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Why did Kodachrome fail in the end? Was it mainly the complexity of the processing?
Why did Kodachrome fail in the end?
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MattKing
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E6 films surpassed it in quality.
It depended on high volumes for quality and economy.
The explosion of one hour and other quick negative/print processing resources replaced slides with prints for most snap shooters.
Amateur movie film (which accounted for a lot of volume) became much less popular than amateur video.
And without its failure, APUG would never have had the "Kodachrome" thread.
It depended on high volumes for quality and economy.
The explosion of one hour and other quick negative/print processing resources replaced slides with prints for most snap shooters.
Amateur movie film (which accounted for a lot of volume) became much less popular than amateur video.
And without its failure, APUG would never have had the "Kodachrome" thread.
No, the demand for slide films had just decreased to the point where it was no longer profitable.
I would dispute whether any of the E6 films were better than Kodachrome. Certainly the Kodachromes were finer grained that the E6 films. Granted that Kodachrome had a certain "look" due to a problematical coupler which produced a distinctive cold tonal balance.
I would dispute whether any of the E6 films were better than Kodachrome. Certainly the Kodachromes were finer grained that the E6 films. Granted that Kodachrome had a certain "look" due to a problematical coupler which produced a distinctive cold tonal balance.
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It's perhaps forgotten that one major reason it failed was lack of local processing facilities, I'm talking Worldwide where unlike the the US there were only a few processing facilities.
The advent of Fuji 50D brought E6 films closer to Kodachrome in terms of quality and magazines like National Geographic allowed their photographers to shoot 35mm E6 where previously they'd only used Kodachrome.
Ian
The advent of Fuji 50D brought E6 films closer to Kodachrome in terms of quality and magazines like National Geographic allowed their photographers to shoot 35mm E6 where previously they'd only used Kodachrome.
Ian
Do not forget that competing manufacturers cancelled their Kodachrome clones in the heydays of slide projection decennia ago.
The high volume high quality deadline dependent pros could use E6 instead.
The clue is they stopped K chrome 25 about 2001 or so.
for example the panographers with a motor blad on mains in a studio and an assistant with dozen 220 backs could shot a lotta film.
The clue is they stopped K chrome 25 about 2001 or so.
for example the panographers with a motor blad on mains in a studio and an assistant with dozen 220 backs could shot a lotta film.
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What about Made in China "Kodachrome" that can be home processed in the near future?
Having experimented with processing Kodachrome....No one could simply home process Kodachrome!
Why can't people accept that Kodachrome is in the past and a part of photographic history instead of this childlike belief that if want something badly enough it will happen ?
I have no idea why Kodachrome failed most probably because they weren't selling enough because most people were shooting digitally and it's time had come to an end, but whatever the reason it isn't coming back, so learn to face facts.
I have no idea why Kodachrome failed most probably because they weren't selling enough because most people were shooting digitally and it's time had come to an end, but whatever the reason it isn't coming back, so learn to face facts.
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Much of the above is/may be true, however, with the smaller volume and improved E6 products, there was, to my understanding, a problem with the chemicals. As the EPA gets tougher, it wasn't worth the hassle to process Kodachrome any more. At least that was my understanding when Kodak decided to cancel it. Photo Engineer, do you have any info. on this?
For whatever reason, Kodak's plans didn't work out so well. When the budget got tight, they had to cut something. K-Chrome was the weakest link. Whether it was losing money or just an under-performer essentially works out to the same thing when the whole company is sinking.
Noop our fault Kodak could make more $ selling E6 cause we bought more E6.
Kodak cancelled kchrome 25 cause they were selling more 64.
there was so little volume they only needed one processor?
When they stopped 25 I stopped buying it. Did not like colours.
It's all my fault.
While pining recently over the loss of Kodachrome, I realized that I hadn't actually purchased a roll since 1982.
When I left home to go to college, I no longer had access to a projector and switched to prints. In retrospect I wish I hadn't, some of my Kodachrome slides from a European Trip in 1982 look almost brand new - most of my prints have been lost.
