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KA: Kodachrome "just not practical to try to replicate in today's market."

Ai Print said:
I found this statement to be pretty newsworthy:

"It’s basically the same emulsion, but re-engineered to coat in smaller batch sizes that better align with today’s market."
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yea, to be fair this was a bit better than what I've been seeing, because I learned that specifically, and I didn't know duane's dismantled their k-14 equipment.
 
keenmaster486 said:
If there is ever a Kodachrome replacement it will not come from Kodak - that's my unfounded prediction, anyway.
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As a Kodachromista and Quixotic champion of hopeless causes, I believe the Chinese could profitably resurrect Kodachrome film and processing.

Viva el Kodachrome!
 
for interesting past Kodak films, how about the fastest of the Ektapress series?
 
You may want to carefully deduce the thinly-veiled meaning of the following statement:

LC: Also, are there any differences in the formula for the new T-Max P3200 Pro vs. the original, or is it the same emulsion?
Kodak Alaris: It’s basically the same emulsion, but re-engineered to coat in smaller batch sizes that better align with today’s market.

Yes, today's market. Not the halcyon days of old.
That last line doesn't actually shout out there is a strong, effervescent market out their eager and thirsty for P3200, especially since that rather small market has been well-served by Delta P3200 very effectively. Rather, today it is a much diminished market with an uncertain future on several manufacturer fronts, and KA knows this by dint of that statement and the risk going forward. I predict KA will pull out P3200 again within 2-3 years citing a lack of market uptake and general disinterest.
 
I don't think anyone is going to expect market size to regrow to peak levels, but I would imagine there are any number of manufacturing concessions to various emulsions to make them work better in various production volumes. If Delta 3200 really is moving in volumes that some would suggest, then it is kind of foolish of Kodak to not re-secure it's share of that market. And if they can retool to scale to something more suitable to today's market? So much the better. It obviously wasn't sustainable with the old production method, probably far too much waste and turn over time with too much total volume required to do a viable run.

Would not remotely surprise me to find that they've switched things to a slower speed coating line with shorter take up and tailings on the film runs.
 
Photo Engineer said:
I suspect that the new B&W film is a side product of the work on E6. Then they can do both.

PE
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This is a very interesting theory. It would explain the sudden and unexpected emergence of the P3200.

I mean, I heard a lot of people calling for the return of Plus X, Panatomic X, etc., but I don't recall anyone begging Kodak to bring back P3200.
 
Kodachrome was unsurpassed in resolution and grain until 1990 with Velvia.

The one way that Kodachrome is unbeatable is dark storage archivability, and also delivering faithful colours.
 
Luckless said:
Which films would be better to bring back than P3200?

Which currently offered films would P3200 be likely to cannibalize out of existing Kodak sales, rather than going after sales currently handled by competitors?
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Sorry if it is OT but for me that is easy to answer, its a pro colour film with really nice colour for landscape etc. and 400 ISO. I missed out on Provia 400x when it was killed off, there is no equivalent product in the market place today just a hole.
 
Minoltafan2904 said:
Kodachrome was unsurpassed in resolution and grain until 1990 with Velvia.
The one way that Kodachrome is unbeatable is dark storage archivability, and also delivering faithful colours.
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Kodachrome was grainy, too. Fuji gave the world what it was craving for. By the dawn of the 1990s photographers wanted a very fine grained film with much more punch and pizazz for Ilfochrome printing. Kodachrome was insipid and weak in this regard, even though it was sometimes recommended by printers where a lot of red in Velvia/Provia (but Velvia predominantly) was difficult or inaccurate to reproduce (not a problem today with hybrid workflow).
 

No harm in pushing Provia 100 to get equivalent speed.
400X was a poor seller in many markets as its application was overtaken by the ease of use with digital (same with high speed B&W emulsions like P3200 Delta/TMax).
 
Minoltafan2904 said:
The one way that Kodachrome is unbeatable is dark storage archivability, and also delivering faithful colour
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That’s very strong benefit in my opinion. The idea that as an I’d man I could put a slide in a projector and see my young kids in the garden just like the day it happened is very appealing.
 
tomfrh said:
That’s very strong benefit in my opinion. The idea that as an I’d man I could put a slide in a projector and see my young kids in the garden just like the day it happened is very appealing.
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But it is also no longer accurate. The last series of Ektachrome was better for archival purposes than Kodachrome.
 
What if Kodak were able to sell Kodachrome(say PKR135-36) processing included w/mailer. Do you think there'd be a viable market at $50/roll...$60 ??? PKM135-36?
 
tomkatf said:
What if Kodak were able to sell Kodachrome(say PKR135-36) processing included w/mailer. Do you think there'd be a viable market at $50/roll...$60 ??? PKM135-36?
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Hey Joe! You want slide? I sell you Kodacrom! Fi' dollah - color last long time!


(you have to be from a certain era to get that)
 
Once had a paid job lasting weeks that involved shooting literally hundreds of rolls of Kodachrome. Any affection I had for the stuff disappeared. The large format wartime stuff was undoubtedly exquisite but never made it to market.
 
tomkatf said:
What if Kodak were able to sell Kodachrome(say PKR135-36) processing included w/mailer. Do you think there'd be a viable market at $50/roll...$60 ??? PKM135-36?
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What are you smoking or ingesting and would you please send me a sample??
 
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