synch:  s

| || w/out 2×CR2

! rowspan=2 | Minolta !! rowspan=2 | Vectis S

! S-1

| 30– s; synch:  s

| || w/out 2×CR2

! rowspan=2 | Nikon !! rowspan=2 | Pronea

! 6i

| rowspan=2 | F

| 30– s, B; synch:  s

| || w/out 2×CR123A

! S

| 30– s, B; synch:  s

| || w/out 2×CR2

Of these the Canon EOS IX and the Nikon Pronea SLRs could use existing 35 mm SLR lenses with Canon EF and Nikon F mount, respectively, whereas Minolta opted to create a new lens mount which later was shared with the Minolta Dimâge RD 3000, an early digital SLR (DSLR). Using existing lenses meant the field of view was reduced by around 1.6×, but had the advantage of a larger lens selection. Creating a new lens system on the other hand gave the possibility of creating smaller and lighter lenses as they had a smaller image circle to cover.

Concurrently with their APS SLR film cameras, Canon, Minolta, and Nikon released lenses specifically intended for use on APS film cameras; the APS-specific lenses have shorter focal lengths to compensate for the reduced image size. Canon's lenses, which included the EF 24-85mm, EF 22-55mm, and EF 55-200mm lenses, were fully functional with 35 mm EOS SLRs; at least one (24–85mm) was available in silver finish to match the EOS IX camera. An adapter was available to use 35 mm A-mount (Alpha / Dynax / Maxxum) lenses, with limited functionality.

To accompany the Pronea SLRs, Nikon released six IX-Nikkor zoom lenses, all designed by Haruo Sato, which were lighter and had a smaller image circle, similar in concept to the later Nikon DX format lenses released with the company's DSLRs, starting in 2004. The Nikon IX series of lenses were not compatible with the existing line of Nikon 35 mm SLRs; as they were designed with a smaller image circle and had a shorter back-focus, the rear elements, protruding into the body, would foul the mirror. However, the Nikon Pronea cameras accepted lenses for Nikon 35 mm SLRs.