Can we save Kodachrome?

[Alain 91]

Hi,

The K25 was my preferred film. For the fun, one of them taken in Iguazu (Brazil) in December 1987 with my F3HP [FONT=&quot]
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Ciao

 

[andrewmore]

Unmounted Kodachrome

Unmounted Kodachrome

I just got my first batch of Kodachrome back from Dwayne's (it's the first time I've shot any since they stopped processing it here in Europe), and I have mixed feelings...

It only took 2 weeks to go from here (UK) to Switzerland, thence to Dwayne's, and all the way back to me on the reverse journey. That's pretty good.

They all scan on my V700 with a slight magenta cast (as I have mentioned earlier). It's easy to correct post-scan, but I can't correct it by a scanner setting because it's slightly different in each shot. It seems to depend on the actual colour balance of each one - the more blue sky in the shot, the greater the overall magenta cast. But it's easy enough to correct afterwards, so it doesn't bother me all that much.

The look of Kodachrome really is nice. I don't know how to describe it really, but there's a kind of "presence" with KR trannies that you don't get with other films.

But oh, woe - in the US they're still using those horrible card mounts that Kodak abandoned in Europe decades ago?! All my KR slides from the 80s onwards that were processed here are in nice plastic mounts with square corners. And now I have these obsolete abominations thrust back on me, with the stupid round corners that mean you have to lose a significant chunk of the image to get a square scan. And possibly even worse, there are loads of card fibres encroaching into the frame - the edges of the scans are hairy! As I don't send them to Dwayne's directly I can't even ask for it to be processed unmounted, because here in the UK we can only buy KR pre-paid and have to send it back in the supplied envelopes with no options.

Much as I love KR, an even though I can put up with having to send them half way round the world for processing, and I don't really mind the additional effort in removing the magenta cast from the scans, the card mounts are the last straw. I think a sad day is upon me - I think I've shot my last ever Kodachrome.

If you cut the dispatch envelope off along the line indicated and write unmounted in the notes section on the film canister the film will come back unmounted. That's what the cut off line is for. This used to be explained somewhere on the packaging, but I expect Kodak thought that everyboby knew this and when the envelopes were reprinted the instructions got missed off. The card mounts are truly dreadful and the hairy bits get embedded in the film which i suspect gets mounted when slightly damp.

I'm waiting for five rolls to come back. Here in the UK the film is still available through Jessops - they just seem to keep film in a drawer for us oddball users. It also appears that once it is sold their stock control system will automatically top up the supply..

Regards

Andrew More

 

[andrewmore]

Card mounts

Card mounts

As I said, I don't have that option - from the UK they're pre-paid and there are no processing options.


That would be just one more chore too much, and puts KR just too far away from the convenience of E6.

(I really must pay more attention when composing replies..)

The reason that Kodak used card mounts (and i expect Wayne's too) is that they don't make the annoying 'chink chink' noise that plastic mounts make when projected in a Kodak Carousel projector - something to do with the vibration from the cooling fan.

Andrew More

 

[Harry Lime]

The magenta cast I see is not visible in the slides themselves when viewed with a slide viewer or projected, so the processing is just fine - it is only there on the scans. And it's there even when the exposures are perfect.

Interesting. I wonder why that is.

What scanner and software are you using?

 

[Erik L]

just ordered some Kodachrome

 

[Tuolumne]

But oh, woe - in the US they're still using those horrible card mounts that Kodak abandoned in Europe decades ago?! All my KR slides from the 80s onwards that were processed here are in nice plastic mounts with square corners. And now I have these obsolete abominations thrust back on me, with the stupid round corners that mean you have to lose a significant chunk of the image to get a square scan. And possibly even worse, there are loads of card fibres encroaching into the frame - the edges of the scans are hairy! As I don't send them to Dwayne's directly I can't even ask for it to be processed unmounted, because here in the UK we can only buy KR pre-paid and have to send it back in the supplied envelopes with no options.

Yes, this is a BIG problem when scanning. And Dwaynes mounts all of their slides in cardboard mounts. Hence, I ask for my slides to be returned to me uncut and unmounted. They are glad to oblige - less work for them. Just include a note with your next order.

/T

 

[sanmich]

Yes, this is a BIG problem when scanning. And Dwaynes mounts all of their slides in cardboard mounts. Hence, I ask for my slides to be returned to me uncut and unmounted. They are glad to oblige - less work for them. Just include a note with your next order.

/T

Same here.
And unmounted films are sooo much more compact to store than mounted trannies.

 

[oscroft]

If you cut the dispatch envelope off along the line indicated and write unmounted in the notes section on the film canister the film will come back unmounted. That's what the cut off line is for. This used to be explained somewhere on the packaging, but I expect Kodak thought that everyboby knew this and when the envelopes were reprinted the instructions got missed off

Oh yes, there's a little corner on the envelope marked with a dotted line. You know, that's stirring vague memories from years ago now - but I never needed unmounted trannies back when they used to come back in slim plastic mounts.

Here in the UK the film is still available through Jessops

It's a lot cheaper at 7dayshop - £6.35 compared to £11.99 at Jessops.

The reason that Kodak used card mounts (and i expect Wayne's too) is that they don't make the annoying 'chink chink' noise that plastic mounts make when projected in a Kodak Carousel projector - something to do with the vibration from the cooling fan

Interesting - I wonder why they abandoned card mounts in the UK then.

 

[oscroft]

The magenta cast I see is not visible in the slides themselves when viewed with a slide viewer or projected, so the processing is just fine - it is only there on the scans. And it's there even when the exposures are perfect

Interesting. I wonder why that is.

What scanner and software are you using?

Epson V700 and Epson Scan s/w (I'd try other s/w, but I need the speed of scanning 12 at a time).

 

[KM-25]

But today, it's an expensive film with a narrow dynamic range and low tolerance for exposure errors. It's not surprising that pros have fled for digital - you can get all the benefits and burdens - just faster and cheaper.

Well, not all pros have to go faster and cheaper. A lot of them that are in specific areas of professional photography often get to or even insist on shooting both.

The best part of Kodachrome for me are the limits it imposes on you. I shoot in the order of 200,000 digital images a year and I can say with impunity that shooting Kodachrome is like running on pavement and digital like running in sand. You simply hit a very definite limit in which you can play off of and get in sync with.

If one looks at the work of jay Maisel, Eric Meola, Enrst Haas, Bill Allard and so on, quite often you can see where the limits helped to create the look.

But you have to learn to see light in "Kodachrome". And the price, this is a priceless film we are talking about here, I have invested tens of thousands in the gear alone just to shoot it at the level that is deserves.

Kodachrome is not for everyone. You have to be patient and dedicated and then believe me, you will be aptly rewarded.

And as far as the seemingly never ending need for more dynamic range, I could care less. I like images that transcend light's ability to bounce and envelope something. Increased dynamic range seems to flatten that out and badly.

Kodachrome on the other hand is the closest thing to an Old Master's painting I have ever experienced.

I sat up and looked at a new batch from Seattle last night, mind blowing good film.

I also just ordered 100 rolls from Freestyle today as well.

And minor processing glitches here and there? Dude....it is going to take a hell of a lot more than that to stop me from shooting it.

Kodachrome is the real deal, either you are real good or you are not and the film will never hide that.

I doubt we can save it, but I know I am doing right by it by dedicating my self to it like I am now.