I wonder how much impact video projectors and PowerPoint had on the transparency industry. At one time, the way we recognized an expert was "someone from out of town with slides".
While pining recently over the loss of Kodachrome, I realized that I hadn't actually purchased a roll since 1982.
When I left home to go to college, I no longer had access to a projector and switched to prints. In retrospect I wish I hadn't, some of my Kodachrome slides from a European Trip in 1982 look almost brand new - most of my prints have been lost.
I wonder how much impact video projectors and PowerPoint had on the transparency industry. At one time, the way we recognized an expert was "someone from out of town with slides".
Is today the 5th?
No, it is my fault!!
I only shot maybe 10 rolls of kodachrome in my 40+ year career.
I shot more E-6 but I like prints so I shot negatives.
The EPA had nothing to do with it. The Kchrome chemistry is no more "awful" than E6 or C41.
Those who lost their prints should still have negatives. I have mine!
Kodachrome failed to sell. Pure and simple. It went out to dealers and was returned or sold out of date due to lack of sales. This began in 2005 actually as Agfa and Ilford ran into problems back then as well, and Kodak got out of the B&W paper end of things. Volumes can just fall too low.
PE
Those who lost their prints should still have negatives. I have mine!
Kodachrome failed to sell. Pure and simple. It went out to dealers and was returned or sold out of date due to lack of sales. This began in 2005 actually as Agfa and Ilford ran into problems back then as well, and Kodak got out of the B&W paper end of things. Volumes can just fall too low.
PE
Kodak Endura color paper still is being coated!
PE
PE
You can get Kodak color paper. It's just in rolls. About 2 years ago I got a 12" wide x 305' box of "Edge Generations". It's quite nice and prints well enough. I also have an 8" roll of "Royal Digital". Works great. Nothing digital about it.
Honestly, the whole thing about rolls sounds worse than it is. In the darkroom you unroll a length - say 25 feet - and put the rest of the roll away. Then use a scissors or paper cutter to cut it to whatever size(s) you want. Put the cut pieces in an old paper box or a paper safe and you are ready to go. Really isn't that bad.
Honestly, the whole thing about rolls sounds worse than it is. In the darkroom you unroll a length - say 25 feet - and put the rest of the roll away. Then use a scissors or paper cutter to cut it to whatever size(s) you want. Put the cut pieces in an old paper box or a paper safe and you are ready to go. Really isn't that bad.
I used to take a brick of ten to a wedding and shoot more than half.
Month or so later go round to brides new home with cartridge projector staple gun and several king size sheets.
Today most weddings are smart phones
Lots of hot news ditto
Our pro photogs cry when I mention bricks... They are not eating.
I can only tell you why I quit using it. Kodak closed their processing labs and the companies that took their place did not do as quality work as Kodak did. For me, this was true for E6 processing as well as for Kodachrome. Kodachrome processing was always complex but after processing Kodachrome for thirty years or so they probably had worked out the answers to the complexities. Of course if people quit using it, that is always the kiss of death on any product, photographic or otherwise. Maybe PE knows some information that we don't.....Regards
Years ago I received a call from a rep at one of the Qualex labs. She called to apologize for my Kodachrome slides having been incorrectly trimmed. (They were mounted OK, just sliced right through the middle of each frame, the entire roll.)
She was very relieved when I told her not to worry as the photos were not of any real significance. So relieved, in fact, that she began speaking quite candidly about their operation. Suspecting strongly at that time that Kodak was trying hard to dump Kodachrome, and then get out of the film business altogether, I quietly asked her how things were going for everyone.
She lowered her voice to a near whisper, then said not real good. She said management was continually cutting expenses, which in turn affected the quality of processing. Like my slides, I offered? Something like that, she replied. She also stated that they all strongly feared for their jobs.
It was a stunning admission. People don't usually speak like that unless they are very afraid and feel they have nothing to lose. I've sometimes wondered whatever happened to her.
Ken
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