35mm Velvia 50 is back and very expensive!

[MattKing]

"Home video" is an antique concept. Your plumber and your accountant use the cell phones for everything, just ask them. "Home video" is an Ozzie and Harriet leftover.

In case you have forgotten, "home video" was a going concern when Kodachrome volumes started to plummet, and "mobile phones" were big things that were wired into cars - cel phones being nothing but a gleam in some visionaries' minds.

 

[Sirius Glass]

Are you sure he was still your friend?

Yes, he gave me the film about 10 years ago.

 

[Sirius Glass]

That would be ironic. It was Velvia that killed Kodachrome when pros switched over to it when it originally came out. I can't imagine Kodak would take the chance of Velvia now killing their new Ektachrome or Ektar.

Ektachrome and digital photography killed off Kodachrome.

 

[MattKing]

Yes! I was so mad. Occasional purple skies and greenish clouds had me pretty fed up, and after I saw crud embedded in the emulsion that was it for Kodalux. I used an independent lab and got much better results.
Kodak management sure had a talent for doing stupid things.

That merely reflected the fact that without home movies, the volumes couldn't support the operation of the previous infrastructure.
It was 1983-4 when Kodak Canada started shrinking the Kodachrome labs. What date did Kodalux come into being?

 

[markjwyatt]

Just found out my 120 Velvia order from Freestyle was back-ordered. I canceled it. I am curious about Velvia, but to be honest I usually do not like super-saturated colors... I may try some E100 instead.

 

[lxdude]

That merely reflected the fact that without home movies, the volumes couldn't support the operation of the previous infrastructure.
It was 1983-4 when Kodak Canada started shrinking the Kodachrome labs. What date did Kodalux come into being?

It was first called Qualex. They took over processing in the mid-80s, as I recall. The name was changed to Kodalux (I called it Kodasux) in the 90s sometime. I gave them another chance in the 90s, and went right back to independent processing.
The story I have heard is that Kodak never made much money, if any, off Kodachrome processing in order to keep the cost down. That was to promote use of Kodachrome by keeping processing costs in line with other films, and they made their profit off sales of the film itself.

When Qualex took over, supposedly the agreement was they couldn't raise the price, or couldn't raise it much. So to make a profit, they cut back on personnel and quality went to hell.
One of the big problems was poor removal of the rem-jet. When that happened, little black specks would embed in the emulsion, giving an odd grainy look. One of the photo magazines (Pop Photo, I think) did an article on the problem, complete with magnified pictures of the contaminated emulsion.
I don't agree that loss of volume was the cause of the problem. The quality problems started immediately when Qualex took over. To keep up volume, they could have reduced the number of labs (and probably did) to save even more money. As I recall, at the time of the takeover Kodak had 5 labs in the U.S., (Fair Lawn N.J.; Los Angeles; Palo Alto, Ca; Honolulu and one more, maybe St. Louis, Mo.).
In the 80s, Kodachrome was still going pretty strong. Velvia only came out in 1990 and dealt a big blow to Kodachrome, as prominent landscape photographers like Galen Rowell quickly and very publicly abandoned Kodachrome for Velvia.

 

[MattKing]

By the 1990s, even in Eastman Kodak's eyes Kodachrome was a legacy product, maintained only because of the loyalty of the fan base.
In most of the world, during most of the critical parts of its life, Kodachrome was sold with Kodak processing included. The film and processing package was looked at as a single product, with attention being paid to the profitability of that package as a whole.
While working retail I sold thousand of rolls of 135-36 processing included Kodachrome at prices between $12 and $14 CDN. People could buy that film from my workplace at the beginning of the day and, if they so desired, quickly shoot a roll, get it back to us before the afternoon pickup and, in many cases, come and pick up the processed slides the next day after the delivery - all for that $12 to $14 CDN cost. The huge volumes that made that possible were what made Kodachrome possible. During the busiest seasons, the processing machine(s) that developed that film, which were the size of a small bus, ran 24 hours a day - operators staffed three 8 hour shifts.

 

[Roger Cole]

Fully understood. I was only meaning I'd not used Ektachrome since the 1960's. After using back to back usage of Ektachrome & Provia I too prefer the E-100 to the Provia. My first impression reminded me a bit of the old Astia look. Provia always seemed a bit too blue/cyan for my tastes.

