Kodak ending KODACHROME run after 74 years, still can't get that Paul Simon song out of its head
By Paul Miller 
posted June 22nd 2009 11:35AM
posted June 22nd 2009 11:35AM
They give us those nice bright colors
They give us the greens of summers
Makes you think all the world's a sunny day, oh yeah
I got a Nikon camera
I love to take a photograph
So mama don't take my Kodachrome away
Kodak estimates supplies of existing stock will run out sometime in early fall. Don't forget to hum that cool acoustic guitar riff in between the verses. You're welcome.
Kodachrome was a tough to process film -- but when it came to color saturation, detail, sharpness and grain -- it could not be beat. I've shot with Fujichrome and Kodachrome -- of the two film types, I've consistently found Kodachrome to be the best. As well, I always felt that the end of the analogue age of photography would be marked by Kodak discontinuing Kodachrome. I haven't shot professionally in analogue in quite some time -- but as one who has worked in the lab -- and has been behind the lens -- it is truly a sad day.
Man, i loved using Kodachrome. Such a great film. Hopefully the DSLRs will get better at producing B&W.
Whoops. Wrong film. :|
BYE BYE KODAK.
we will not miss you.
I'll tell you who still uses kodachorme, people that want their slide's to last. There is no comparison between E-6 processing for the fuji and ektachrome vs. the K-14 kodachrome processing. I have scanned thousands of slides and have seen E-6 loose quality even after 10 years, on kodachrome I don't think I've ever seen one go bad from age.
Color-wise in the short term the velvia is great, no argument there, though while small mini labs ensure that things don't get lost as easily you do need to worry about them destroying the film due to poor maintenance and/or training. I watched more film destroyed by smaller mini-labs than I ever saw get lost by Kodak.
It's pretty moot anyhow, as most are going to move to digital for ease of just about everything and not particularly lose any quality (at the pro-level).
That's because in the K-14 process, the dyes are added right to the bath, where in E-6, the dyes are created in the film itself. E-6 films only need one reveral and color developing step - K-14 needs three. K-14 is a real pain to process - way more difficult than E-6, and E-6 is way more difficult to process than your standard color negative film (C41). I am suprised Dwayne's has held on doing K14 as long as they have, considering it is difficult to find decent E-6 processing anymore. Dwayne's intends to continue processing K14 until the end of next year.
It used to be that in every major market, you would have a number of professional 'film' labs. These are funtionally extinct in the wild (there are no mating pairs outside of captivity) and any places offering professional quality film processing can only offer the service a few days a week on average. Thus, Kodak's stock is in the tank, Fuji laid off another 30% of its US workforce three weeks ago, and photo manufacturers Agfa, Konica, Minolta, Gretag, Pako, and so many others have gone away.
It used to be a really great business....
Good thing I picked up a coolscan 5000 earlier. I think for colour there is a charm still to film but digital is close. For BW there is no comparison - at least while they insist on using bayer sensors and AA filters.
KODAK must ship a lot of TMAX still. Here in Beijing it is sold by the bucket load at my local dealer - people are all shooting the stuff. And last year kodak said that total film sales went up compared to 2007.
Anyway - some nice kodak shots of mine on film (with the odd digi one in there too before I came to my senses). www.zhaopianblog.com.cn
/RF.
omg plz
Too bad, my dad found a box of my grandfather's photos, all on kodachrome, he sent them off and they came back looking even better than some of the photos from my $500 digital camera do.
I love this song, shame it is coming to an end. I'm going to stock up on this stuff. Still use my Canon AE-1, film still wins over digital!
I always thought the song was saying "momma don't take my chloroform away".
TOTALLY different song, dude... :P
I'm always a little saddened by the end of an era, although in all honesty, I haven't used a film camera of any sort in years. When it comes right down to it, the convenience of digital is a winner for me even though the result does not quite match the "real" feel of film. I suspect most average folks are in the same boat, the convenience of digital just can't be beat, and in most cases the result is good enough.
The good 'ole camera days...
I have colour photographs going back more then 50 years. Film from the US, Europe, Eastern Europe, Japan, including lots of colour tests. Many have faded or changed beyond recognition- but not the Kodachromes. They are as sharp and brilliant as ever. Unfortunately the development is complicated and has to be done in a dedicated laboratory; also the film speed is rather slow so the end was inevitable. I'm surprised it has lasted so long.
Actually, if you are scanning slides, aren't you using ectachrome?
RIP Kodak. We will miss you dearly.
Woe to those too young/innocent/stupid to know the meaning of the quality of Kodachrome. The X-Gens don't know anything different than crappy cell phone calls and crude photos. Color them ignorant. Sure DSLRs are getting better, but just as fine vinyl recordings are finally a cult status, surely there will be a Kodachrome archive somewhere that only high-end cameras can approach.
The new Ektar blows everything away.
ARGH! I still have a roll of Kodachrome 120 in my freezer. I guess I'll never use it. Need to buy a few more rolls of 35mm Kodachrome just for old time sake and maybe keep the 120 roll company in the freezer. After shooting hundreds of rolls of Kodachrome the hassle of finding a processor that won't "lose" or ruin rolls of film (thanks Kodak for doing that to my Hawaii pictures) got harder and harder.
That was a terrible video!
Sad, sad day. But you know, vinyl lps have made a comeback. Maybe silver gelatin will do the same some day.
Already has....
TOTALLY off subject but, God I love my Sonos with Rhapsody... 2 clicks and I'm playing Kodachrome! CANNOT wait for that new controller.
After a brief affair with DSLRs I just decided last week to clean up my old Pentax for a lasting relationship.
I knew good film processing was going to be difficult to find, but OH, the irony!!
Please don't take my Kodachrome...
Kodachrome was made by God and Man.
first farrah, then michael, now this. kodachrome r.i.p.