Is Kodachrome sold globally?

[accozzaglia]

This sounds like a dumb question to ask. But is Kodachrome presently sold in China, in India, in Brazil, in Africa, or in Eastern Europe? I single out these regions for the point that these markets are still shooting film in quantity. Were there regions where Kodachrome was never sold, or was it at one point available anywhere one may have been situated?

 

[Ian Grant]

You need to read (there was a url link here which no longer exists)

I haven't seen a roll of Kodachrome on a shelf anywhere for at least 5 years. It has been a niche product for a considerable period of time. Yes I could have bought some by ordering it, mail order or online, but not off the shelf at any of the professional dealers I use.

Ian

 

[accozzaglia]

With all due respect, Ian, I have read that thread three times. I have even commented within. And in no place do I see an answer to the question I present here. Unless you can direct-link to one response I somehow missed, then I cannot find what you're referring to.

The implied understanding in asking my question is that like with anywhere else, the photographers in these listed locations would have to send their film to the nearest continental address (e.g., African photographers sending to Switzerland, South American photographers sending to Dwayne's, etc.). The question, however, is whether Kodachrome is still merchandised there.

-A

 

[thevenin]

Hello,

I've seen PKR-64 "on a shelf" in Paris. The price was ca. 16 euro/roll, two weeks ago.

Adam

 

[Ian Grant]

-A, sorry I didn't answer your points because I thought you hadn't seen the article.

20,000 rolls of film a year, that's all that's been produced and the articleindicates that there's been more than a year between production runs. So sales are less than that figure.

Lets assume that each market is a member state of the UN that's 192 countries to market Kodachrome in. That's just over 104 rolls of film per country so we can safely assume that it's not been sold in every potential market for quite a while now, and may never have been available officially in a few.

Not every product from companies like Kodak, Ilford, Fuji etc is available in every country even when the have good distribution.

Adam is right Kodachrome is available on a few shelves, if I went to London I'm sure I'd still see it. But few professional photographers still using colour reversal films can afford the time delays in processing, compared to the quick turnaround of E6.

When I was in South America last year the pro labs in Santiago didn't even stock or rather sell film any more, the fridge was there turned of flm scattered on it's shelves and not for sale. Some Pro markets went totally digital some time ago. So there was definitely no Kodachrome there.

Ian

 

[accozzaglia]

My understanding that the film market in China and India continues to carry on is why I'm perplexed behind Kodak's decision to produce only enough Kodachrome (which may only be sold in the aggregate of North America, Europe, Japan, and Australia/New Zealand, but not elsewhere). These two locations alone are significant markets where film is still widely used, even as digital products have taken hold. They're also perennially neglected.

Edited to include: Further, while you cite the professional market, this makes no mention to the mainline consumer market. Two questions come to mind: of the film sold in the so-named G8 region, I wonder what ratio of sales originate from the pro market versus the consumer market. The other question, more related to this thread, is in the regions noted above -- China and India particularly -- to what degree are professional photographers occupying those localized markets? My understanding is that the film sales from these places are largely made by consumers. With regard to Kodachrome, however, it is not marketed as a professional film (PK* series excepted).

 

[Ian Grant]

The release of Fuji 50D was a start of the decline of Kodachrome, that was the first reversal film to seriously challenge.

As Kodak & Fuji's E6 films kept increasing in quality fewer professionals & serious amateurs stopped using odachrome. It was the processing not the film that was the weak point, the need for it to be posted both ways, (unless you were lucky to live near a lab in the US). Back in the 70's & 80's I shot a lot of E6 in 35mm & 120 but we always required a minimum of next day processing, and usually it was 2 hours.

Many of the heavy Kodachrome users switched to 50D, & also in MF the 100D as well, in the mid 80's when they were released. 50D was the first 35m film other than Kodachrome that many of the top end colour magazines would accept. For the first time these photographers could get their films processed easily in many parts of the world.

I'd agree that North America, Europe and Australasia were once the main markets for Kodachrome. Not sure about Japan I thought not much Kodak film was sold there.

Ian

 

[Michael W]

They haven't sold Kodachrome in Australia for many years now. I buy mine from USA (either Freestyle or ebay) & then send to Dwayne's for processing. Bit of a headache but at least it's doable. I know I would regret not having done it when it's no longer available.
I imagine it would be a logistical nightmare to retail it in places like China when it has to be sent to the USA for processing.

 

[digiconvert]

Still available from my local Jessops (at least they had two rolls in last week) I checked at http://www.jessops.com/Products/ProductDetail.aspx?SkuId=8866 and can pick a roll up on Monday (today if I travel 15 miles). So a small town in the West Midlands has stock. I find the stated sales incredibly low on that basis - but I do not dispute the figures.
It would however indicate that the countries in which it is sold are limited.

