Kodak Reintroduces Ektachrome.

[flavio81]

The first Fuji and Sakura that I saw were both based on Agfa technology from pre-1945 and that was in 1959. This continued until beyond 1965 when I first tested these and Agfa products at Kodak to compare development rate, image and process stability and etc....

I never saw a C-22 compatible product from any of those 3 companies. They went from proprietary processes directly to C41 and E6. This was observed in Japan and here in the US. Maybe there was a test trial in Canada???

PE

This information is very interesting for a nerd like me. I would love to see somebody compile a timeline/history of color film products, to see how they evolved in time, and what manufacturers were.

 

[Nzoomed]

In 1960, none of the Japanese products would go through an Kodak process. And, their negative films were unmasked. They used a water rinse step after the CD to bring up edge and interimage effects. The Fujichrome that I had in the '60s had to be sent to Japan from the US for processing. They did have a Kodachrome compatible film at that time.

PE

Looks to me that Fuji cant have been such a big player in the US at that time.
Interesting that fujichrome had to be sent to Japan for processing at that time, obviously no one was importing the chemistry?
Not sure how it was in the early 70's but my father always thought their films at the time looked too "yellow", this was negative film of course, Im unsure if it was kodak compatible at that time.

I have heard that Agfa and Fuji both had kodachrome compatible films.
Did any of the kodachrome labs accept competitors films, or vice-versa?

 

[Lachlan Young]

The first Fuji and Sakura that I saw were both based on Agfa technology from pre-1945 and that was in 1959. This continued until beyond 1965 when I first tested these and Agfa products at Kodak to compare development rate, image and process stability and etc...

Given what you have said elsewhere about the difficulties of coating the Fischer coupler emulsions, do you recall how many coating layers they used for the films you tested? I take it they were compatible with extrusion/ slot die coating?

No great reason for asking this other than interest in the differences of approach between Kodak and other manufacturers in the period before curtain coating/E6/C41 standardisation.

 

[Photo Engineer]

The only one I have a formula for had about 7 or 8 layers, but then the Kodak color films of that time were similar. I would have to look it up to get more specific information.

PE

 

[cmacd123]

In 1960, none of the Japanese products would go through an Kodak process. And, their negative films were unmasked. They used a water rinse step after the CD to bring up edge and interimage effects. The Fujichrome that I had in the '60s had to be sent to Japan from the US for processing.

the fuji colour I first encountered was in the 1970s. I recall it as C-22, but it might have had a variation. place I worked at back then also sold Agfa CNS, but that was a unique process, but the lab we sent out to was one of the official processing stations. I can clearly see in my minds eye the fushia colour packaging of the GAF c-22 films. (unless I am having hallucinations of course)

 

[mshchem]

I remember going to the newly opened Disney world in the early 70's. I was a little photo nerd, 14 years old. Probably had my SP 500. I remember being so disappointed that GAF was the official film of Disney World. I found some info online Great American Film, they show a 64 speed slide film. Was this a Kodachrome clone or something else? I never even considered using anything but Kodak.

 

[cmacd123]

I found some info online Great American Film, they show a 64 speed slide film. Was this a Kodachrome clone or something else? .

GAF ?Anscochrome was unique, although rumoured to be similar to Agfa technology. they even sold a home processing kit which used 80F chemicals. Very popular in it's day, also used as private label by a lot of stores.

they had up to 500 speed film

 

[Photo Engineer]

Super Anscochrome was a high speed transparency product that used its own process as did the other GAF products. Since, AFAIK, Kodak had patents on C22, GAF use Benzyl Amine instead of Benzyl Alcohol. If anyone has smelled that, it has a rather awful odor that a friend of mine described in rather bad terms.

PE

 

[Nzoomed]

I know GAF film was real crap, some time after GAF bought View-Master from Sawyers, they switched to their own film for a short period in the 1970's and those reels from that period have all shifted to a magenta cast within a very short time.
All the original reels had been made on 16mm Kodachrome film from memory.
IDK if PE or anyone else knows, but what lab processed all the Kodachrome for view master?
Did they own their own Kodachrome lab?

Im not sure what film stock view-master changed over to after GAF film, but I expect they moved away from Kodachrome entirely in the 80's perhaps they switched to Ektachrome?

 

[keenmaster486]

Im not sure what film stock view-master changed over to after GAF film, but I expect they moved away from Kodachrome entirely in the 80's perhaps they switched to Ektachrome?

Why would they do this knowing the archival superiority of Ektachrome?

 

[Nzoomed]

Why would they do this knowing the archival superiority of Ektachrome?

Not sure what I mean, they used Kodachrome, then GAF film, and after that, im unsure what film stock they used.
Im guessing ektachrome?

 

[keenmaster486]

Shoot. Sorry, it was late and I was tired.....

I meant to say the archival superiority of Kodachrome.

