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

[Photo Engineer]

I really wish somebody... anybody... would have the common courtesy to answer my question.

Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!!!!!!! Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!!!!!!! Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!!!!!!! Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!!!!!!! Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!!!!!!! Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!!!!!!! Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!!!!!!! Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!!!!!!! Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!!!!!!! Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!!!!!!! Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!!!!!!! Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!!!!!!! Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!!!!!!! Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!!!!!!! Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!!!!!!

You kept repeating yourself. I got confused, and didn't know which part to answer.

PE

 

[E. von Hoegh]

Not asking for proof, just evidence. You have shown none. Evidence is solid that there is insufficient market for its return, and never will be, yet you persist with your baseless arguments. What is the logic there?

Illogic.

 

[Wallendo]

I am thinking about starting an effort to convince Elon Musk that Kodachrome is the only film that can survive a trip to and back from Mars.

 

[faberryman]

Sorry, it is illogical to ask for proof of a potential and unknow quantity. I never pretended the market is without a doubt there waiting impatiently for a return of Kodachrome. On the other hand one cannot prove there is not and will never be any market again for Kodachrome. Just because no one knows what the future holds. Simple logic here.

I'm pretty sure that is the same argument as for the existence of Bigfoot.

 

[BrianShaw]

I am thinking about starting an effort to convince Elon Musk that Kodachrome is the only film that can survive a trip to and back from Mars.

Double your odds of success: talk to Besos too.

 

[BrianShaw]

I'm pretty sure that is the same argument for the existence of Bigfoot.

Whereas “Nessy” is soundly is soundly proven real...

 

[MattKing]

I think the Ringo Starr post saved the thread.

 

[Photo Engineer]

I am thinking about starting an effort to convince Elon Musk that Kodachrome is the only film that can survive a trip to and back from Mars.

Arthur Clark wrote an SF book years ago about a voyage to Mars in which the photographer brought Kodachrome with him. He commented on the inconvenience of being unable to get it processed until they returned to earth.

PE

 

[Craig]

Should take taken Ektachrome and done it in flight! You hate to get back to earth, process the film and find it slipped out of the take up spool and didn't go through the camera.

 

[trendland]

Hi trendland. Thanks for putting back some common sense to this thead where it seems many Kodachrome bashing posters take pretext of past market states to obliterate any possibility of future evolution of said market which may hint to a return of Kodachrome ever. They do have the right to dislike Kodachrome, they do have the right to prefer black and white or print film, but disqualifying any discussion about the potential of any interest in Kodachrome today or in the future by means of making fun of those who express an interest for Kodachrome is just not part of what a fair argumentation should be.

By the way I was indeed refering to that movie directed by Marc Raso. I know it was shot on Kodak Vision 3 35mm film then digitally timed and graded. I was asking about the look of the Steve McCurry Kodachrome photos displayed during the end credits.

Well - I realy don't want to annoy others (by comming back to "Kodakchrome") but I've found the following :

I can imagine this sort of "effect" may be the kind of special you noticed within the end credits....?(hope. ..)This is a normal "lighting" effect. It is comming if you change the film spoule. Some frames (up to max. one feed) get this special colors.
with regards



PS : But since the early 90th it is a special style to let this frames into the movie (before one has to avoid it)
PPS : Often this effect is also created digitally - so as it was here.

 

[OldReliable]

Hey guys, sorry for just getting back to this thread now. It’s a crazy time of year in my high school’s band program, so I’ve been playing drums 2-4 hours a day for the past 2 weeks!

Get some Fujichrome and a decent Carousel projector. An incident meter helps me to get slides right, the free cell phone incident meter app works well. Get a simple E6 kit and start to process your own. Slides are magical little unique art works. I shoot 120 6x6 cm. slides and project. It like IMAX in your living room. No LED screen comes close.
I processed my first roll of slide film when I was in 8th grade. Process E3, look it up . I still vividly remember pulling the film off the reel, looks milky at first, when I held it up to the light and the colors popped through ,pure magic. And it still is!
Best Regards Mike

Thanks Mike! I’ve already got a Carousel from the 80’s that works pretty good, and I’ve shot some Velvia 50. But I haven’t tackled processing my own E6 yet, so that could be a fun challenge to take on!

Hard to believe. Your grammar and writing seem way too good for a teenager of today. Commata in the right place, the sentences you compose, how come you to call yourself old reliable at the age of sixteen?

Thanks! The name “Old Reliable” came from my grandfather, who drag raced Chevy’s and Dodge’s back in the early 60’s to about 1974. He sadly passed away of a heart attack well before I was born, so I thought I’d honor him. A good bit of the Kodachrome’s that our family has we’re taken at and around NHRA events. All those cars still look gorgeous!

Your age has been questioned based on your writing ability. If you really are that young, here's a little advice to improve your communication skill even more.

"I prefer" is not the same as "is better."

“Is better” was definitely the phrase to use!

 

[Lionel1972]

Evidence is solid that there is insufficient market for its return, and never will be, yet you persist with your baseless arguments. What is the logic there?

You have no more evidence regarding the potential market than I have. And how can you say "and never will be"? Do you have a crystal ball in order to know the future? If you don't your assertion about the future is baseless. Again simple logic here.

 

[Lionel1972]

Well - I realy don't want to annoy others (by comming back to "Kodakchrome") but I've found the following : View attachment 199767 View attachment 199767 View attachment 199769 I can imagine this sort of "effect" may be the kind of special you noticed within the end credits....?(hope. ..)This is a normal "lighting" effect. It is comming if you change the film spoule. Some frames (up to max. one feed) get this special colors.
with regards



PS : But since the early 90th it is a special style to let this frames into the movie (before one has to avoid it)
PPS : Often this effect is also created digitally - so as it was here.

