Kodak Reintroduces Ektachrome.

[AgX]

I received an e-mail this morning from thedarkroom.com stating that they can no longer mount 35mm slides due to a shortage of mounts.... if this is an industry-wide problem, this will make E-6 much less attractive to me and others and may hurt E-6 sales.

Europe's largest industrial lab cancelled slide-mounting two years ago due to lack of spares for their mounting machine(s).
Of course anything can be repaired, but with a processing price at about 2€ per film and the minmal numbers of slide film they get sent in...

 

[BrianShaw]

Slide mounting is a niche service associated with slide film, which is a niche product, associated with film photography, which is a niche hobby/industry. We are dinosaurs... Neanderthal at best.

I’ll be happy if I ever see some of this mythical Ektachrome at a price I’m willing to buy... mounting is the least of my worries.

 

[macfred]

I’ll be happy if I ever see some of this mythical Ektachrome at a price I’m willing to buy... mounting is the least of my worries.

This!

 

[trendland]

Slide mounting is a niche service associated with slide film, which is a niche product, associated with film photography, which is a niche hobby/industry. We are dinosaurs... Neanderthal at best.

I’ll be happy if I ever see some of this mythical Ektachrome at a price I’m willing to buy... mounting is the least of my worries.

As I mentioned before Brian there is absolute nothing mythical with this Ektachrome. The exeption today is the avaibility caused from great demand, or from bad postal service of some retailers,
or from bad calculation on first 3.party orders or retailers calculation.

with regards
PS : Ceep calm Brian so long before you will get the note :"Your order can't be shipped because the Film is temporaryly not avaible , we will replace your order and inform you about New avaibility but not before April19 .."...EVERYTHING is fine ...isn't it Brian

 

[Wallendo]

I can see that mounting film when the cost of development is 2 Euros would not be profitable. On the other hand, thedarkroom.com charges $14/roll plus shipping. With the current changes, I have seen nothing to suggest that the price will be lowered, and have every reason to believe that when mounting is re-available it will be at an additional charge.

I know that I can mount the images myself. In fact, receiving unmounted film will allow me to scan the complete image before mounting. On the other hand, if I am having to do all that work myself, I might as well develop my own E-6. I could probably modify my workflow so that I could mount images as I scan them - that way I can be 100% analog and hybrid at the same time.

I will likely still use thedarkroom's services from time-to-time as it is convenient to have pre-paid mailers (no trip to the post office) and scans emailed on development (if the slides are lost, at least there is some low-res preservation of the images). I guess what bothers me the most is that this announcement comes out right as Ektachrome is released.

 

[trendland]

Europe's largest industrial lab cancelled slide-mounting two years ago due to lack of spares for their mounting machine(s).
Of course anything can be repaired, but with a processing price at about 2€ per film and the minmal numbers of slide film they get sent in...

By the way Agx I saw this problem with some mounts long time before and ordered some in panic of avaibility 2005!!!!!! Today there are still 3000 or more mounts my own but self mounting is a bit frustrating if you have more than 10 35mm E6 to mount.
The labs exit from mounting for a longer while that is right.
with regards

 

[BrianShaw]

A major film retailer in my area had just 50 rolls. Of course they were all sold out before they even arrived. That kind of quantity is nothing more than a field trial. I keep asking and nobody, including yourself, Trendland, can answer (numerically) how big is/was the supply and how big is/was the demand. Commercialially viable supply or demand is just idle speculation on the internet it seems. I really think both are severely limited...

For me that makes this “product “ both mythical and elusive. I could be a user (as I once was) but not invested enough to go too far out of my way until (God willing) I can walk into a camera shop, plunk my money down, and walk out the door with a few rolls. Okay... I’ll be willing to mailorder too but only if it is shipped immediately. I refused to prepay on a hope of a possible future delivery.

