Could Kodak still make K25?

crispinuk · Sep 4, 2008

I've been thinking about getting some Kodachrome, just so I can experience it before it's too late, and got round to it last night. For UK readers, Photoglossy (another channel islands merchant) is selling it at 6.85GBP or 6.65 for 5 or more, and doesn't charge extra for postage, so is cheaper for smaller orders. I can also tell you from experience that Photoglossy's customer service is several orders of magnitude above 7DS's (which to be frank from my experience isn't exactly difficult)!

As has been alluded to by PE, stuffing a freezer full of film is not going to help the manufacturer in the long run, they need steady predictable orders, even more so with Kodachrome where the axe man's nod hangs on the last 12 months sales. Probably not a good idea to stockpile too much Kodachrome anyway as when it does go, and Dwaynes stop processing, you may well end up with a freezer full of useless film.
Use it or lose it.

Photo Engineer · Sep 4, 2008

At the current exchange rate that is over $12 US / roll. WOW!

Anyhow, the guys with freezers full of 120 Kodachrome can attest to the problems inherent in stockpiling.

PE

railwayman3 · Sep 4, 2008

If you think that's bad, our petrol in the UK is about £1.30 per litre, which equates to about $10.60 per gallon.

And, looking at comments in other threads, if you think your Presidents are bad, you can have our b****** of a Prime Minister anytime you like!

Sorry, winge over, the last person to leave the UK will switch off the light.

accozzaglia · Sep 4, 2008

Hahaha "last person to leave" line reminds me of the Seattle bumper stickers of the mid-1970s I saw in a b-movie filmed in the region. That was pre-Microsoft, and when Boeing and lumber and shipping were all in bad shape.

Incidentally, I bought my first rolls of K64 120 this year from a local guy on The Auction Website. The only reason my rolls sit in the freezer? It's because of hope -- hope that a short run of processing dip-and-dunk Kodachrome will spring up again. Should someone name the place, time, and cost for processing, those rolls will be thawed on that very day and shot during the next 48-72 hours.

It wasn't a costly gamble -- maybe $2 for three rolls, and I picked it up myself, saving on post.

As far as availability, this feedback-loops why sales dwindle. The fewer places people can go to buy it, the fewer people will know it's even still available. The fewer people who know it's available, the more people will come of age either never knowing the stuff never existed (or why it's distinctive) or not knowing it's still around.

A little bit of smart marketing -- guerrilla marketing can be staggeringly cheap -- can't hurt, which is why I think PKM-25's project has some promise. I've been contemplating a Kodachrome site as well to use as a knowledge resource, giving people an idea of what the film is, how it differs, and why it's recommended even now in a digital age and with film emulsions of much newer technological advancements pervasive on the market. If I had had that education a decade ago, I've have begun shooting with Kodachrome then -- rather than be steered away from it by the film sales counter at the local pro shop.

railwayman3 · Sep 4, 2008

accozzaglia said:
If I had had that education a decade ago, I've have begun shooting with Kodachrome then -- rather than be steered away from it by the film sales counter at the local pro shop.

My late Father used Kodachrome through the 60's to 80's, and I myself used it for quite some years when I first became interested in colour. For some reason (adverts and photo-mags, maybe) I was then seduced into using various makes of E-6 films, but have now, in the last year or so, rediscovered the pleasures of using Kodachrome.

I'm just hoping that it will be available for long enough for me to be able to get some pictures which do justice to its qualities.

(I was thinking earlier today that, if all other colour films ceased production, I could be quite happy with just Kodachrome for my serious photography, and a d*****l camera for the quick prints of the family. )

PKM-25 · Sep 4, 2008

Photo Engineer said:
If you buy the film, shoot it and process it, both Kodak and Dwaynes will be delighted and production will be adjusted accordingly. You see?

PE

I did my part today and ordered 100 rolls from F/S...

nickandre · Sep 4, 2008

Photo Engineer said:
At the current exchange rate that is over $12 US / roll. WOW!

Anyhow, the guys with freezers full of 120 Kodachrome can attest to the problems inherent in stockpiling.

PE

haha. Although I a brick go for over $200... I don't know who in their right mind would buy that, but...

eskyone · Sep 4, 2008

I was told that Dwaynes has a machine that will process 120, but it's disassembled.

accozzaglia · Sep 4, 2008

PKM-25 said:
I did my part today and ordered 100 rolls from F/S...

Sounds nice if you can get it. As a uni student with $16K per annum tuition alone (actually, this year it's $25K, cos I want to get the degree completed in four years), it's a good day when I can buy a half dozen rolls every few months, and luckier still if I can get half those processed (while the others queue in the freezer, waiting for the day I can send them off).

