First roll of Kodachrome!

[Ektagraphic]

It is funny you say that...well, funny a book says that. I have always noticed that! I thought I was going nuts!

 

[Aurum]

Interesting comments.
I've just had back from Switzerland my first set of Kodachrome 64. When I used to shoot transparencies when I was a teenager, I used Agfachrome, and I've done Ektachrome E6 as 6x6 on a 120 roll.

First comments from the wife when I dug out my old slide projector (A Kodaslide drop it in the top, spit it out the side job from the 60's) was that the colours looked very 70's. I could see what she meant. Slightly muted retro, with a slight pale tungsten cast, compared to the agfachromes which always appeared to be a bit blueish more artificial daylight in tone. Both were projected using the same Kodaslide onto the same backdrop.
Compare that to a Fuji E6, which I've seen before, which is a little more "Disneyland" in its rendering.

Overall it works well for portraiture, really gives depth and clarity, if you shoot at a shallow depth of field (I know this sounds oxymoronic, but by this I mean the face shot is punchy sharp, with the background softly rendered in such a way that it doesn't clutter the overall look)
For landscapes, mainly green fields and trees, its not so hot, works well for buildings, and renders textured stonework well. Tree shots against a sky background are good.
All of these shots were done at Easter, in bright sunlight, in the UK.

I've got another roll waiting in the cupboard for an empty body to put it in, so I'm going to give it another go.

One of those films that works well on the right subject

 

[StorminMatt]

For landscapes, mainly green fields and trees, its not so hot, works well for buildings, and renders textured stonework well. Tree shots against a sky background are good.

Actually, I think Kodachrome works REALLY well on green fields. This spring, I have shot a TON of Kodachrome here in California while the grass has been green (it's kind of starting to dry up now). I REALLY like the way that it reproduces greens without going yellow-green like, say, Velvia. For instance, the slides I took at Mission Peak (Silicon Valley) were just flat-out spectacular. Kodachrome also seems to work well on green grass during sunset - a condition that Velvia will throw a hissy fit over and give colors that are just downright nauseating. Of course, these shots were all taken in bright California sunshine. I'm not sure how they would have turned out had conditions been more overcast.

 

[Aurum]

Actually, I think Kodachrome works REALLY well on green fields. This spring, I have shot a TON of Kodachrome here in California while the grass has been green (it's kind of starting to dry up now). I REALLY like the way that it reproduces greens without going yellow-green like, say, Velvia. For instance, the slides I took at Mission Peak (Silicon Valley) were just flat-out spectacular. Kodachrome also seems to work well on green grass during sunset - a condition that Velvia will throw a hissy fit over and give colors that are just downright nauseating. Of course, these shots were all taken in bright California sunshine. I'm not sure how they would have turned out had conditions been more overcast.

I think the key is that you have taken shots in California, where I took some of the landscape shots in the middle of the UK. I suspect the colour temperature of the light is a bit different in these two areas.
I work with people who have worked in the paint industry, and they will tell me that a panel viewed in Europe, will often look completely different viewed in hot places like California or Arizona, or in countries like Australia, and for some colours, country specific blends are used. This is especially true for metallic colours which can be a complete b*****d.

 

[tim_walls]

I think the key is that you have taken shots in California, where I took some of the landscape shots in the middle of the UK. I suspect the colour temperature of the light is a bit different in these two areas.

I think you're spot on - I've found Kodachrome on the whole disappointing for landscapes in Ireland and England in anything approaching 'normal' weather conditions over here. Decidedly blue/cyan/grey tinged and 'drab' even on a nice day.

I have invested in a warming filter to see if that can pep up the next roll of Kodachrome I shoot...


(Edit to add: I'm basing my opinion on what it looks like in the projector; I know KC is a pain to scan so scans aren't a very useful guide.)

 

[Excalibur2]

I think you're spot on - I've found Kodachrome on the whole disappointing for landscapes in Ireland and England in anything approaching 'normal' weather conditions over here. Decidedly blue/cyan/grey tinged and 'drab' even on a nice day.

I have invested in a warming filter to see if that can pep up the next roll of Kodachrome I shoot...


(Edit to add: I'm basing my opinion on what it looks like in the projector; I know KC is a pain to scan so scans aren't a very useful guide.)

Well I used KC from about 1963-1977 and they scanned OK on a cheap epson 2480.......just like colour negs i.e. some are easy some aren't.
............and many of my shots taken in mostly sunny days, in Ireland and UK, were excellent:-

Pentax S3 Takumar lenses Kodachrome taken 40 years ago.

 

[tim_walls]

Well I used KC from about 1963-1977 and they scanned OK on a cheap epson 2480.......just like colour negs i.e. some are easy some aren't.
............and many of my shots taken in mostly sunny days, in Ireland and UK, were excellent:-
Pentax S3 Takumar lenses Kodachrome taken 40 years ago.

Well, thank you for making my point for me then!

That first shot, taken in direct sunshine, looks great. That second one though, I'm afraid to say, I just don't like the colour palette. It looks exactly as I now expect Kodachrome to look (there's a relief - it's obviously not me getting it wrong) - excessively bluey-drab tinge to grass and foliage as soon as there's a bit of cloud or haze in the sky. Now I don't want Velvia-madness-green in all my photos, but I'm afraid that colour palette doesn't match 'reality' as I see it when I take the shot.

As with all such things though, my preference is just subjective opinion, of course. If that's the colour palette you like then that's the best film for you, and more power to your elbow.


Funnily enough, I've just got home to a box of Kodachrome slides fresh from Kansas on the doorstep... So it's not like I dislike it so much I'm refusing to use it .