Exactly my opinion. I loved the old Astia. I still have a roll or two of 120 Astia frozen.

 

[gone]

cel phones being nothing but a gleam in some visionaries' minds.

We should have sent that visionary to another planet the day they uttered the words "cell phone".

 

[Sirius Glass]

Qualex not only made dirty negatives for me, but also lost several rolls of film sent back to them to be reprinted properly.

 

[Larryc001]

By the 1990s, even in Eastman Kodak's eyes Kodachrome was a legacy product, maintained only because of the loyalty of the fan base.
In most of the world, during most of the critical parts of its life, Kodachrome was sold with Kodak processing included. The film and processing package was looked at as a single product, with attention being paid to the profitability of that package as a whole.
While working retail I sold thousand of rolls of 135-36 processing included Kodachrome at prices between $12 and $14 CDN. People could buy that film from my workplace at the beginning of the day and, if they so desired, quickly shoot a roll, get it back to us before the afternoon pickup and, in many cases, come and pick up the processed slides the next day after the delivery - all for that $12 to $14 CDN cost. The huge volumes that made that possible were what made Kodachrome possible. During the busiest seasons, the processing machine(s) that developed that film, which were the size of a small bus, ran 24 hours a day - operators staffed three 8 hour shifts.

Yes I remember the thrill after a trip taking the Kodachrome to be processed in North Vancouver. Drive over the second narrows, drop off the film, then do it again the next day to pick up the slides. Gosh where did the years go?

 

[MattKing]

Yes I remember the thrill after a trip taking the Kodachrome to be processed in North Vancouver. Drive over the second narrows, drop off the film, then do it again the next day to pick up the slides. Gosh where did the years go?

They've even started calling the bridge by its proper name since then
(Ironworkers' Memorial bridge at the Second Narrows).
When you dropped that film off, you were just feet from my father's office, and you were dealing with his staff.

 

[mshchem]

Yep, when the US regulators forced Eastman Kodak to sell film and processing separately that was the beginning of the end. I remember my Dad always bought the EK pre-paid processing mailers. Brilliant, dropped your film in the mailer, 2 first class stamps, drop it in the mail, usually took around a week, mailman would bring the finished slides to your front porch mailbox. No matter which Kodak lab you mailed it too, you would get gummed address labels for the closest Kodak lab to your home address for your next mailing.
It was great!! How in the heck it was all kept organized is over my skill set! I don't recall a single time when there was an issue. That speaks to the efficiency of both Kodak and the US Postal Department (before the Post Office was privatized)

 

[Larryc001]

They've even started calling the bridge by its proper name since then
(Ironworkers' Memorial bridge at the Second Narrows).
When you dropped that film off, you were just feet from my father's office, and you were dealing with his staff.

Thanks Matt. Small world isn’t it. I hope he didn’t see some of my images! Some were pretty lousy. Lol. That place did such good work I really miss them. Too bad I didn’t know to say hello then.

 

[Huss]

Ektachrome and digital photography killed off Kodachrome.

Video killed the radio star.

 

[Huss]

Speak of the devil, I went out today, looking for whatever caught my eye, a nice drive during the autumn golden hours, but no joy, and packing out my kit, I happened to take a look at my always cold kept films and sitting in one bag of five roll cartons of 120, an unopened box of Velvia 50, 2019 date.

I knew I had some loose rolls amongst my ready to go bags of films, 120 and 135-36, but after following this post, I was genuinely surprised and happy to find this option just waiting for the day I need it.

For me now, there is only the question of loading what I have in an A12 back or an A16 4x4cm back, making it 'last' that much more?

Any chance Kodak will take this Fuji film and make new stock of it under the Yellow Lable?

Do you realize how many Leicas you could buy if you sold that film?

 

[DREW WILEY]

mshchem - I grew up within walking distance of a mountain town so small that the general store was no bigger than the average motorhome. The only phone in town was a little mahogany box on the wall with a crank handle, which reached a single switchboard operator way off in another county, with a massive uninhabited canyon in between. Twice a week the owner of that store would drive his old pickup way downhill to the city to get his groceries and goods. But even he stocked Kodachrome, and brought back your slides on the next run. He also carried something equivalent to Kodak Gold for sake of the box Brownies in those hills, and would faithfully bring back the snapshots. At my request, he even stocked old style pre-E6 Agfachrome, which came with a pre-paid mailer. The film was stocked on the same shelf as all the shotgun and rifle ammo.