 

[nostalgix]

I know for sure that Kodachrome is sold in Germany and the Netherlands. But I haven't seen a roll on the shelf here in Germany since ages. I called Calumet in Hamburg to ask for the actual price for a roll of Kodachrome but have been told that they don't sell it regularly. The could order it for me if I really need to have it.

 

[Ian Grant]

My dealers in the UK kept being taken over, and eventually became Calumet, it's the same there.

I'd be extremely reluctant to buy from a small shop like Jessops where films aren't stored properly. It's been common for photo stores in the UK to have Kodachrome on the shelf for quite a time having to sell it of cheap just befor or after the box date. This was an additional reason why I switched to 50D

Ian

 

[MattKing]

It is available on some shelves here in Western Canada.

Matt

 

[IloveTLRs]

Sales halted in March of 2007 here in Japan. I got the last 14 rolls my local shop had. Unfortunately processing in Tokyo stopped in December 2007

 

[Aurum]

Still available from my local Jessops (at least they had two rolls in last week) I checked at http://www.jessops.com/Products/ProductDetail.aspx?SkuId=8866 and can pick a roll up on Monday (today if I travel 15 miles). So a small town in the West Midlands has stock. I find the stated sales incredibly low on that basis - but I do not dispute the figures.
It would however indicate that the countries in which it is sold are limited.

Boots in the West Midlands (Solihull) has it as well.

Ian Grant commented that Jessops don't keep the films well. I've been into my local Jessops near where i work, and they have a variety of alternatives to C41 consumer colour. I've found some out of date, and my boss who is a committed slide shooter has got caught like that a few times as well.

This may just be one store of course in an area that likes to be up with the Jones's, so 99.9% of its business is digital.

IDK, YMMV, IMHO :rolleyes:

 

[Poisson Du Jour]

I have not seen Kodachrome here in Australia for years. I suppose that doesn't necessarily mean it's not available here, but if it is, it's pretty darn well hidden! AFAIK, Kodachrome must be sent off to Dwaynes (?) in USA (the only place on the planet that still accepts it), putting exposed film at risk of pre-flight security x-rays during security clearance; I was told last week that the pro-lab in Sydney stopped processing Kodachrome about 6 years ago. So, sending a roll half-way across the globe is not a good incentive — economically or otherwise — to even try it out now.

 

[John Shriver]

The other thing that hurt Kodachrome is that the Kodak/Kodalux/Qualex labs that processed it went bad. Particularly Fair Lawn, New Jersey, which was the last Kodak Kodachrome lab in the US. So it took a long time to be processed, and quality control wasn't up to snuff -- double whammy. That's what handed the market to E-6 slide films.

But, the prime offender is the one-hour mini-lab, and the great improvements in color (RA4) printing paper over the last 30 years. That's destroying the entire slide business.

 

[Alex Bishop-Thorpe]

Haven't seen a roll of Kodachrome in an Australian store, I always figured it was no longer imported here.

I've got a kodachrome pre-paid processing mailer here from 1986, the list of world processing labs is as follows:
Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Spain, Greece, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Austria, Portugal, South Africa, Switzerland, Finland, Sweden, UK, USA.
Obviously 20 years out of date, but Kodachrome was clearly very widely distributed. I doubt Kodak would have pulled out of markets that were sufficiently profitable for kodachrome.

(If you ever wind up in 1986, I have the addresses for all those labs too )

 

[Poisson Du Jour]

Haven't seen a roll of Kodachrome in an Australian store, I always figured it was no longer imported here.

I have most certainly not seen a single roll of Kodachrome in any form here in Australia (all States) for something like 18 years. I last used a roll in 1991 and it was at the time still processed by Kodak's own lab in Victoria — long vanished of course.

 

[manfromh]

No Kodachrome in Estonia. I dont know if it was ever sold here (Ihave done photography for only 3 or 4 years).

 

[fenderslash]

Some more info regarding Australia...

Yep, it's true Kodachrome hasn't been distributed here for a long time (2003 at a guess). Even for some time prior to that that I think it was only available as a mail-order item direct from Kodak Australia.

Although the film itself is no longer available here Kodak Aus is still honouring "free" processing for exposed film they receive with the processing-paid envelopes. You have to send the film in the mailer to a Kodak address at the Gold Coast and they forward it overseas at no additional expense for processing. I had about thirty rolls processed in this manner back in June after an overseas holiday. I still have quite a few rolls left in the freezer and I periodically email them to ask if they have any plans to stop doing that and they always reply that there are no plans to stop in the forseeable future. Of course, that's no good for any film mail-ordered from the US because they don't come with the pre-paid envelopes.

 

[Goldfellow]

Kodachrome is in Kodak's catalog, and is therefore available for purchase by wholesalers and dealers everywhere. However, many choose not to buy it based on small volumes and lack of local processing. That is why some of you may see find it locally, and many others can't find any.