Kodak AEROCHROME III Infrared Film 1443 is a discontinued false-color infrared film. Its familiar red foliage comes from recording near-infrared information and mapping it into visible color. A green-to-red edit of an ordinary photograph can imitate part of the appearance, but cannot recover infrared information the camera did not capture.
This is a researched explanation, not a film test. No digital illustration on this page is presented as a genuine Aerochrome exposure.
Can you buy it now?
On October 30, 2026, The Aerochrome Shop showed its listed Aerochrome 120, perforated 120, 127, 4 × 5 and 16 mm products as out of stock. That is a dated observation of one seller, not proof that every private seller worldwide has no film.
The same shop lists other aerial or special-effect films. AEROCOLOR, Aerographic Plus-X and other similarly named products should not be assumed to be infrared Aerochrome. Read the full stock name and type. Price alone does not identify an emulsion.
What is a credible price comparison?
There is no current manufacturer retail price for newly produced 1443 in this guide. The previous article’s blanket “over $300 per roll” statement and converted historical price chart have been removed because they did not establish a current comparable transaction.
| Record for an offer | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Date, currency and asking versus completed-sale price | A seller’s request does not prove a sale or a market value |
| Exact film and format, frame/sheet count | A 120 roll, 35 mm cassette and sheet pack are not equivalent quantities |
| Expiry, source and storage history | Unverified cold-storage claims cannot guarantee film condition |
| Respooling and packaging details | Handling can affect light leaks, identification and usable frames |
| Processing acceptance and scan cost | A rare roll is not useful without a lab willing to handle that exact material |
| Return terms and risk of failure | Expired-film results may be excluded from ordinary guarantees |
Budget the complete experiment in one currency. If a hypothetical 12-frame roll costs $240 and processing/scanning costs $40, the pre-shipping cost is $280 ÷ 12 = $23.33 per frame opportunity. That is illustrative arithmetic, not a current offer or a guarantee of usable images.
Why vegetation can appear red
Kodak’s AS-77 technical publication for 1443 describes a false-color infrared-sensitive reversal material intended for aerial applications. Its response is different from ordinary visible-color film. Reflected near-infrared information contributes to the visible red rendering, while visible bands map differently from an ordinary color image.
Vegetation’s appearance depends on its reflectance, illumination, exposure, filtration, processing and reproduction. A dramatic red tree is not by itself a calibrated plant-health diagnosis. Likewise, two green objects that look alike to the eye need not reflect the same amount of near infrared.
Near infrared is not a thermal image
The film responds to reflected radiation in a region adjacent to visible light. It is not a heat camera showing the long-wave thermal emission used in thermal imaging. A scene’s false colors should not be interpreted as a temperature scale.
If you already have a roll
Identify the exact material and ask a specialist lab whether it accepts the roll before exposing it. Kodak’s historic document specifies total-darkness handling and describes AR-5 processing; it also discusses negative-processing alternatives. A lab’s present-day substitute process and scan workflow may produce a different result from the original specification.
Do not treat internet EI recommendations as Kodak’s universal speed rating for every camera, filter and processing route. Confirm filtration, exposure starting point, handling and any camera-internal infrared sensing with a knowledgeable provider for the exact material. Avoid opening the packaging in ordinary room light to inspect it.
Storage history and expiry matter, but neither a freezer claim nor a beautiful sample from another batch guarantees the remaining roll. Record the source and processing agreement, and plan a limited test before spending additional film on an irreplaceable assignment.
Three different alternatives
| Route | What it can offer | What it cannot establish |
|---|---|---|
| Visible-color film with shifted colors | A distinct color palette on ordinary film | Aerochrome’s infrared response |
| Infrared-capable digital capture with suitable filtration | Actual near-infrared information in a digital workflow | An identical reproduction of the film’s chemistry and aging |
| Editing an ordinary visible-light photograph | A creative red-foliage approximation | Recovery of infrared reflectance that was never recorded |
For example, Kolari’s IR Chrome filter is described for an appropriate full-spectrum-converted camera. Confirm the camera/filter combination with the manufacturer. It should not be sold to the reader as a filter that turns every unmodified camera into an Aerochrome camera.
A transparent digital approximation workflow
- Keep the original file and make an editable copy. Label the project as an approximation.
- Choose which foliage or other elements should change; use a mask so skin, signs and unrelated objects do not shift unintentionally.
- Adjust hue, saturation and tone while watching edges, reflections and mixed colors. A hue shift is a creative choice, not a spectral measurement.
- If working from actual infrared-capable capture, follow the camera/filter workflow for white balance and channel interpretation; do not apply one universal channel-swap recipe to every sensor/filter.
- Compare the result with the original and state the method when sharing it. Do not caption it as shot on Aerochrome.
For grading concepts, see color theory and Offset in Resolve. A real before/after and working file for this particular method remain to be made; the written procedure is not represented as a completed demonstration.
Look at identified work, not unattributed imitations
Rob Walwyn’s Aerochrome work provides a photographer’s own presentation of the medium. Link to the creator’s work rather than copying it without permission. The existence of an image online does not establish rights to reproduce it here.
Claims that the film has returned to production need a named manufacturer, exact product and current documentation. A resale batch, a differently sensitized film or a digital preset is not sufficient evidence. For an available conventional film workflow, compare CineStill 400D or black-and-white film.