 

[eli griggs]

How many do you have to swap?

 

[Roger Cole]

That would be ironic. It was Velvia that killed Kodachrome when pros switched over to it when it originally came out. I can't imagine Kodak would take the chance of Velvia now killing their new Ektachrome or Ektar.

They would be much more likely to re-introduce a version of E100VS.

 

[Roger Cole]

We should have sent that visionary to another planet the day they uttered the words "cell phone".

Cell phones were fine. The problem started with "smart" phones - or smart "phones." I'm severely addicted to mine myself, but a phone, for voice calls, is about the least of its uses. I probably don't use it for that more than a couple of times a week maximum, and most weeks not that much. I DO text, but mainly I wear out the Internet data with it for all kinds of various things. I ALWAYS have it running Waze in the phone mount any time I'm driving, even if I know exactly where I'm going, because of the traffic alerts. I am also always streaming music from it to my car stereo via Bluetooth. I am so addicted to my email that if I haven't checked it in the last hour I start getting nervous. I use it for weather and all kinds of things.

It's not even really a "phone" just an always (almost, unless in the boonies) Internet connected pocket computer that just happens to also have a VoIP app for making phone calls.

I do recognize the things as the downfall of so much I preferred to do other ways. I do still wear watches, though, and hang wall calendars in my house, at least.

 

[mshchem]

mshchem - I grew up within walking distance of a mountain town so small that the general store was no bigger than the average motorhome. The only phone in town was a little mahogany box on the wall with a crank handle, which reached a single switchboard operator way off in another county, with a massive uninhabited canyon in between. Twice a week the owner of that store would drive his old pickup way downhill to the city to get his groceries and goods. But even he stocked Kodachrome, and brought back your slides on the next run. He also carried something equivalent to Kodak Gold for sake of the box Brownies in those hills, and would faithfully bring back the snapshots. At my request, he even stocked old style pre-E6 Agfachrome, which came with a pre-paid mailer. The film was stocked on the same shelf as all the shotgun and rifle ammo.

I remember playing around with the pre-E6, this was mid 70's mailer came with the film,

 

[Sonynolta User]

Digressing back to (whatever) film is so expensive, I just aquired an unopened box of Kodakchrome, expiration date in 1962. It had a price of $2.60 wrote in china pencil on it, as was custom. Adjusting that $2.60 for inflation on a website, that is just over $25 in current USD. This was for film without processing.

I really think the cheap color film prices of the last few years (Before Cooties) were more of an anomoly than anything else. Back in the 80s, I remember B&W was always cheaper than color.

 

[NB23]

As a percentage of average income, it's still cheaper than Ektachrome was in the mid 1970s (the documentary evidence is not hard to find). Do you want sustainable production of a specialty product or not? The whiny entitlement of aged hobbyists about what were effectively massively subsidised 'halo' product lines post-1990-ish isn't going to cut it.

LoL!

Another classic.

But could you buy a Nikon D50 for 40$ (or what would be something like 7.42$ in 1970 dollars) back in 1970?

When trying to be logical, please go all the way.

 

[DREW WILEY]

There was stiff competition at one point between the big film manufacturers, and they also had thriving other divisions which could absorb some of the forfeiture in profit margin. And the sheer volume of film being sold also made up for much of that. But there's a different set of parameters in play now, and we should be grateful that color film is still alive and well and very high quality, even is the overall selection is somewhat diminished. It can't imagine what things like Kodachrome or Technicolor film would cost if they were around today.

 

[pentaxuser]

mshchem - I grew up within walking distance of a mountain town so small that the general store was no bigger than the average motorhome. The only phone in town was a little mahogany box on the wall with a crank handle, which reached a single switchboard operator way off in another county, with a massive uninhabited canyon in between. Twice a week the owner of that store would drive his old pickup way downhill to the city to get his groceries and goods. But even he stocked Kodachrome, and brought back your slides on the next run. He also carried something equivalent to Kodak Gold for sake of the box Brownies in those hills, and would faithfully bring back the snapshots. At my request, he even stocked old style pre-E6 Agfachrome, which came with a pre-paid mailer. The film was stocked on the same shelf as all the shotgun and rifle ammo.

all in the family theme song - Google Search

Sorry, I just couldn't help myself

pentaxuser