No, that's not the photos I was asking about. During the end credits they are showing some vintage Kodachrome photos taken around the world by Steve McCurry. The colors and contrast of those photos just look amazing and I wonder if it was just great light and composition skills or some other technical trick.

 

[faberryman]

You have no more evidence regarding the potential market than I have. And how can you say "and never will be"? Do you have a crystal ball in order to know the future? If you don't your assertion about the future is baseless. Again simple logic here.

Assurance of a market would be a key factor in the return of Kodachome. If the market is unknowable, it is pretty clear that Kodak is not going to step in, so your argument pretty much precludes a revival. Kodak isn't going to take a flyer. This isn't a remake of Field of Dreams.

 

[Lionel1972]

Assurance of a market would be a key factor in the return of Kodachome. If the market is unknowable, it is pretty clear that Kodak is not going to step in, so your argument pretty much precludes a revival. Kodak isn't going to take a flyer.

As opposed to the market for Ektachrome? Do you have evidence there is assurance of a market for the return of Ektachrome which surely induced the decision of Kodak to start making Ektachrome again? How about the assurance of a market for TMAX P3200 in direct concurrence with DELTA 3200?

 

[faberryman]

As opposed to the market for Ektachrome? Do you have evidence there is assurance of a market for the return of Ektachrome which surely induced the decision of Kodak to start making Ektachrome again? How about the assurance of a market for TMAX P3200 in direct concurrence with DELTA 3200?

I am pretty sure that Kodak at least thinks there is a market for TMAX P3200. It is not clear if they will follow through with Ektachome or have rethought it.

 

[Wallendo]

If SpaceX can launch a car into space, surely they can launch a Kodachrome minilab with it - they would have to find a way to make it somewhat smaller than the ones made by Kodak, but there's probably some way to do that. The downside is that Mars seems to be somewhat monochromatic and they might be better off shooting Tri-X and then pigmenting the prints

 

[markjwyatt]

As opposed to the market for Ektachrome? Do you have evidence there is assurance of a market for the return of Ektachrome which surely induced the decision of Kodak to start making Ektachrome again? How about the assurance of a market for TMAX P3200 in direct concurrence with DELTA 3200?

I would think Ektachrome makes much more sense only because it can be processed with E6, vs. the complex and proprietary (not to mention unavailable) Kodachrome process. More than just the addressable market has to go into these decisions.

 

[Lionel1972]

I am pretty sure that Kodak at least thinks there is a market for TMAX P3200. It is not clear if they will follow through with Ektachome or have rethought it.

So you think they investigated what it would take to revive Kodachrome knowing what everyone knows that there is no interest and there will never be any potential market for Kodachrome? Very logical indeed from Kodak.

 

[mshchem]

Arthur Clark wrote an SF book years ago about a voyage to Mars in which the photographer brought Kodachrome with him. He commented on the inconvenience of being unable to get it processed until they returned to earth.

PE

If you are not pulling my leg, THAT's Great!
Mike
All I want is good film, EK could bring out an E-6 or C-41 film and call it Kodachrome, that would be great to see the brand again. Whatever EK does, if they can equal what Fuji offers in reversal film, we will be fortunate.
Mike

 

[Lionel1972]

Ok let's break it down as to what people here think Kodachrome will (some even say should) never come back:
- 1st argument: "There was not enough interest from Kodachrome when it died, so there will never be interest for it ever again". Then why revive Ektachrome since it was killed off supposedly for the same reason (not enough sales) back in 2012? Why investigating on what it would take to revive Kodachrome? Kodak knows the potential interest is not negligible.
- 2d argument: "K-14 process is gone, and it would require too much investment to recreate a K-14 lab". That's true, but how about downsizing the K-14 lab, or update a new version of the K-lab minilab? How about reintroducingan earlier/simplier version of Kodachrome (Kodachrome II for example)? Some say Kodak couldn't afford it, but they can afford opening brand new cinema labs in Europe, India and even in the US.
- 3d argument: "Kodachrome is old technology producing far from perfect technical results which have been surpassed a long time ago by E6 films and even C41 films". True but some may note that the same can be said of film photography in general compared to digital. But some of us happen to love those "imperfections".

The only valid argument I see that would make a return of Kodachrome a failure is the price tag attached to shooting and getting Kodachrome processed for the customer. It needs to be affordable to be sold.

 

[markjwyatt]

Do you have any idea how expensive and wasteful that idea is? Do you have any understanding of industrial processes?

You are right, and I was thinking about the "slower" comment as curtain coating is usually unstable at "slow" speeds.

What is needed is someone to come up with the "3D Printing" analog for film production (and I do not mean print pixels, but who knows; I mean a "thinking out of the box" solution).

 

[faberryman]

It needs to be affordable to be sold.

How many rolls of transparency film have you shot per year over the past five years? How much would you pay for 36 exposures of Kodachrome film and processing? How many rolls would you shoot a year at that price?

 

[Lionel1972]

How many rolls of transparency film have you shot per year over the past five years? How much would you pay for 36 exposures of Kodachrome film and processing? How many rolls would you shoot a year at that price?

I shoot regularly transparency film in 135, 120, 4x5 and a few 8x10. I've done my part, right? But this question is not relevant, it should be how many people can you convince to start shooting transparency film? This is how we managed to make film photography survive so far. To make shooting film cool again is the best thing that happened to film photography these days. Marketing is the key. Being passionate and passing on the passion is the key.

 

[faberryman]

I've done my part, right?

I don't know. You didn't answer my questions.