Kodak Reintroduces Ektachrome.

[perkeleellinen]

I have two of the 8 roll Paterson tanks.

How long does it take to fill the tank? Is there an issue with the rolls at the bottom being in the developer for longer?

 

[mnemosyne]

Not sure why some think local 24 hours labs would be a prerequisite for the success of the Ektachrome comeback ... For amateurs it was the norm for decades to mail in their slide films for processing at least here in Europe (K14 as well as E6) and it worked very, very well. Fuji still offers this uncomplicated service in Germany (Fuji Gera, they will accept mail ins from abroad, too!), cheap and good quality E6 processing with reasonable turnaround time. For the US, Kodak should set up their own mail in lab and offer quality processing of their own. With two pricing schemes they could easily address different needs of pros (quick turnaround) and amateurs (economy). This should wipe out any concerns about lack of processing facilities. And while we're at it, I have been saying for years that Kodak should offer their own C41 processing too, so that people without access to local quality labs have the chance to experience the results of quality C41 processing and are not turned off by frustrating experiences with bad labs.

 

[dabsond]

^ That.

It's like doing B&W, but with higher temperatures and a few extra steps. The only thing that is slightly challenging is maintaining temperature; a Sous Vide machine and a massive stainless steel pan deals with that very easily!

I use a Sous Vide heater as well. Works out nicely. What type of slide mounts are everyone using? I order mounts from B&H.

 

[Sirius Glass]

How long does it take to fill the tank? Is there an issue with the rolls at the bottom being in the developer for longer?

About the same time as it takes to empty it. Consistent time results from starting at the same point.

 

[Agulliver]

It's been about 12 years but I have processed E6 135 and super 8 films. And it's not very difficult....I would agree that the most difficult aspect is keeping the temperature constant within 0.5C (1F). What I did all those years ago was simply fill the stainless steel kitchen sink with water about 5C too hot, float my tank and chemical bottles in it for 30 minutes during that time keep an eye on the water temperature with a laboratory thermometer (mercury, accurate to 0.1C). If the water got too cold I'd add some hot water and stir with the paddle on the bottom of the thermometer. In that way I was able to keep within 0.5C of the desired temperature. I used my watch with a stopwatch mode to time the steps and was more careful than I am with B&W film.

To be honest I was apprehensive but every roll I did came out well except for one Ektachrome super 8 film which came out green and purple....but it was also 15 years expired which no doubt contributed. The other super 8 films (I think I processed 4) and 135 slides (I ran five 36 exposure cassettes) were spot on, I'd say as good as a lab. This was the Tetenal kit.

I think if I get into E6 or C41 processing again I might utilise a spare cool box (ice chest) that we have for the water bath. The sous vide bath sounds like an excellent idea, and they are getting cheaper as the cooking technique is becoming more popular. Has anyone tried fish tank heaters? I have a couple of those knocking about at work unused.

 

[Sirius Glass]

It's been about 12 years but I have processed E6 135 and super 8 films. And it's not very difficult....I would agree that the most difficult aspect is keeping the temperature constant within 0.5C (1F). What I did all those years ago was simply fill the stainless steel kitchen sink with water about 5C too hot, float my tank and chemical bottles in it for 30 minutes during that time keep an eye on the water temperature with a laboratory thermometer (mercury, accurate to 0.1C). If the water got too cold I'd add some hot water and stir with the paddle on the bottom of the thermometer. In that way I was able to keep within 0.5C of the desired temperature. I used my watch with a stopwatch mode to time the steps and was more careful than I am with B&W film.

To be honest I was apprehensive but every roll I did came out well except for one Ektachrome super 8 film which came out green and purple....but it was also 15 years expired which no doubt contributed. The other super 8 films (I think I processed 4) and 135 slides (I ran five 36 exposure cassettes) were spot on, I'd say as good as a lab. This was the Tetenal kit.

I think if I get into E6 or C41 processing again I might utilise a spare cool box (ice chest) that we have for the water bath. The sous vide bath sounds like an excellent idea, and they are getting cheaper as the cooking technique is becoming more popular. Has anyone tried fish tank heaters? I have a couple of those knocking about at work unused.

One can buy a used Jobo processor, tanks and drums for less money and effort and get the film processed in a temperature controlled environment with much less effort.

 

[dabsond]

One can buy a used Jobo processor, tanks and drums for less money and effort and get the film processed in a temperature controlled environment with much less effort.

Used Jobo's on the "Bay" are running in excess of $450. Sous Vide heater is around $99 plus normal developing tank costs. I could not justify, nor could my wife justify, the cost for a Jobo unit.

