Kodachrome

MattKing · Mar 15, 2022

Has there been a time warp arrive, without someone notifying me.

shuttlelaunchfilm said:
I’ve just acquired the last known K-Lab and I am beginning the task of restoring it. https://klablives.com/

If you are brave, I would suggest that you start your own thread about this project.
This thread can then be used to move all the viability arguments into it.

flavio81 · Mar 15, 2022

shuttlelaunchfilm said:
I’ve just acquired the last known K-Lab and I am beginning the task of restoring it. https://klablives.com/

Sincerely, good luck. I understand that some (or all?) the chemicals were to be prepared by the laboratory itself (i.e. "Dwayne's") from zero. In other words, that Kodak did not give pre-packaged chemistry for the K14 process that you could simply "just mix with water" and be ready to feed it into the processor.

This increases the difficulty level.

mshchem · Mar 15, 2022

Oh Boy. There's so many things demanding capital. IMHO this isn't one of them. I would suggest doing some serious investigating before donating money to resurrect a lovely piece of "scrap" FWIWYMMV. Best Regards to everyone. Peace

John Salim · Mar 16, 2022

There's no 'fresh' Kodachrome film around now ( and certainly no control films ), so even if this gets off the ground, the very best outcome will be very poor quality results.
If they're thinking of resurrecting that Kodachrome 'look' - it just ain't gonna happen.

Looking at the video, a machine of this size ( ... and it looks bigger than the more compact K-Lab I've seen ) will need a LOT of film going through it every day just to maintain any quality.

I do understand the reasons for this, but it's doomed from the start I'm afraid.
Just like dye transfer IB Technicolor, Kodachrome is history !

John S

Helge · Mar 16, 2022

shuttlelaunchfilm said:
I’ve just acquired the last known K-Lab and I am beginning the task of restoring it. https://klablives.com/

Reviving something like Kodachrome is not as totally impossible as it may sound.
The film itself is significantly less complex than E6 film.
Clones were made by smaller manufacturers back in the day, and there was successful experiments within Kodak, to do a one layer Kodachrome.
If someone like Ferrania or Orwo did the research, that would be absolutely feasible and would give Fuji and Kodak food for thought and stiff competition.

The big problem is of course that with only one processor, that is a significant bottleneck and liability, as well as the fact that it’s not going to be inexpensive to have your film processed on those terms.
We would need more processor‘s like this, or at least with the same functionality.

bdial · Mar 16, 2022

I've recently been going through some old slides, including some kodachrome from the 50's that still look good.

Sal Santamaura · Mar 16, 2022

Perhaps ADOX, rather than expending resources on another C-41 negative film "mission" the world definitely doesn't need, will start coating K-14 ADOXCHROME if this K-lab project succeeds.

This from someone who's pooh-poohed all the previous quixotic Kodachrome revival threads.

mshchem · Mar 16, 2022

Adox wouldn't touch this with a ten foot pole.

CMoore · Mar 16, 2022

I am not an expert on any film, especially K-Chrome, but.................what is the attraction of having a processing machine, even if the chems were available, for a film that has not been made in many years.?

MattKing · Mar 16, 2022

CMoore said:
I am not an expert on any film, especially K-Chrome, but.................what is the attraction of having a processing machine, even if the chems were available, for a film that has not been made in many years.?

There are probably people out there like me who have unexposed Kodachrome, and either believe in the legend, or want it to be still true.
(my stash of film came along with a bunch of E6 - I've been meaning to experiment with it and black and white development for quite some time).
And just to be clear, in its time, Kodachrome was extra-ordinary, and I loved using it. I would choose to use modern Ektachrome now.

foc · Mar 17, 2022

CMoore said:
I am not an expert on any film, especially K-Chrome, but.................what is the attraction of having a processing machine, even if the chems were available, for a film that has not been made in many years.?

I think sometimes people like tinkering with old machines, just like some do with a classic/old car restoration. Once the job is complete, it's on to another restoration.

In the video, the K-lab was in 2 sections on the trailer, so it would be a long machine, that (to my knowledge) is a movie film type transport for the film. If so that means a very long film leader to just thread the different tanks.

Best of luck with the project, but personally I think you would be better off throwing the money into the large hole in my back garden.

CMoore · Mar 17, 2022

MattKing said:
There are probably people out there like me who have unexposed Kodachrome, and either believe in the legend, or want it to be still true.
(my stash of film came along with a bunch of E6 - I've been meaning to experiment with it and black and white development for quite some time).
And just to be clear, in its time, Kodachrome was extra-ordinary, and I loved using it. I would choose to use modern Ektachrome now.

foc said:
I think sometimes people like tinkering with old machines, just like some do with a classic/old car restoration. Once the job is complete, it's on to another restoration.

In the video, the K-lab was in 2 sections on the trailer, so it would be a long machine, that (to my knowledge) is a movie film type transport for the film. If so that means a very long film leader to just thread the different tanks.

Best of luck with the project, but personally I think you would be better off throwing the money into the large hole in my back garden.

10-4.....................Thank You Both

MattKing · Mar 17, 2022

foc said:
In the video, the K-lab was in 2 sections on the trailer, so it would be a long machine, that (to my knowledge) is a movie film type transport for the film. If so that means a very long film leader to just thread the different tanks.

About one mile of leader, followed typically by a mile of spliced together customers' films, followed by a mile of trailer.
At least for the Kodak lab Kodachrome machines in the 1970s and early 1980s.

