Better than Kodachrome, ...

[Sparrow]

... will sensor technology eventually outmatch Kodachrome? ... I keep seeing photos from the SD1M and 50mm f1.4, often from Keith in threads on here, and being mightily impressed ... and normally I don't even look at the gear side of things

 

[doolittle]

... will sensor technology eventually outmatch Kodachrome? ... I keep seeing photos from the SD1M and 50mm f1.4, often from Keith in threads on here, and being mightily impressed ... and normally I don't even look at the gear side of things

Outmatch Kodachrome by what criteria? I would have thought we are well past that point already (dynamic range, resolution, though maybe not on je ne sais quoi yet!),

 

[Photo_Smith]

Kodachrome wasn't a high point for film development, it was a fairly unusual non substantive emulsion famed for its colour palette being one of the early colour films running right though the booming times of the 1950's and 60's.
In reality we outmatched it in the early 1980's by most metrics, the users that loved it did so for the colours.

The film has gone now, those colours will not return.

 

[farlymac]

Personally, I never did care for Kodachrome. I'm going to miss Ektachrome when it's all gone.

PF

 

[Spanik]

Well so far not a single digital file has reached the lifespan of Kodachrome. I have Kodachromes my dad shot beginning of the '60's that are as fresh as then. And these are certainly not the oldest around. My oldest digital photo's are from 2002.

 

[Photo_Smith]

From a shoebox to eternity, did the 40's every really go out of style?

The like we will never see again, nostalgia though visceral images.

 

[doolittle]

Well so far not a single digital file has reached the lifespan of Kodachrome. I have Kodachromes my dad shot beginning of the '60's that are as fresh as then. And these are certainly not the oldest around. My oldest digital photo's are from 2002.

It definitely wins on longevity. I have slides my father shot in the 50s which all aged perfectly. Unfortunately many of the agfachromes and others from the 70s and 80s had degraded badly (fungus).

 

[KoNickon]

From a shoebox to eternity, did the 40's every really go out of style?

The like we will never see again, nostalgia though visceral images.

Love it. A relative of yours?

 

[jsrockit]

If you loved Kodachrome, it will probably never be fully replaced in your mind. It was unique. Once in awhile, I think the output from Leica M8 has a Kodachrome feel at times... but that is probably due to my only using Kodachrome a few times.

 

[Photo_Smith]

Love it. A relative of yours?

Actually no, it came out of an old shoebox–really! It's a slice of time. What I like about the shot is the plate camera photographer in the background.

I have a loads of Kodachrome in little yellow boxes ranging from the early 1980's to the last summer–nothing has the look, and will never again.

From the first roll when I was 15:

Rowan Tree by Photo Utopia, on Flickr

And the last roll; the summer before they stopped forever

Southwold Beach huts by Photo Utopia, on Flickr

 

[Michael Markey]

Kodachrome wasn't a high point for film development

It was for me 🙂
Haven`t liked any other offering since apart from the colour of the Foveon sensor.

 

[Sparrow]

If you loved Kodachrome, it will probably never be fully replaced in your mind. It was unique. Once in awhile, I think the output from Leica M8 has a Kodachrome feel at times... but that is probably due to my only using Kodachrome a few times.

I wasn't a fan myself ... I miss CT18, and GAF500 in 120, I just picked kodachrome as a 'much loved film' it was that sensor in the SD1M that was impressing me, somewhat reminiscent of 60's slide film, in the same way the d70/rd1 sensor looks like ektachrome 400 from the 70's and 80's

 

[Photo_Smith]

It was for me 🙂
Haven`t liked any other offering since apart from the colour of the Foveon sensor.

Sure you might like the colours, but it still doesn't make it the high point in film development. I guess personal taste is just that; I loved KK and I'm not liking the look of the Sigma sensors, they look very different from Bayer but like any niche it will have its devotees.

It's great to have choice, and I hope Sigma continues to improve the technology it may have its devotees as did Kodachrome but they are very different.
With choice everyones a winner, I'm not sure what 'better than' means only that every so often someone claims (insert favourite camera) looks just like (insert favourite film)

It looks nothing like it, it is what it is and it's time to move on.

 

[Michael Markey]

Sure you might like the colours, but it still doesn't make it the high point in film development.

....that`s why I qualified it by saying it was for me.🙂
I shot nothing else from the early seventies through to the eighties ... 25/64 and the odd roll of 200.

Never found any other colour film which I liked although Porta looks good .

 

[JPSuisse]

The title was a come-on that got me to open the thread at least.

No, I think Kodachrome was unique and won't be replaced by anything really.

 

[Vics]

I loved Kodachrome!

Blenheim Palace, Wodstock 08 by Victor Ross, on Flickr

 

[lynnb]

I like the rich colour and contrast of KR25 and have also been appreciating the feel of the Foveon photos that Keith and others have been posting. The Sigma look has a similar aesthetic IMHO. Great to have the choice.

 

[Range-rover]

To me when I used to go to Ken Hanson's on Broadway and get a new or used Leica
lens, Jim Lager used to always say throw in some Kodachrome, I love that slide film
and with a Leica it was just stunning it was the only slide film I used, and nothing
will replace it.

Range

 

[Jubb Jubb]

I never got to shoot Kodachrome unfortunately but love seeing shots from photographers like Steve McCurry, Constantine Manos and Alex Webb. The film definitely has a romantic characteristic about it, soft detail yet beautiful colour.

Isn't the Leica Kodak sensor based on kodachrome?

 

[airfrogusmc]

Kodachrome was one of the only archival color processes and Kodachrome 25 professional was the benchmark until it was discontinued.

These scans do not do the transparencies justice. And they are all well over 20 years old and look as good today as the the day I got them back from Kodak.
Kodachrome 64 120 Shot with a 500 C/M

Kodachrome 25 professional PKM 135 shot with Canon F-1.