Film photography just got a plot twist. Kodak has apparently overtaken Fujifilm as the favorite film brand among shooters in Japan, according to the second annual film usage survey conducted by researcher Kimiyasu Morikawa, as reported by PetaPixel. That’s not a small deal. Fujifilm is a Japanese company. Losing home turf to an American rival stings. This story follows Kodak Beats Fujifilm Japan.
Kodak Beats Fujifilm Japan: Why This Film Photography Survey Matters
Morikawa’s survey is the only recurring, publicly available look at film photography habits in Japan. It launched last year and now has a second data set to compare against. That makes it genuinely useful, not just a snapshot.
The details of exactly how Kodak pulled ahead haven’t fully spread beyond the initial report. Still, the shift itself tells a bigger story. Film photography has become a global hobby again, driven largely by younger shooters who never used it the first time around.
In that environment, brand loyalty isn’t inherited. It’s earned through availability, pricing, and how a stock actually looks in photos. Kodak’s Portra and Gold lines have built a strong reputation online, especially among Instagram-first photographers who care about warm skin tones.
What This Means for Fujifilm
Fujifilm still commands enormous respect. Its Superia and Pro lines have devoted fans everywhere. But this survey suggests the brand can no longer assume dominance at home.
Fujifilm isn’t sitting still, though. The company just opened ticket sales for its Fujikina event in New York City. Tickets cost $10 and grant access to keynotes, workshops, photo walks, and festival programming, according to PetaPixel. Session spots are limited, so this isn’t a casual walk-in event.
Here’s the thing: Fujifilm knows community drives brand loyalty in film photography. A $10 ticket is basically a rounding error for the company. It’s a smart move to keep enthusiasts engaged while Kodak gains ground in Japan.
Software Catches Up to Film’s Comeback
Film photography’s resurgence hasn’t just changed camera store shelves. It’s also reshaping photo editing software. ON1 just announced a rebuilt noise reduction engine for its 2027 release, according to DPReview.
The company rebuilt its AI model from scratch. It now includes subject-aware model selection and deblurring tools aimed at wildlife and astrophotography shooters. That’s a smart niche to target. Both genres push noise reduction to its limits, whether it’s a distant owl at dusk or a faint nebula at 3 a.m.
What really stands out is ON1’s pricing model. The company keeps a one-time purchase option instead of forcing a subscription. That’s a direct shot at Adobe and other subscription-based competitors. I’ll take a one-time fee over another monthly charge any day.
Noise Reduction Software
If you shoot digital and hate grain in low light, noise reduction software (paid link) remains one of the more approachable options on the market. It won’t replace dedicated tools like ON1, but it’s a solid entry point for casual shooters experimenting with night photography.
Audio Gear Gets Its Own Reckoning
Meanwhile, video creators are having their own brand debate, just with microphones instead of film stock. PetaPixel’s latest shotgun microphone roundup tackles a real question: are onboard camera mics still worth it in a wireless clip-on world?
Wireless lavalier mics dominate YouTube content right now. They’re small, they’re discreet, and they go practically anywhere. But shotgun mics still have a place, especially for run-and-gun documentary work where clipping a lav to every subject just isn’t practical.
A good shotgun microphone (paid link) captures ambient sound naturally while staying directional enough to reject background noise. That balance matters more than people think. Anyone editing multi-source audio knows how painful mismatched mic tones can get in post.
Photography as Art, Not Just Gear
Away from brand wars and product specs, the 2026 European Photography Awards remind us why any of this equipment matters at all. The winning images, as detailed by PetaPixel, span everything from quiet street moments to bold reinterpretations of familiar places.
Great photography doesn’t need the newest sensor or the trendiest film stock. It needs a photographer who sees something the rest of us miss. That’s a lesson worth remembering amid all this brand competition.
Kodak Beats Fujifilm Japan: My Take on the Film Photography Shift
Here’s my honest read on all this. Kodak’s rise in Japan isn’t really about superior chemistry or marketing budgets. It’s about vibe. Younger photographers gravitate toward whatever look dominates their social feeds, and right now, that’s Kodak’s warmer color science.
Fujifilm can win this back, but it needs more than nostalgia. Events like Fujikina help, but the real battle happens on store shelves and in film swap communities. Whoever makes film easiest to find and afford will win loyalty long-term.
The noise reduction space tells a parallel story. ON1 is betting that photographers are tired of subscriptions, not just tired of noisy photos. That’s a bet worth watching, especially as Adobe keeps pushing users toward Creative Cloud.
Kodak Beats Fujifilm Japan: Key Takeaways
- Kodak now leads Fujifilm in Japan’s annual film photography survey.
- Fujifilm counters with an affordable, ticketed Fujikina event in New York.
- ON1 rebuilds its noise reduction AI without adding a subscription fee.
- Shotgun mics still matter despite the wireless lavalier boom.
- The European Photography Awards prove creativity still trumps gear.
None of these stories exist in isolation. They all point to an industry rediscovering its analog roots while fighting over digital tools. That tension isn’t going away anytime soon.
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