 

[trendland]

I can see that mounting film when the cost of development is 2 Euros would not be profitable. On the other hand, thedarkroom.com charges $14/roll plus shipping. With the current changes, I have seen nothing to suggest that the price will be lowered, and have every reason to believe that when mounting is re-available it will be at an additional charge.

I know that I can mount the images myself. In fact, receiving unmounted film will allow me to scan the complete image before mounting. On the other hand, if I am having to do all that work myself, I might as well develop my own E-6. I could probably modify my workflow so that I could mount images as I scan them - that way I can be 100% analog and hybrid at the same time.

I will likely still use thedarkroom's services from time-to-time as it is convenient to have pre-paid mailers (no trip to the post office) and scans emailed on development (if the slides are lost, at least there is some low-res preservation of the images). I guess what bothers me the most is that this announcement comes out right as Ektachrome is released.

In fact : If your service and possible others services are indeed "hanging" on the unavaibility of mounts
(Sold out / discontinuation Worldwide) Kodak has to react : LOOK at calculation from above.
A lab can't order that efficiency amound but Kodak should be able. Thinking about Kodak paper mounts !
with regards

 

[BrianShaw]

In fact : If your service and possible others services are indeed "hanging" on the unavaibility of mounts
(Sold out / discontinuation Worldwide) Kodak has to react : LOOK at calculation from above.
A lab can't order that efficiency amound but Kodak should be able. Thinking about Kodak paper mounts !
with regards

If Kodak was smart they’d stick to their knitting and make film so both the availability and demand is really there. I’m quite sure an enterprising third-party can solve and fulfill the mounting problem if there is a profit to be made.

Perhaps a great business opportunity!

Did Kodak ever make the slide mounts or slide mounting equipment?

 

[faberryman]

I’m quite sure an enterprising third-party can solve and fulfill the mounting problem if there is a profit to be made.

Either the business model isn't working or there's no profit to be made.

 

[BrianShaw]

Either the business model isn't working or there's no profit to be made.

Well... that’s the absolute truth.

 

[trendland]

Remember :

with regards

 

[trendland]

Either the business model isn't working or there's no profit to be made.

In case of unprofitability there is allways the solution of mixed calculation and indirect subsidization.
Because Wallendo isn't that wrong what he stated.

with regards

PS : Most of Ektachrome consumer would not need a mounting service but who can be so sure ?

 

[BrianShaw]

Yes, I remember well, but not the red ones except as seen by slides shot by my Dad. Although Kodak is stamped on the cardboard, my question was did Kodak actually manufacture, sell or provide as a courtesy that cardboard or the associated equipment. I ask because I really don’t know. Everyone who ever processed 35mm e-6 for me just mounted... sometimes in Kodak-marked mounts and sometimes in plain white generic mounts. I have no idea where they got the mounts or the equipment.

But I really agree with your last PS... I’m not convinced that most Ektachrome users will really be using a slide projector to show slides... if they can even find a working slide projector. As a handling convenience I like mounts. As a necessity... I rarely need mounted slides in the past 15 years, today or in the future.

 

[trendland]

Yes, I remember well, but not the red ones except as seen by slides shot by my Dad. Although Kodak is stamped on the cardboard, my question was did Kodak actually manufacture, sell or provide as a courtesy that cardboard or the associated equipment.

I guess Agfa was THE champion at last. Slide projection had seen its culmination within the later 70th.
The latest Innovation with slide mounts came from Agfa 1992 (AgfaCS) and yes in regard of this,
Agfa was involved (from patents/licenses) in automatic mounting processes.
Kodak produced no platic mounts itself. But there have been some with Kodak name on it.
(The white ones) I am sure that may differed to different regions because this mounting wasn't on Kodachrome it was special with Ektachrome (Ektachrome wich included development).
with regards

PS : The "paper" mounts came from same manufacturers wich provided the package for the Films.

 

[BrianShaw]

Thanks for that insight, T-land!