 

[Agulliver]

I've never seen a used Jobo processor for anything like as cheap as a sous-vide apparatus or an ice chest.

 

[Sirius Glass]

I've never seen a used Jobo processor for anything like as cheap as a sous-vide apparatus or an ice chest.

Or as consistently reliable color film processor? A few years ago I picked up two for between $125US and $140US plus shipping on APUG.

 

[pukalo]

I too was concerned about the longer fill and drain times with the 8roll tank, but as Sirius Glass noted itall balances out and works fine. Compared to the 5roll tanks, the pour in and out step is a little longer, but all is okay as long as you keep total time to 6:30 for the first step. The process is tolerant enough that I can see no difference compared to 5 or even 3 roll tank usage. All give perfect results.

 

[perkeleellinen]

About the same time as it takes to empty it. Consistent time results from starting at the same point.

I too was concerned about the longer fill and drain times with the 8roll tank, but as Sirius Glass noted itall balances out and works fine. Compared to the 5roll tanks, the pour in and out step is a little longer, but all is okay as long as you keep total time to 6:30 for the first step. The process is tolerant enough that I can see no difference compared to 5 or even 3 roll tank usage. All give perfect results.

Thanks both, very reassuring.

 

[zen_zanon]

Welp, the first few rolls have been developed. Here's yet another teaser, this time of a loupe shot from one of the beta testers. Sure looks like Ektachrome I've shot in a similar place!

 

[Poisson Du Jour]

Welp, the first few rolls have been developed. Here's yet another teaser, this time of a loupe shot from one of the beta testers. Sure looks like Ektachrome I've shot in a similar place!

But it is nowhere near the Ektachrome palette we are accustomed to seeing. And there is a problem.
And Instagram, where that post was made (by Michael Turek) on a mobile phone, amplifies colour grotesquely, so it is not a reliable means of judging colour at all. We would not pass consensual judgement on the quality of scans here on Photrio. What makes people think the situation is any different/better passing judgement on mobile phone snapshots posted to Instagram?

There is a bigger question: Other than Sandra Coan, where are the pro-level active E6 production testers?
What we really want to see, other than IGM posts, is a proper, thorough, professional, methodical test of Ektachome: how about contrast and rendition in diffuse vs point light? Cool vs warm light rendition? Palette under polarisation? P+/P- to 2 stops?, 0.5 vs 0.3?... And printing?? Yes!
A thorough test like that would show how the film appears beside a similar E6 emulsion like RDPIII, which ideally would be shot in parallel, but not necessarily.

As Kodak noted some months ago, the dearth of professional beta testers for Ektachrome 100 is down to the fact that scant few use 35mm E6 for their production. So we are for now stuck with serial representations of "testing". It is a long shot from this point that Kodak will roll out 120, or much less likely 4x5, where real and tangible results will be obtained from a wider take up in professional circles in widely differing applications where those formats are more common.

A couple of rolls have popped up here in Oz from local suburban street shoots and, on the lightbox, the film is has a subdued, cool look and only moderately saturated palette. I will be assisting a photographer next weekend on a more brutal run-through of the film. But first, we have to find him a 35mm camera!!

 

[Cholentpot]

But it is nowhere near the Ektachrome palette we are accustomed to seeing. And there is a problem.
And Instagram, where that post was made (by Michael Turek) on a mobile phone, amplifies colour grotesquely, so it is not a reliable means of judging colour at all. We would not pass consensual judgement on the quality of scans here on Photrio. What makes people think the situation is any different/better passing judgement on mobile phone snapshots posted to Instagram?

There is a bigger question: Other than Sandra Coan, where are the pro-level active E6 production testers?
What we really want to see, other than IGM posts, is a proper, thorough, professional, methodical test of Ektachome: how about contrast and rendition in diffuse vs point light? Cool vs warm light rendition? Palette under polarisation? P+/P- to 2 stops?, 0.5 vs 0.3?... And printing?? Yes!
A thorough test like that would show how the film appears beside a similar E6 emulsion like RDPIII, which ideally would be shot in parallel, but not necessarily.

As Kodak noted some months ago, the dearth of professional beta testers for Ektachrome 100 is down to the fact that scant few use 35mm E6 for their production. So we are for now stuck with serial representations of "testing". It is a long shot from this point that Kodak will roll out 120, or much less likely 4x5, where real and tangible results will be obtained from a wider take up in professional circles in widely differing applications where those formats are more common.

A couple of rolls have popped up here in Oz from local suburban street shoots and, on the lightbox, the film is has a subdued, cool look and only moderately saturated palette. I will be assisting a photographer next weekend on a more brutal run-through of the film. But first, we have to find him a 35mm camera!!

