Kodak retire Kodachrome

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DJ
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Kodak retire Kodachrome

Post by DJ » Mon Jun 22, 2009 6:54 pm Etc/GMT-1+01:00

Just saw this:

http://www.robgalbraith.com/bins/conten ... 0040-10142

Doesn't bode well for other films...

Here's hoping this doesn't give Fuji any ideas.

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IanG
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Post by IanG » Mon Jun 22, 2009 7:58 pm Etc/GMT-1+01:00

It has no bearing what s ever on the future of other films.

The process was too costly to maintain at reduced levels, the film expensive to make, processing as always far too slow and to top it all K64 wasn't that good a film by modern standards, certainly not in UK lighting conditions.

Kodak production actually ceased 4 maybe 5 years ago, since then they've just confectioned new batches once a year from the last master rolls.

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DJ
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Post by DJ » Tue Jun 23, 2009 11:07 am Etc/GMT-1+01:00

Having read a bit more detail on this, I can't say I'm surprised they're retiring it.

Apparently Kodachrome has no colour in the emulsion as we're used to in say Velvia, and when it is shot it is black & white, and the colour is then added in the development stage, which is why it's such a specialist development and why only one lab in the world still does it.

I'm sure many of you knew this already but I had no idea, fascinating process.

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IanG
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Post by IanG » Tue Jun 23, 2009 6:25 pm Etc/GMT-1+01:00

It was the processing times that always held Kodachrome back after the introduction of E6, particularly in the UK.

Kodak did offer a fast turnaround through a London collection point for a while but that was no use to those of us outside the capital.

Fuji 50D was virtually as good as K25 and far easier to get processed and picture libraries soon accepted 50D where previously they'd been only accepting K25 in 35mm, and any film in larger formats.

The process killed of the film. Once K25 went that was the beginning of the end.

Ian

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Post by Peter B » Thu Jun 25, 2009 11:20 pm Etc/GMT-1+01:00

For folks like me who never got the chance to see an LF Kodachrome, I've borrowed this link from an APUG thread. Remember to view full size! :D

http://www.shorpy.com/4x5-large-format-kodachromes

DJ
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Post by DJ » Fri Jun 26, 2009 1:48 am Etc/GMT-1+01:00

Thanks for posting those, they're quite wonderful.

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