 

[MattKing]

Somehow I doubt that View-Master were even thinking about archival superiority.
View-Master probably made their decisions on consistency of product, ease of handling in their procedures, and most importantly COST.
What was the relationship between GAF and 3M? In the 70s, I sold a lot of 3M slide film (branded as Sears) for Simpsons-Sears/Sears Canada. It was processed in standard Ektachrome chemicals.

 

[kb3lms]

What was the relationship between GAF and 3M? In the 70s, I sold a lot of 3M slide film

In the 70s, wasn't 3M film made by Ferrania? Ferrania made the focal brand film sold a K-Mart. It was OK. Used a lot of it because I was a poor high school kid and it was much cheaper than any brand name.

Was there a relationship between GAF and 3M?

(Geee-AF for those old enough. Good old Henry Fonda and Harvey)

 

[Nzoomed]

Somehow I doubt that View-Master were even thinking about archival superiority.
View-Master probably made their decisions on consistency of product, ease of handling in their procedures, and most importantly COST.

I know that View master were proud about the product using Kodachrome, but when the company changed hands and GAF bought it, they switched to their film some time in the 1970's, and needless to say this was due to cost savings, since they were a film company, and not buying a competitors film was a no-brainer.

Anyway, I know GAF fixed it and switched to a different film sometime in the 70's (perhaps they went back to kodachrome or did they simply fix the fading on their own product?), but I want to know what film was used on the view-master after GAF sold to Tyco and even today what film the modern reels use?

 

[BAC1967]

I know that View master were proud about the product using Kodachrome, but when the company changed hands and GAF bought it, they switched to their film some time in the 1970's, and needless to say this was due to cost savings, since they were a film company, and not buying a competitors film was a no-brainer.

Anyway, I know GAF fixed it and switched to a different film sometime in the 70's (perhaps they went back to kodachrome or did they simply fix the fading on their own product?), but I want to know what film was used on the view-master after GAF sold to Tyco and even today what film the modern reels use?

I've been using Velvia 100 since Ektachrome was discontinued. I have personal View-Master reels on Kodachrome dating back to the early 1950's and they all still look great.

Pumpkin Stereo Pair by Bryan Chernick, on Flickr

 

[railwayman3]

I know GAF film was real crap, some time after GAF bought View-Master from Sawyers, they switched to their own film for a short period in the 1970's and those reels from that period have all shifted to a magenta cast within a very short time.
All the original reels had been made on 16mm Kodachrome film from memory.
IDK if PE or anyone else knows, but what lab processed all the Kodachrome for view master?
Did they own their own Kodachrome lab?

FWIW, I have definitely read that Viewmaster had their own Kodachrome lab., but I can't cite any definitive confirmation of this. It would seen logical, given the popularity of the reels....can remember them for sale on special displays in many shops and attractions here in the UK.

 

[Photo Engineer]

The older Kodachrome processes and processors were so complex that I only know of one. That one was at National Geographic.

At the Cape, we did not do our own Kodachrome. We shipped it out to EK what there was of it. Generally, we used Ektachrome and Ektacolor along with ECN.

PE

 

[Nzoomed]

The older Kodachrome processes and processors were so complex that I only know of one. That one was at National Geographic.

At the Cape, we did not do our own Kodachrome. We shipped it out to EK what there was of it. Generally, we used Ektachrome and Ektacolor along with ECN.

PE

The older Kodachrome processes and processors were so complex that I only know of one. That one was at National Geographic.

At the Cape, we did not do our own Kodachrome. We shipped it out to EK what there was of it. Generally, we used Ektachrome and Ektacolor along with ECN.

PE

That would sound about right. I know all the Apollo missions used Ektachrome as far as im aware.

 

[AgX]

Anyway, I know GAF fixed it and switched to a different film sometime in the 70's (perhaps they went back to kodachrome or did they simply fix the fading on their own product?), but I want to know what film was used on the view-master after GAF sold to Tyco and even today what film the modern reels use?

The natural choice for a slide series would be a negative-positive process. Thus using print film for the final transparencies.
The commercial slide series I got in hand so far were the films that had deteriorated strongest.

 

[Photo Engineer]

That would sound about right. I know all the Apollo missions used Ektachrome as far as im aware.

For Mercury, they used HS Ektachrome cross-processed in C22 and exposed at ISO 400. In the capsule, they used ECN. For Apollo, they used Ektachrome, but could not get good quality prints (what have I said before??) and sent the transparencies to EK for duping as negatives. The negatives ended up on my desk, and we used the first production run of Ektacolor 30 professional in the 3 step EKtaprint 3 process in a Calumet processor. I personally made 16x20s to send back, but was told, once they got the trannies back and the prints, that I could keep the negatives.

I still have them.

PE

 

[MattKing]

I still have them.

In the barn?

 

[Photo Engineer]

They are right here!

 

[Nzoomed]

They are right here!

Thats awesome!

 

[keenmaster486]

They are right here!

WOW!

That's amazing!