Kodachrome article

Photo Engineer · Sep 16, 2008

My sources inform me that there will be an AP (Associated Press) article on Kodachrome sometime this week. I have no information on content, nor do I know the day it will be released so don't ask. You now know as much as I do.

This is a heads up for you all to keep an eye out for it. I'm as curious as the rest of you! If anyone gets the URL, please post it.

Thanks.

PE

Aurum · Sep 16, 2008

Nothing there yet regarding Kodak or Kodachrome, so as they say.

Watch this space

Ian Grant · Sep 16, 2008

I doubt it will be a good read. Virtually the only slides I've shot in the last 8 years have been B&W, I used to shoot a lot of E6 for commercial shoots and a small amount for personal projects. I still do the work, actually I am doing more, but the clients don't want slides hey don't know what to do with them and it's also very uneconomic. So this may be farewell Kodachrome . . . .

Ian

nostalgix · Sep 16, 2008

I hope somebody will post it here then...

Chazzy · Sep 16, 2008

If this means the end of Kodachrome, I'm going to slit my wrists.

railwayman3 · Sep 16, 2008

It sounds slightly worrying....particularly as there seems to be no K64 film around dated beyond 2009.

Trying very hard to be more optimistic, might it just be something relating to the 75th Anniv of Kodachrome.

Ah well, no point in speculating, I guess.

kodachrome64 · Sep 16, 2008

Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry 8300: BlackBerry8300/4.5.0.55 Profile/MIDP-2.0 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/102)

Oh crap.

Yeah, it could be something good I guess.

Poisson Du Jour · Sep 16, 2008

I would be sorry if Kodak does announce the end of Kodachrome; I still feel it has its place. It has been a solid cornerstone of professional imaging for many, many years and like me in the 1980s, there are millions of photographers who were brought up on Kodachrome when learning the nuances of exposure. Maybe the Big K will simply say it's being improved? Wishful thinking? Maybe. Let's just sit tight and not pre-empt anything with gloom and trepidation.

aluk · Sep 16, 2008

Would it be normal for Kodak (or any other company, for that matter) to announce product availability through a wire service? I doubt it - look on the bright side, it's hopefully something far less drastic.

Poisson Du Jour · Sep 17, 2008

aluk said:
Would it be normal for Kodak (or any other company, for that matter) to announce product availability through a wire service? I doubt it - look on the bright side, it's hopefully something far less drastic.

As a global company, it would be normal to announce through a world-wide media body, yes. I am monitoring Australian Associated Press and Reuters.
I noticed before on the Kodak website that Kodachrome film is processed globally in the US and/or Switzerland, which is probably very long turnaround? There isn't really much incentive to use Kodachrome if you have to sent it around the globe for processing. Times they have indeed changed...

Lee L · Sep 17, 2008

aluk said:
Would it be normal for Kodak (or any other company, for that matter) to announce product availability through a wire service? I doubt it - look on the bright side, it's hopefully something far less drastic.

Unlikely, especially at Photokina time and given that we're talking about Kodachrome. I'd expect the article to be something about Kodachrome and its history.

Lee

nostalgix · Sep 17, 2008

Lee L said:
Unlikely, especially at Photokina time and given that we're talking about Kodachrome. I'd expect the article to be something about Kodachrome and its history.

Me, too. I can't imagine that Kodak will announce a new film at Photokina time and on the other hand will drop Kodachrome a few days/weeks later. If they had the idea they would have done so in the anouncement as they did for the others.

My optimistic 2 cents.

accozzaglia · Sep 17, 2008

Actually, I would surmise that a discontinuance of a product line by Kodak would only quietly appear on those sales sheets announcing product eliminations -- without further fanfare.

Steve Smith · Sep 17, 2008

Poisson Du Jour said:
I noticed before on the Kodak website that Kodachrome film is processed globally in the US and/or Switzerland, which is probably very long turnaround?

If you send to Switzerland, as we do in the UK, it then gets sent to Dwayne's, US for processing and comes back again via Switzerland (I think).

Yes, it is a long turnaround.

Steve.

nostalgix · Sep 17, 2008

Steve Smith said:
If you send to Switzerland, as we do in the UK, it then gets sent to Dwayne's, US for processing and comes back again via Switzerland (I think).

Same here in Germany. You can send it to Kodak Stuttgart and they will send it to Dwaynes for you.

kodachrome64 · Sep 17, 2008

Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry 8300: BlackBerry8300/4.5.0.55 Profile/MIDP-2.0 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/102)

accozzaglia said:
Actually, I would surmise that a discontinuance of a product line by Kodak would only quietly appear on those sales sheets announcing product eliminations -- without further fanfare.

I agree...this is not something that I can imagine Kodak wants press attention for. We probably will realize KR64 is gone when we don't see any more emulsion numbers or dates extending to 2011.

Poisson Du Jour · Sep 17, 2008

madhatter said:
Same here in Germany. You can send it to Kodak Stuttgart and they will send it to Dwaynes for you.

How long does that usually take?
Twenty years ago the turn-around was 3 days.

Poisson Du Jour · Sep 17, 2008

A few years ago (6-7?) my Ciba printer recommended Kodachrome for its ability to hold detail in saturated reds, unlike Velvia, which he saw as consistently 'thick'. I can't recall the detail of the conversation and email, but K64 was implied as being good for this with multi-exposures of say, dewy red or pink roses in macro: one standout comment I remember was "this is one of the few rare occasions we would recommend Kodachrome...". There are doubtless others out there who would know something about the reference?

tim_walls · Sep 17, 2008

Poisson Du Jour said:
How long does that usually take?
Twenty years ago the turn-around was 3 days.

In my experience (UK to Switzerland to Dwaynes and back again) about 5 or 6 working days.

AutumnJazz · Sep 17, 2008

Hopefully it will be historical or good news...

Mark Antony · Sep 18, 2008

I'm an optimist. How about they are bumping the speed to ISO 125 and with new tech available the grain is the same as the old 25 ASA version?
Just to get carried away with the fairies they're also going to introduce a ISO 400 version to replace the deleted 200....
They will be available in 35mm and 120!!

railwayman3 · Sep 18, 2008

^^^Mark Anthony

If that is the case, I can only think that I've died and gone to heaven!

We could also add a range of sheet-film versions for our LF friends.

nostalgix · Sep 18, 2008

Poisson Du Jour said:
How long does that usually take?
Twenty years ago the turn-around was 3 days.

Haven't done it myself since the lab in Stuttgart has been closed. But I have been told it takes about 2 weeks.

kraker · Sep 18, 2008

madhatter said:
Haven't done it myself since the lab in Stuttgart has been closed. But I have been told it takes about 2 weeks.

That's in line with my experience, 2 weeks, sometimes 1, sometimes 3 (from The Netherlands via Switzerland to USA and back).

kevs · Sep 18, 2008

This summer, I sent Kodachrome for processing. It took over a month. Mind you, i did:

a) send it to the old Deer Park Road (London) address;

b) use a First Class stamp instead of getting it weighed/measured (v. naughty!);

c) send one roll in an old Super 8 envelope!

Kodachrome article

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