 

[Excalibur2]

****Now I don't want Velvia-madness-green in all my photos, but I'm afraid that colour palette doesn't match 'reality' as I see it when I take the shot.***

Well Ireland (where the shot was taken) does have some unusual green combos...it's a long time ago to remember, but if the pic didn't look something like that at the time, then I wouldn't have bothered to take the shot, as to me it's all the greens that make the pic (and that white horse).

 

[kevs]

<snip>

Ilford also used to make slide film. Does it still exist?
</snip>

Yes they did - in the 1950's and 1960's they competed with Kodak; they had a non-substantive film similar but not the same as Kodachrome. Ilford's method of interlayer filtering was different to get around Kodak's patents. Later, the Kodak patents expired and Ilford changed their methods and the name from 'Ilfachome' to 'Ilfochrome'. The latter film was very like Kodachrome and has the same relief image on the reverse.

I have a box of 'Ilfochome' slides from my parents' wedding in 1963 - they look pretty good, although with a noticeable magenta cast and a little shrinkage.

I think later 'Ilfochrome' films were re-labelled from another manufacturer. No, it doesn't still exist as a fresh product.

www.competition-commission.org.uk/rep_pub/reports/1960_1969/fulltext/029c03.pdf -

 

[Nathan Potter]

I used a bit of "Ilford Color" slide film while I lived on the island of Malta in Halfar, the British air base. Looking at the images from 1957 they are still pretty good but clearly somewhat duller than comparable K32 from the same places in 1957. Having used Kodachrome 35mm starting in 1950 I will say the dark storage is pretty outstanding, but after almost 60 years differences can be found between same year films developed at different facilities. The developing location cannot be ruled out as a source of variation in longevity. Not sure about storage temperature and humidity though.

BTW the feature I like about Kodachrome is the fine, tight and sharp, well defined grain structure that is so suited to large reproduction using Ilfochrome paper, providing the original is of low contrast. I would dearly love to see it in 4X5 format again.

Nate Potter, Austin TX.

 

[nicefor88]

Congrats to you!

 

[andrewkirkby]

Glad to see someone is enjoying their first roll of Kodachrome as i did quite a few months ago. It is a great looking film on a light table. Better than anything else i know of. I find it quite hard to scan well. Perhaps i should invest in a proper scanner and Silverfast Studio which has Kodachrome profiling to fix that bluish cast.

I like Kodachrome for capturing nice skin tones, taking photos of things. It would be nice if it came in medium format for loading into my Hasselblad. The way it renders colour is unlike any other film - not too crazy with the saturation, but still enough to be surreal and impressive. I mostly shoot with an 81A as it brings out the warmer colours just the right amount.

I use Velvia (RVP/RVP 50) and Provia 100F (RDPIII) for landscape work, Kodachrome for things. I have 200 rolls in the freezer due to a bulk buy (i'm shooting around 8-10 a week). It takes 4 weeks to get the films back from Kodak but is well worth it. (I'm in Australia)

On my trip to Nepal, Tajikistan and Tibet next year, i'll take probably 50+ rolls of Kodachrome with me. It seems the perfect kind of film for a special trip.

I'm yet to get it printed on Ilfochrome but that will be happening very soon


EDIT: (when i say Ilfochrome here i mean the direct positive print system, not the film)

 

[xtolsniffer]

I think later 'Ilfochrome' films were re-labelled from another manufacturer. No, it doesn't still exist as a fresh product.

I was told that Ilfochrome was re-badged Agfachrome in the mid-late 1980's but I don't know how true that was.

I've just bought three rolls of K64, haven't shot it for years. Used to use K25 and still miss it, then when that was discontinued I switched to Fuji Velvia and Provia. My K64 experience was serendipity really, I was in Boots, they had a '3 for 2' offer on all film and there were three boxes of K64 left. I'd just received a mint Nikon F4s that I'd bought mail order and needed something to test it out with. The little yellow envelope is now in the post to Switzerland, then to wherever and hopefully then back to me!

 

[Ektagraphic]

I think later 'Ilfochrome' films were re-labelled from another manufacturer. No, it doesn't still exist as a fresh product.

Ilfochrome most certainly still exists as a fresh product! I still have Ilfochromes made!

 

[Fredrik Sandstrom]

Ilfochrome most certainly still exists as a fresh product! I still have Ilfochromes made!

No, the Ilfochrome in question here is a slide film that most definitely has not existed for decades. What you're thinking of is the direct positive photographic print process, previously known as Cibachrome.

These two Ilfochromes are completely unrelated.

 

[tim_walls]

Ilfochrome most certainly still exists as a fresh product! I still have Ilfochromes made!

kevs is referring to the slide film Ilford once sold, not to the dye-bleach printing process usually suffixed 'née Cibachrome.'

 

[StorminMatt]

On my trip to Nepal, Tajikistan and Tibet next year, i'll take probably 50+ rolls of Kodachrome with me. It seems the perfect kind of film for a special trip.

Kodachrome just flat-out kicks butt when it comes to sunny, high altitude shots. If it does as good in Asia's megamountains (is that a word?) as it does here in California's Sierra and White Mountains (the Whites look more like Tibet than ANYTHING else I've seen in North America), I can only imagine how Kodachrome will look in the 'rooftop of the world'.

 

[PKM-25]

I can only imagine how Kodachrome will look in the 'rooftop of the world'.

Yeah, it looks pretty good in the top of the lower 48 too

 

[Erik Petersson]

On my trip to Nepal, Tajikistan and Tibet next year, i'll take probably 50+ rolls of Kodachrome with me. It seems the perfect kind of film for a special trip.

Andrew, how nice that you choose to travel to Tajikistan. I spent two years there myself recently, and would be glad to help you with tips and directions and things that could be hard to know for someone going there for the first time. Or have you been there earlier? I would also be happy to show you some of my pictures from T, if you are interested.

This will be off-topic so feel free to send me a private message.

Erik P