Kodak ‘Investigating What it Would Take’ to Bring Back Kodachrome

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Nzoomed

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Well when we all send our Kodachrome to piratelogy for processing, we can all flood Kodaks facebook page with our shots and submit them for their photo of the day.

Then perhaps Kodak may just get the message that there are people seriously dedicated to processing Kodachrome film. :cool:
 

flavio81

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They have to actually release a color film first, don't they?

I am fully confident they will release not only color reversal but also color negative films. Additonally, in movie formats as well.

They have everything they need - synthesis lab, specialist equipment, engineers, triacetate base production factory, coater, conversion and packaging equipment, and a huge knowledge base of the last 90 years of Ferrania.
 

Nzoomed

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With the crappy results that piratelogy is getting I won't be sending them anything. Especially at $25 a roll. I would love to see, though, a frame from them next to a frame of professionally processed e-6 for comparison.

I would love you to try and get better results!
Give him a break!
He is still experimenting with the process and has made good progress.
He does not intend to process anyones film until he is happy with the results anyway... :whistling:
 

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Acutally, the couplers are not that important. The development and the formulations are what counts.

PE
OK, thats good to know, but i thought they were cruical to dye stability for the processed image are they not?
 

Photo Engineer

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AFAIK, there have been at least 3 sets of 3 couplers, or perhaps more, since Kodachrome was first invented. They all were picked for hue and stability. There are many more out there that are as good or nearly as good that could be substituted in the present environment of difficult to get chemistry.

PE
 

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Well, I really think he'll succeed in finding the optimal process then! Really, this is highly exciting especially for me since I only got into film relatively recently and never got to shoot Kodachrome :sad:

Im in the same bucket as you (and piratelogy)!
Makes me better to know im not the only one. Kodachrome being dropped was the main reason I got into shooting film. At least it got me shooting film and buying a stockpike of e100g before missing out on that!
 

RPC

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From what I understand, Kodachrome processing requires a high degree of quality control which is not that easy to achieve. It was even difficult for the labs who used to process it. And unless you have that QC, you will likely not see any of the "look" that made Kodachrome different. So if it is that "look" you are looking for, I think you are in for a disappointment, particularly with the problems that are already being experienced, due to lack of expertise and resources.
 
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Nzoomed

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From what I understand, Kodachrome requires high degree of quality control which is not that easy to achieve. It was even difficult for the labs who used to process it. And unless you have that QC, you will likely not see any of the "look" that made Kodachrome different. So if is that "look" you are looking for, I think you are in for a disappointment, particularly with the problems that are already being experienced, due to lack of expertise and resources.
Its more that the correct formula for mixing the developers is replicated, not an easy task without getting the original composition, which only Kodak knows. Having dye couplers is one thing, but the PH, mixing ratios of developer, couplers etc is cruical.
PE, Steve Frizza and Piratelogy will confirm this.

But once a working method is documented, it should be fairly reasonable to replicate the same results each time if the instructions are adhered to and the PH maintained etc.

I know Steve Frizza had the same problems as Piratelogy, and he spent hours of experimentation too to get it right, yes we may never ever be able to get it "identical" to that of genuine K-14 processing, but im confident that acceptable enough results will be eventually achieved.

The most important thing is to get the film through the chemicals ASAP after mixing, as they have a very short life, when the couplers oxidise, this was a huge effort in a large lab to test and maintain the chemistry as they constantly needed replenishing.

If anything, (albeit time consuming) for smaller one off runs of kodachrome processing, its probably easier to achieve consistent results, because a fresh batch is mixed and used (just the once) immediately without the need for replenishment.
I would imagine it would be very difficult to keep a large scale lab running, and the only way to make the processing viable was to have a large scale system running with constant replenishment and an on-hand chemist to maintain and monitor the chemistry.
 
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RPC

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Yes, I think getting to the point where you get it exactly right for the first time will be the biggest hurdle of all to overcome, if it is even possible.
 