BTW, I absolutely HATED plastic mounts. Too often saw scratches on the film plus warpage (especially in 140 Carousel trays) on heavy use. But for re-mounting purposes I always saved them. Not too long ago sent a big box of them and Carousel trays to the recycle center. Probably should have auctioned them off but...

 

[mshchem]

Can you send me a link?

http://www.largeformatphotography.i...-now-shipping/page2&highlight=Xpan+Ektachrome

 

[Anon Ymous]

http://www.largeformatphotography.i...-now-shipping/page2&highlight=Xpan+Ektachrome

Ah, bummer, requires login ...

 

[mshchem]

A major film retailer in my area had just 50 rolls. Of course they were all sold out before they even arrived. That kind of quantity is nothing more than a field trial. I keep asking and nobody, including yourself, Trendland, can answer (numerically) how big is/was the supply and how big is/was the demand. Commercialially viable supply or demand is just idle speculation on the internet it seems. I really think both are severely limited...

For me that makes this “product “ both mythical and elusive. I could be a user (as I once was) but not invested enough to go too far out of my way until (God willing) I can walk into a camera shop, plunk my money down, and walk out the door with a few rolls. Okay... I’ll be willing to mailorder too but only if it is shipped immediately. I refused to prepay on a hope of a possible future delivery.

If it's dribbled out, it's just that much more appealing

 

[AgX]

I guess Agfa was THE champion at last. Slide projection had seen its culmination within the later 70th.
The latest Innovation with slide mounts came from Agfa 1992 (AgfaCS) and yes in regard of this,

The Agfa CS system was for parts very well designed. Hovever their storing box to hold the trays is shit, I got the biggest problem to get the trays out of mine again, the trays get immediately stuck once inserted, and the boxes are not warped or so.
Also in years I only once came across CS trays. As long as one can find other slim mounts the CS mount only makes real sense if one got the CS trays too.

 

[cmacd123]

Yes, I remember well, but not the red ones except as seen by slides shot by my Dad. Although Kodak is stamped on the cardboard, my question was did Kodak actually manufacture, sell or provide as a courtesy that cardboard or the associated equipment. I ask because I really don’t know. Everyone who ever processed 35mm e-6 for me just mounted... sometimes in Kodak-marked mounts and sometimes in plain white generic mounts. I have no idea where they got the mounts or the equipment..

Kodak did market "Ready Mounts" for home mounting, but the cardboard mounts and the mounting machines may have been made by third parties. When the 140 Trays came out, many photofinishers in Notth America switched to the PAKON thin Plastic mounts, which indeed run the risk or scratching the film if the machine does not open the slot in the mount fully... PAKO, a major supplier of Photofinishing equipment made the machines. I believe that these are the mounts that are not hadily available anymore and the machines NEED those specific Mounts to work.

the PIC brand cardboard mounts are still made at about 33dollars US a thousand. But the machines to use those probably were junked when the Labs switched to the PAKON mounts. I have a hand Mounter for those that looks like a pair of electric Pliers.

 

[cmacd123]

BTW, North America and Europe are different in that Mounting was generally always lumped in with processing in North America, while it often was a separate level of service in Europe. European Mounts are often Thicker and may include glass inserts.

 

[BrianShaw]

Thanks for that history!

 

[fdonadio]

My workflow with slides was pretty different from most people’s. Shooting skateboarding is a wasteful process and “off-moment” and failed trick attempt shots are useless (unless there’s a photogenic bail involved ), so they get thrown in the “round filing cabinet”.

Usually, I only needed half a dozen mounts per full 135-36 roll, so I mounted them myself. I love Gepe mounts, both for 135 and 120.

 

[mshchem]

I use Gepe snap together mounts. There's still mounts out there . Those Kodak Ready Mounts were a nightmare. I checked Pakor née Pakon née Pako. No slide mounts listed on their site. Pakor is remarkable company still in Minnesota USA. Pakor had three (3) cloth belts made to order for me. 50 year old Pakomax dryer. The dies for injection molding slide mounts must be something to see .