What's the situation regarding slides ("chromes") these days?

[Galah]

I haven't shot slide film in 30 years: is it still available. What's the go?

In the (distant) past, you bought a cassette of Kodachrome, Agfachrome or Fuji, Ferania, or whatever and they included a little posting bag and, usually, in 2 or 3 weeks a nice cardboard or plastic container would arrive with 24+ or 36+ slides mounted in cardboard or plastic mounts for you to screen with your projector.

What is the scene today (if possible with reference to Australia)?

Can you still buy the film?

Do "they" still process it?

What's happening, and how do you go for it?

 

[chrism]

It's quite available and at least in the US you can still have it processed via a mailer. A lot of local labs exist to process but not as many as before of course.
Fuji and Kodak both make slide film.

 

[mudman]

I like slides. Less then ten dollars for developing a 36 roll at a pro lab where I live in nice Gepe mounts (plastic). Favorites are Ektachrome 100 VS or 100 G and Fuji Provia.

 

[Katier]

FWIW Kodachrome is still sometimes found, it's no longer made and it gets processed in the US ( I believe if you have the mailer you can send it to the Kodak address and they forward it on ) but if you happen to be feeling nostaligic it's still there as an option.

 

[Prest_400]

Still going well. There is lot of Fuji slide film around, Kodak also got lots. But it's more expensive than negative film; If i'm not wrong, before slide was cheaper.
So kodachrome has been definitively discontinued? Too bad I won't be in time for try it. And the rolls that I can found here are at 30$ one unit. And then processing...

 

[keithwms]

Astia.... 400x... lots of good newish stuff out there in E6. Also note that dr5 processes various b&w print films to b&w slide, and there are some good reasons to do that. E.g. I sometimes take smallish chromes (35mm or such) and enlarge them to b&w sheet film for contact printing.

 

[aluk]

Kodachrome 64 has *not* been discontinued. It is readily available at many American and Canadian camera stores, as well as online. However, it is possible that it is imported into Australia anymore. If you buy it in Europe it includes developing.

 

[Chazzy]

FWIW Kodachrome is still sometimes found, it's no longer made and it gets processed in the US ( I believe if you have the mailer you can send it to the Kodak address and they forward it on ) but if you happen to be feeling nostaligic it's still there as an option.

I would like to have your source for the information that Kodachrome is no longer made—preferably a Kodak source. Internet rumors can be very damaging.

 

[Seabird]

What is the scene today (if possible with reference to Australia)?

As for Australia, you should still be able to find E6 processing in all the state capitals. Where abouts in Oz are you? I dont use a lot of E6 but in the past have dropped off / collected my 120 E6 films at Photo Reisel in Kent St, Sydney cos they are close to where I work. I further understand that Stephen Frizza (member here?) runs a lab at Bondi called The Lighthouse or suchlike - though I've never used him. In the case of 35mm you can usually ask to have the slides mounted or not - mounts are still available cheaply enough if you want to do that yourself.

As others have said, Kodachrome is now all processed in the states. Last time I used it (mid 2008) I simply posted the film to the Australian Kodak address on the mailer and Kodak forwarded it to the states for processing. Turnaround times are obviously longer than for a locally processed E6 film.

The yellow pages will probably disclose which labs are still doing E6 - although the number is decreasing.

Hope this helps

Carey Bird

 

[PKM-25]

FWIW Kodachrome is still sometimes found, it's no longer made

Perhaps some friendly local enlightenment is in order:

(there was a url link here which no longer exists)

(there was a url link here which no longer exists)

 

[JBrunner]

I shoot both Kodak and Fuji chrome almost every week. I have it processed locally at Nichols Photo Lab.

 

[Anon Ymous]

...So kodachrome has been definitively discontinued? Too bad I won't be in time for try it. And the rolls that I can found here are at 30$ one unit. And then processing...

As others said, it's still alive. There's a tiny bit of detail about kodachrome that has to be mentioned. If you live in the US, you can buy K64, which you have to send to the last remaining lab that processes it (Dwayne's). You need to pay for processing. If you buy from europe, you're likely to get process paid kodachrome. The price difference is big, but consider this: You need to send it to Lausanne. They will then forward it to Dwayne's, it will be sent back Lausanne, and then to you. After buying a roll, the only thing you need to pay is the postage to Switzerland. Anyway, there are on line shops that sell kodachrome for something like 10 - 12 euros.

EDIT: Have a look here.