Sal Santamaura · Mar 17, 2022

MattKing said:
About one mile of leader, followed typically by a mile of spliced together customers' films, followed by a mile of trailer.
At least for the Kodak lab Kodachrome machines in the 1970s and early 1980s.

K-lab leader/trailer not anywhere near that long.

It doesn't give specific lengths, but, knowing the device's approximate dimensions, one might be able to reasonably estimate them from this document:

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct..._02mar99.pdf&usg=AOvVaw0vYczc9K5z69_tQCQ5P-ee

foc · Mar 18, 2022

Sal Santamaura said:
K-lab leader/trailer not anywhere near that long.

It doesn't give specific lengths, but, knowing the device's approximate dimensions, one might be able to reasonably estimate them from this document:

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwjrjMPY7832AhXVC0QIHUjABXEQFnoECAUQAQ&url=https://125px.com/docs/unsorted/kodak/tg2044_1_02mar99.pdf&usg=AOvVaw0vYczc9K5z69_tQCQ5P-ee

It's still a lot of leader, even with the feed magazine of 400 ft (that's about 80 36exp films approx).

Thank you for posting the Theory Guide for K-14M, interesting reading. It appears to be dated March 99.

I see the control unit is an IBM compatible PC running Windows, but what version of Windows, is it Windows NT, 95 or 2000? I think there can be big problems running such old software (even running virtual Windows 95 on a modern PC).

flavio81 · Mar 20, 2022

CMoore said:
I am not an expert on any film, especially K-Chrome, but.................what is the attraction of having a processing machine, even if the chems were available, for a film that has not been made in many years.?

There are some people out there selling refrigerated K14 film like K25 or K64.

Due to not having the dyes inside, this film should keep up very well in time. Even more so if it's a low speed film.

Craig · Mar 22, 2022

flavio81 said:
Due to not having the dyes inside, this film should keep up very well in time. Even more so if it's a low speed film.

No, it didn't keep well. Back when Kodak processing was available I shot up some outdated K25 and it loses density and can't deliver a black and shifts to magenta

Christiaan Phleger · Mar 23, 2022

Holy crap! I just got wind o'this and have to chime in, sorry in advance if everyone else has chimed in.

First off; yay! in this modern world surely it is possible. Yay however you look at it.

2nd point and then I'll back scroll to figure out just how lost I now am;

The film is the easy part; tri-layer B&W each different wavelength plus that rem-jet baby (do we still need that?).

railwayman3 · Mar 23, 2022

Craig said:
No, it didn't keep well. Back when Kodak processing was available I shot up some outdated K25 and it loses density and can't deliver a black and shifts to magenta

I don't think that you can make a blanket statement about any outdated film. even Kodachrome. My understanding is that any manufacturer will guarantee the results from any of their films up to the stated expiry date, provided that the recommended storage conditions are observed. After that, you're on your own....it might be OK, but any deterioration will depend on conditions and could well even vary from batch to batch.
When Kodachrome processing finished in 2010 (~~2021~~), I used up many Kodachrome films, outdated and otherwise, the oldest being a K25 dated 1981 (29 years o/d) and all proved still fresh with no visible deterioration.
OTOH, there were some issues with Kodachrome processing in the UK by Kodak (so far as I recall back in the late 1970. or 80's ? ) with scratches, blue spots and slightly "off" colours, which was perhaps a reason that some users (including myself) switched to Agfa and particularly Fuji at that time ? I know that some photoclub friends even took to posting their pre-paid Kodachrome to one of the Kodak labs in Europe, France, Germany, Austria, etc., on the basis that the results were much better and consistent !

George Mann · Mar 23, 2022

I was just thinking that Kodak could tweak Ektachrome to have the contrast and saturation of Kodachrome and call it Kodakchrome.

You know you would buy it.

Cholentpot · Mar 23, 2022

George Mann said:
I was just thinking that Kodak could tweak Ektachrome to have the contrast and saturation of Kodachrome and call it Kodakchrome.

You know you would buy it.

Fee fi fo fum...I smell someone taking my talking points.

I think Kodak will do that at some point. It's not every day a company has an awesome song associated with a product line.

MattKing · Mar 23, 2022

railwayman3 said:
When Kodachrome processing finished in 2021

I believe you mean 2010.

Craig · Mar 23, 2022

railwayman3 said:
My understanding is that any manufacturer will guarantee the results from any of their films up to the stated expiry date, provided that the recommended storage conditions are observed.

The newest Kodachrome is now at least 13 years past its expiry date, so if you were to resurrect the processing,how would you know if the process or the film was bad if the results are not good? The odds of getting satisfactory results are dropping every day.

railwayman3 · Mar 23, 2022

MattKing said:
I believe you mean 2010.

Correct...sorry, not concentrating ! :-(

MattKing · Mar 23, 2022

railwayman3 said:
Correct...sorry, not concentrating ! :-(

Fixed it for you

Kodachrome

MattKing

Moderator

flavio81

mshchem

John Salim

Helge

bdial

Sal Santamaura

mshchem

CMoore

MattKing

Moderator

foc

CMoore

MattKing

Moderator

Sal Santamaura

foc

flavio81

Craig

Christiaan Phleger

railwayman3

George Mann

Cholentpot

MattKing

Moderator

Craig

railwayman3

MattKing

Moderator

Kodachrome

Moderator

Moderator

Moderator

Moderator

Moderator

Privacy & Transparency

Privacy & Transparency