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Nzoomed

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Yes, I think getting to the point where you get it exactly right the first time will be the biggest hurdle of all to overcome, if it is even possible.
Well Steve Frizza achieved it, and Piratelogy is on the same route.
 

MattKing

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I've been trying to figure out how best to respond to this thread without damaging the enthusiasm in the thread.

Many of the things that made Kodachrome ideal for the market it was in weren't related to the colour response or grain or sharpness of the film.

They were related to how suitable Kodachrome was for high volume processing.

A process that adds the colour at the end requires the same sort of volume and narrow tolerances as manufacturing film. It is far easier to centralize that volume and close tolerance work at the manufacturing stage than it is to design, supply, operate and maintain individual small labs.

So unless you can forsee a world where large numbers of people are willing to send their film away and wait a lengthy time for their slides to come back, you aren't likely to see a "Kodachrome" approach to slide and movie films.
 

RPC

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Well Steve Frizza achieved it, and Piratelogy is on the same route.

From what I understand, Stephen Frizza did NOT get results that were perfect. And Piratology is a long way from achieving it!
 

Nzoomed

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So unless you can forsee a world where large numbers of people are willing to send their film away and wait a lengthy time for their slides to come back, you aren't likely to see a "Kodachrome" approach to slide and movie films.

I can see it becoming more viable nowdays, as a niche product, people today would not be shooting it for the same reasons before when film was the only medium before the advent of digital, and yes Kodachrome was suffering in the 90's.

If I wanted that "special" photo i would certainly shoot Kodachrome, its not like I dont have to wait a long time for my E6 to get processed anyway!
 

railwayman3

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From what I understand, Kodachrome processing requires a high degree of quality control which is not that easy to achieve. It was even difficult for the labs who used to process it. And unless you have that QC, you will likely not see any of the "look" that made Kodachrome different. So if it is that "look" you are looking for, I think you are in for a disappointment, particularly with the problems that are already being experienced, due to lack of expertise and resources.

I think that part of the appeal of the present exercise is that Kodachrome "can" still be processed, despite the distractors and nay-sayers.....almost an intellectual exercise ? I have a small stock of Kodachrome which I would love to shoot...maybe it's nostalgia, IDK. I'm not expecting results to match the last days of Kodachrome in 2010, after all, supplies of Kodachrome are finite and all film is now at least six years outdated, so, unless Kodak reintroduce new stocks and processing, it's never, now, going to be the film to use for your daughter's wedding or your holiday of a lifetime. So, good luck to those who are giving their time and resources to see what can be done !
 

Nzoomed

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I think that part of the appeal of the present exercise is that Kodachrome "can" still be processed, despite the distractors and nay-sayers.....almost an intellectual exercise ? I have a small stock of Kodachrome which I would love to shoot...maybe it's nostalgia, IDK. I'm not expecting results to match the last days of Kodachrome in 2010, after all, supplies of Kodachrome are finite and all film is now at least six years outdated, so, unless Kodak reintroduce new stocks and processing, it's never, now, going to be the film to use for your daughter's wedding or your holiday of a lifetime. So, good luck to those who are giving their time and resources to see what can be done !

I agree!
In fact, we may actually even get better results, more like that of the original Kodachrome! :wink:
 

RPC

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Railwayman3, I can see your point. I am just thinking there are some out there who might be unrealistically expecting more than they can or will get...
 

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I believe that a successful Kodachrome process today will be using one-shot chemistry. It is too unstable to allow to sit around and seasoning will be impossible. Secondly, I think that due to the extremely limited volume of extant Kodachrome, and its slow deterioration, I think that the demand will shrink and quality will go down.

PE
 

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I believe that a successful Kodachrome process today will be using one-shot chemistry. It is too unstable to allow to sit around and seasoning will be impossible. Secondly, I think that due to the extremely limited volume of extant Kodachrome, and its slow deterioration, I think that the demand will shrink and quality will go down.

PE

Yes I agree, I do have to say though is i shot an expired roll of Kodachrome 40 super8 back in 2006 and the results were still pretty good, just a little faded, so everyone's frozen Kodachrome should be OK.
 
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