Boy, I really love my nutritious KD.

nickandre · Sep 4, 2008

railwayman3 said:
(I was thinking earlier today that, if all other colour films ceased production, I could be quite happy with just Kodachrome for my serious photography, and a d*****l camera for the quick prints of the family. )

My only problem with kodachrome is it's only made in 35mm.
Has anyone here seen the 4x5 kodachromes from around 1942? Many people simply can't believe those pictures were taken so long ago after seeing faded prints and the like from the 70s. If I had a box of that stuff and some k14 chemistry I'd have a field day. It would be calming to find some ASA 10 film.

Craig · Sep 4, 2008

tiberiustibz said:
Has anyone here seen the 4x5 kodachromes from around 1942?

Yes, they are beautiful. I've had the pleasure of printing some 5x7 Kodachromes from the late 40's and the colour was amazing. A unique palette.

kodachrome64 · Sep 4, 2008

tiberiustibz said:
My only problem with kodachrome is it's only made in 35mm.
Has anyone here seen the 4x5 kodachromes from around 1942? Many people simply can't believe those pictures were taken so long ago after seeing faded prints and the like from the 70s. If I had a box of that stuff and some k14 chemistry I'd have a field day. It would be calming to find some ASA 10 film.

Try K-11...an even harder process apparently.

kodachrome64 · Sep 4, 2008

Regarding the grain issue...There are many reasons I shoot Kodachrome when I shoot color. The amazing unique colors, the "look", skin tones, etc. Fine grain is not one of them. There is noticeably more grain on my K64 slides than on my Velvia slides, and even my E100VS and Provia 100 slides have finer grain than K64 with more speed.

I like Velvia for some things and it is certainly king in the resolution and grain department, but it doesn't look anything like Kodachrome. And it sucks for skin. And most of the time I don't want colors that look like Walt Disney threw up all over my scene. There is no replacement for Kodachrome 25 or 64; it is a look that will probably never be duplicated (except maybe di****lly). Shoot it while you can!

GeoffHill · Sep 5, 2008

Photo Engineer said:
At the current exchange rate that is over $12 US / roll. WOW!

PE

$12 includes processing. How does that compare with the US price?

AutumnJazz · Sep 5, 2008

eskyone said:
I was told that Dwaynes has a machine that will process 120, but it's disassembled.

Really? When I asked, they said they would need a dip-and-dunk processor, which they don't have.

And to above comments...Isn't it not the chemistry that is the issue? Anyone can cook that up, right? Isn't it the rexposure that is so hard? Getting it right, that is?

Maybe if we all call and email Dwayne's and Kodak, we can get one of them to start supporting 120 again. If Dwayne's really does have a 120 processor, maybe if enough people express interest, they will at least do one run for people who shot 120 and were never able to get it developed. Maybe if we can get Dwayne's to do that, we could special order some 120 Kodachrome when Kodak cuts the roll again this year. I'm sure there are enough people in the world that would buy 120 Kodachrome to make it worth Dwayne's and Kodak's while.

I doubt that will ever happens...Who knows if 35mm Kodachrome will even survive much longer.

kodachrome64 · Sep 5, 2008

I get my Kodachrome from B&H for around $8.40 I think. Sending it through Wal-Mart for processing for $4.88, it brings the total to a little over $13.00 plus tax, so probably $14.00. If sent to Dwayne's directly it would be $9.00 for processing (plus shipping both ways). The UK deal doesn't sound so bad.

GeoffHill · Sep 5, 2008

K64 Its about £0.20 cheaper than buying pre-paid Superia 100, and about £1 cheaper than Provia400X and sending it to peak for processing.

Provia 400X is a brilliant film, but doesnt look like k64

3Dfan · Sep 5, 2008

The main difference (aside from colour pallet) between K64 and its E-6 competition to my eye is the accutance. I think it's probably possible to record finer detail with a good E-6 film like provia 100, but it just doesn't have the edge enhancements that Kodachrome seems to have. YMMV

accozzaglia · Sep 5, 2008

Processing from here in Canada (Toronto, at least) -- at Shoppers, then sent to Dwayne's -- has cost me $13 per roll ($12.99, not including running through the Noritsu at the lab for another $3 for a CD). The film, which I last bought recently expired (and it worked out splendidly), was about $4.50 a roll from that Honest Auction Place on teh internets. But to buy fresh locally, it's about $12. So in all, to buy new and process here, is about $25 plus GST/PST per roll. Not inexpensive.

Could Kodak still make K25?

Privacy & Transparency

Privacy & Transparency