Is it an E-6 film? Yep. Does it look pretty good to my myopic eyes? Yep.

Good enough for me.

 

[Poisson Du Jour]

Is it an E-6 film? Yep. Does it look pretty good to my myopic eyes? Yep.

Good enough for me.

Really?
There is a big difference between what you see on a screen (and hyper-saturated mobile screens) and what you see laid out on a lightbox...even gran'ma, with her hyper-myopic, macular-degenerated eyes, sees what WOW! of trannies all lit up.
Please see a vet if your myopia is bothering you.

 

[macfred]

I really like to see those new Ektachrome 100 trannies projected with a good slide projector on a good projection screen.
A well matching light table would be another option.

 

[Rudeofus]

I never had any doubt that Kodak can create a new E6 film with nice colors and "contrast and rendition in diffuse vs point light? Cool vs warm light rendition? Palette under polarisation? P+/P- to 2 stops?, 0.5 vs 0.3?... And printing?? Yes!" and so on. They have done this for decades and certainly know how to make emulsions.

The biggest risk they faced were IMHO related to reliability of coating process. While the instagram posting tells us little about the things listed by Poisson Du Jour, we do get a very positive impression that Kodak is ready for mass production. This is a good thing, and I expect product on the shelves shortly - sadly too late for this year's summer holidays.

 

[AgX]

I really like to see those new Ektachrome 100 trannies projected with a good slide projector on a good projection screen.
A well matching light table would be another option.

Projecting a slide and and looking at it at a light table can be very different viewing conditions.

 

[macfred]

Projecting a slide and and looking at it at a light table can be very different viewing conditions.

But both methods can be important and effective in judging the -overall- quality of the slide. But I'll gladly let you have the last word ...

 

[Cholentpot]

Really?
There is a big difference between what you see on a screen (and hyper-saturated mobile screens) and what you see laid out on a lightbox...even gran'ma, with her hyper-myopic, macular-degenerated eyes, sees what WOW! of trannies all lit up.
Please see a vet if your myopia is bothering you.

Kodak announces possible re-release of slide film

BOOO

Kodak announces Ektachrome

BOOO

Kodak begins testing

BOOO

Kodak has a tentative release quarter

BOOO

Kodak sends out rolls to beta testers

BOOO

Kodak posts results from testers showing a viable film

BOOO

Slide film was supposed to be dead by now. 'Yeaaaah well the colors might not be the same and the rendition is not what I want and the temperature is going to be too cool or too warm and they didn't upgrade the packaging and I can only get it processed in the mail and I stopped shooting slide years ago and Kodak is only doing this to make money and it's only in 35mm and the Super8 camera is nowhere to be seen and they didn't send me any test rolls and the results are inconclusive'

 

[zen_zanon]

But it is nowhere near the Ektachrome palette we are accustomed to seeing. And there is a problem.
And Instagram, where that post was made (by Michael Turek) on a mobile phone, amplifies colour grotesquely, so it is not a reliable means of judging colour at all. We would not pass consensual judgement on the quality of scans here on Photrio. What makes people think the situation is any different/better passing judgement on mobile phone snapshots posted to Instagram?

Do you even know what you're talking about? If you don't mess with any of the filters when posting to Instagram, nothing happens to the colours. I'm comparing my edited scans to images I uploaded to IG. There is no change, whatsoever. I also edit my scans to look as close as possible to my slides (I keep the slide next to me while I'm editing at my computer). You can have extremely reliable digital copies of slides. You won't get them with a flatbed scanner...but you can definitely get them.

There is a bigger question: Other than Sandra Coan, where are the pro-level active E6 production testers?
What we really want to see, other than IGM posts, is a proper, thorough, professional, methodical test of Ektachome: how about contrast and rendition in diffuse vs point light? Cool vs warm light rendition? Palette under polarisation? P+/P- to 2 stops?, 0.5 vs 0.3?... And printing?? Yes!
A thorough test like that would show how the film appears beside a similar E6 emulsion like RDPIII, which ideally would be shot in parallel, but not necessarily.

So you don't think, you know...real world testing out in the field is a worthwhile venture with beta rolls? We don't need a ton of people testing the stuff in studio. The vast majority of the people buying the film are going to be shooting outside. The very beta tester you mentioned, Michael Turek, has a beautiful body of documentary work. Dead Link Removed Whatever he's shooting will surely be in a variety of lighting conditions...conditions that resemble the conditions the public will be using the film in. I'm happy to see shots taken where atmospheric haze is coming into play.

