kodachrome 120 expression of intrest?

Stephen Frizza

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Hello

I have noticed there have been a few expressions of interest for kodachrome 120 to be processed, but at the moment no lab is offering this service. I own and operate a pro lab in Sydney Australia called The Lighthouse and am heavily considering offering proper colour processing service for Kodachrome 120 film twice a year. Anyone who is interested in this service could you please reply to this thread and also give me an idea as to just how much Kodachrome 120 you may have access to.

Many thanks

~Steve Frizza
The Lighthouse Lab
 

Discpad

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Steve,

Have you actually processed Kodachrome before? Do you process it now?

It's not as easy as you think, because, unlike E-6, there is NO chemical reversal. In E-6, you can substitute light reversal (800 footcandle-seconds of energy) for the reversal bath; but in K-14 you have red re-exposure and blue re-exposure steps.

Both of these re-exposure steps are NOT terminal (expose to completion), because one is through the emulsion and the other is through the base; and if you hit either one too hard you'll expose layers that are not developed yet.

I know, I looked at this, since I too have a brick of 20 120 rolls.
 

bob100684

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maybe you should discuss with kodak about becoming an authorized lab for 35mm first? What if they discontinue the 35mm kodachromes? Then your investment will be completely wasted.
 

Photo Engineer

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I must add that this can be done but will take some experimentation with 35mm Kodachrome first to get the exposure down pat. Also, the reversal exposure varies from film to film due to the various speeds.

PE
 

David A. Goldfarb

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If you could demonstrate that you can really do it, and then amass a supply of film and maybe sell it as a package, with some sort of guarantee or batch testing, because there could always be issues with the storage of the film, given that you would have to acquire film from various unknown sources, then yeah, I'd be willing to pay around US $35-45/roll including processing for that service.

6x17 Kodachrome--yeah, that's worth $10 an exposure.
 

Photo Engineer

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I should add that the color developers are very high in pH and decompose rapidly into Cyan, Magenta and Yellow sludge. This is why the process is best run 24/7/365.

PE
 
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Stephen Frizza

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its currently only something i am getting expressions of interest for, I have not processed kodachrome as a colour film before nor have I extensively researched the process. Before I take on any steps I first am wanting to see what level of interest there is in this service being provided. Once I have gaged this if the interest is there I will research the process and will endeavor to provide it. If following extensive testing i am happy with the result and believe I am able to offer it as a professional service then yes I will consider doing it. however it will only be after very extensive research and testing. Many thanks for the interest so far.

~Steve
The Lighthouse
 

Michel Hardy-Vallée

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Craig

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If we're going to dream, how about going all the way and asking Kodak to cut Kodachrome in sheet sizes like they did for the B&W ULF offering of TMax? Now that would be really something!
We know the processing is possible, just not easy.
 

Photo Engineer

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All of the Kodachrome is coated on 5 mil support, but sheet films are on 7 mil support. This presents a problem.

PE
 

Craig

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I suppose coating on the Estar base (like EIR) would present just as many problems?
 

Photo Engineer

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Perhaps I was unclear in my post.

Since everything coated at the current time is on 5 mil support, cutting 35mm is normal, but 120 would not be too hard to do if there were orders. Getting the paper for 120 rolls would be harder.

Cutting 4x5 and larger would be impossible as Kodak only cuts 7 mil in sheet sizes (AFAIK). There is no Kodachrome coated on 7 mil support.

PE
 

Craig

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From what I understand from Simon Galley's comments, coating onto a different base is not a trivial process, correct?
 

Photo Engineer

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IDK about Ilford, but at Kodak it is not hard to change support thickness as long as the support type and chemistry is the same. (Estar vs Cellulose Acetate)

PE
 

Photo Engineer

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IDK if the sheet film cutting equipment can be adjusted to feed 5 mil at the same speed or at all. There are a lot of factors involved in this, but coating is the least problem.

In processing, removing rem-jet is more difficult with sheet film as well.

Flatness in a holder, is, of course of very great concern and that is why Kodak sheet films are coated on 7 mil support.

The list of problems would mount, I'm sure, if I kept thinking about this.

PE
 

Michael W

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When did they stop making Kodachrome in 120 size?
I'm asking this because I'm curious to know how old the last batch would be & the likelihood of colour shifts.
 

Photo Engineer

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AFAIK, no market to justify production of 120.

There used to be processing plants around the world running 24/7/365 to turn out Kodachrome slides. This has vanished. And, don't put the cart before the horse and say the processing decreased because supply was cut. Kodak could not sell a new Kodachrome 400 film with a big improvement in quality in the late 80s due to decreasing customer support.

Why make something you are losing money on?

PE
 
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Stephen Frizza

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This thread got a tad off track, is there anyone who will raise there hand in interest to having a new service launched which processes Kodachrome 120 format?
 

Photo Engineer

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Steve;

Sorry, but I think that there is a point being made here in what seems to be off-topic chatter. The film is old and there is a very finite supply. The process is tricky and needs to be babied.

Therefore, you have here the pitfalls in a nutshell.

Everyone owning 120 film and wanting it processed may only amount to a few runs, and the results may be less than perfect. And, you will have to practice with 35mm film to get things up and running right.

That about sums it up. And I guess people are reluctant to commit to anything.

PE
 

Discpad

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Steve, yeah, I have a brick of it too, at -15F in my deep freeze... I started a thread on this over on Photo.Net a year or two ago on this; but in my case I was looking at a dip & dunk line with some mechanical trickwork for the red & blue re-exposure chambers.

Photo Engineer gave me some help with the Wratten filters needed & such; but even if I built it, it would still be almost 10 feet tall, and only able to develop 120 & 135-24 exp (and sheet film), because unlike in, say, a Refrema, the film could not be draped over the hanger racks: It would have to be clipped on the end, in order for the re-exposure steps to work properly.

Cheers!
Dan
 

3Dfan

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I think I've read that DR5 can process Kodachrome as a b/w slide.
 
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