A couple of rolls have popped up here in Oz from local suburban street shoots and, on the lightbox, the film is has a subdued, cool look and only moderately saturated palette. I will be assisting a photographer next weekend on a more brutal run-through of the film. But first, we have to find him a 35mm camera!!

So...it sounds pretty damn similar to E100G, the film Kodak said this new batch is attempting to stick close to. The only problem here are people who have a made up notion of what Ektachrome (a film with over a dozen varieties that fall under its name) should look like. What were you hoping for? E100VS? E100S? E200? E100SW? What is this elusive "Ektachrome palette we are accustomed to seeing" you are referring to?

Finally, subdued color palettes are the most trendy look at the moment. So while the film is staying true to Kodak's quest to stick to the E100G palette, it also sticks to the palette that most film photographers are after these days. Just go look at the Fuji and Kodak professional Instagram pages. It's washed out, pastel palettes for the most part. Poppy colors and lots of contrast are not what the consumers of film want these days.

https://www.instagram.com/fujifilm_profilm/

https://www.instagram.com/kodakprofessional/

 

[Sal Santamaura]

...The biggest risk they faced were IMHO related to reliability of coating process...

Yeah, Kodak is stuck with that damned unreliable Building 38 coating line. The worst in the world. How can they overcome such a risk?

 

[ME Super]

Kodak announces possible re-release of slide film

BOOO

Kodak announces Ektachrome

BOOO

Kodak begins testing

BOOO

Kodak has a tentative release quarter

BOOO

Kodak sends out rolls to beta testers

BOOO

Kodak posts results from testers showing a viable film

BOOO

Slide film was supposed to be dead by now. 'Yeaaaah well the colors might not be the same and the rendition is not what I want and the temperature is going to be too cool or too warm and they didn't upgrade the packaging and I can only get it processed in the mail and I stopped shooting slide years ago and Kodak is only doing this to make money and it's only in 35mm and the Super8 camera is nowhere to be seen and they didn't send me any test rolls and the results are inconclusive'

The above should've read:

Kodak announces possible re-release of slide film

YAYYY!

Kodak announces Ektachrome

WOOHOO!

Kodak begins testing

AWESOME!

Kodak has a tentative release quarter

COOL!

Kodak sends out rolls to beta testers

BOOYAH!

Kodak posts results from testers showing a viable film

WHEN CAN I BUY THIS ALREADY?!

At least that's my take on it. All y'all can be downers about Kodak reintroducing a film if you want (not talking about any specific APUG/Photrio user, but the tone overall), but I'm positively giddy with excitement.

The lab I've been using does an E-6 run weekly. The only downer is that they're talking about cutting that back to monthly. If/when they do that, I'll be resorting to mail order. I live in Illinois, and have received film back from The Darkroom in California about a week after I mailed it to them. That's still an acceptable turn-around time to me.

Oh, and this Ektachrome looks a lot like how I remember it. I don't need super-saturated and amped-up contrast all the time, it'll be nice to have a more normal contrast slide film available from Kodak. Especially if the contrast is a touch lower than that of the Provia 100F, which is a great slide film in its own right.

 

[Cholentpot]

The above should've read:

Kodak announces possible re-release of slide film

YAYYY!

Kodak announces Ektachrome

WOOHOO!

Kodak begins testing

AWESOME!

Kodak has a tentative release quarter

COOL!

Kodak sends out rolls to beta testers

BOOYAH!

Kodak posts results from testers showing a viable film

WHEN CAN I BUY THIS ALREADY?!

At least that's my take on it. All y'all can be downers about Kodak reintroducing a film if you want (not talking about any specific APUG/Photrio user, but the tone overall), but I'm positively giddy with excitement.

The lab I've been using does an E-6 run weekly. The only downer is that they're talking about cutting that back to monthly. If/when they do that, I'll be resorting to mail order. I live in Illinois, and have received film back from The Darkroom in California about a week after I mailed it to them. That's still an acceptable turn-around time to me.

Oh, and this Ektachrome looks a lot like how I remember it. I don't need super-saturated and amped-up contrast all the time, it'll be nice to have a more normal contrast slide film available from Kodak. Especially if the contrast is a touch lower than that of the Provia 100F, which is a great slide film in its own right.

I was being sarcastic.

I'm excited about a new American made slide film. Sure I can't really afford to shoot it now but it's nice to have around for when I can afford it.

 

[ME Super]

I was being sarcastic.

I'm excited about a new American made slide film. Sure I can't really afford to shoot it now but it's nice to have around for when I can afford it.

Sarcasm is good. Defuses tense situations, it does.