Kodachrome 64

[canonetc]

Hi All,

Recently found a cool coffee-table book about Kodachrome 64 for $8.00. The book is a history of the film from before WWII up until the 70's. The best thing about it are the truly INCREDIBLE photos, many shot on 4x5 sheet film and trusty 35mm.
The images from The Third Reich and WWII, such as color pics of Hitler or the FDR-Churchill-Stalin conference, were interesting to say the least, and one of Judy Garland was amazing in it's richness and skin tonal rendition.

Inspired, I grabbed some good ol' 35mm Kodachrome 64 from my refrigerator, and shot a roll on my Contax G2 while in Arizona. Upon taking the film to my photo lab, I was told, "It will take a week; Fuji has to send it to Phoenix. Or, we can send it to Switzerland if you wish. Those are the only places processing 64. So use it up because soon no one in the US will be processing it." Guess I should have found the lab while I was in Phoenix! So, I have to wait a week until they come back.

With the news on AGFA (see Roman's comments on the matter in the Thread about AGFA), plus those prior news on Ilford, makes me begin to wonder if film may see the end of time. And what infuriates me is that those of us who still want to use film may end up being totally ignored for the corporate bottom line. Black market, anyone? 🙂

In some ways, this may be good; we can "corner the market" as artists using film for creativity.

Ah well. I plan on supplying some interesting tidbits of info on what Kodak (and all the other manufacturers followed suit) did in order to manipulate the film market. It's all in the book, and while shocking, not surprising. Basically, it had to do with keeping some things secret.

cheers,

chris
canonetc

 

[dmr]

makes me begin to wonder if film may see the end of time. And what infuriates me is that those of us who still want to use film may end up being totally ignored for the corporate bottom line. Black market, anyone? 🙂

The corporate bottom line usually is that if there is a demand for a product, they will supply that product. From the standpoint of Kodak/Fuji, I'm sure they will make far more selling film than they will selling memory cards for digitals. They will want the film market to last.

As the Unwashed Masses move away from film, sure the supply will decrease with demand, but I don't see the demand -- or the supply -- of film going away before the concrete and the clay beneath my feet begins to crumble. 🙂

Look at B&W film. The average Joe/Jane Snapshooter never uses it, but there's enough demand to keep the supply flowing. Even Kodachrome is still available, sorta. 🙂

 

[wlewisiii]

There is an article in the New York Times (http://www.nytimes.com/2005/05/31/movies/31koda.html) about how the Super-8 folks are screaming about Kodak wanting to discontinue the product as they'd like to stop processing it as well. I've never used it myself, so I can't say much more than that.

William

 

[thpook]

There are actually numerous places in the US that still do the K14 process. Fromex in Long Beach does it, I'm pretty sure Color Services in Santa Barbara can do it, and possibly Richard Armstrong Photo Services, also in Santa Barbara. Santa Barbara has Brooks Institute of Photography, and all the students generally have a phase where they try 50 new emulsions a week. The labs there do a pretty good job keeping up with the students film ADD.

Edit: I'm pretty sure that The Smithsonian still uses Kodachrome to record their collection, because nothing else keeps as well as Kodachrome. There are also probably a couple of old Nat Geo photogs that still use the stuff, so that is a couple of big organizations that Kodak has to cater to.

Edit again: The fromex website says that the only place in the US that still process K14 is in Kansas. I think everyone needs to look up the definition of the word "only" again, because I count at least 2 places now.
Color services doesn't do K14, but I forgive them. They do same day turnaround on E-6, and for this I love them to pieces.

 

[pshinkaw]

Chris:

Rocky Mountain Film processing in Aurora (suburban Denver) also processes K-64. They do film so old that they consider K-64 to be a "current film".

http://www.rockymountainfilm.com/index.html

-Paul

 

[kiev4a]

I think slide film will disappear first. About the only people still shooting it are a few advanced amateurs and some pros. Color neg now is dominate. Kodachrome whill be the first of the slide films to vanish since the developing process is so much more complicated than E-6. I'm surprised you can still get slide film at places like Wallgreen.

I have a high end Ektagraphic slide projector in the closet which I haven't used in years even though I have about 2,000 slides. Shooting new slides means sending the fim several hundred miles and waiting at least a week for it to get back.

 

[dmr]

They do film so old that they consider K-64 to be a "current film".

Have you seen the prices and the turn-around times that Rocky Mountain has? 🙁

Seriously, a while ago right after there was another Kodachrome thread either here or on another system I asked up at the last remaining real photo shop in town if they still sold or processed Kodachrome.

He said that they haven't stocked it for a few years and quit because there was no real demand for it. He said he got tired of throwing it in the short-date bin. He also said that the best ("best", not "only") lab that processed it is down in Kansas, Chanute or Parsons or something in that area. He said that when they do "processing by Kodak" for Kodachrome, they send it down to this smaller indy lab to do it. 🙂

I really think that the key here is supply and demand. There isn't the demand, so the dealers quit stocking it and eventually Kodak will quit making it. As for Ektachrome, it will probably be around long after I am.

 

[pshinkaw]

Rocky Mountain is a "niche" service provider. When you need them, you need them badly.

I think Kodachrome is still pretty easy to use in large metropolitan areas like New York and Los Angeles, but for the rest us its use is in a death spiral.

-Paul

 

[canonetc]

Yeah Paul, I once contacted Rocky Mountain to price their processing on some Tungsten Kodak Slide film, as I was told they were the SOLE national place for it; price was to be $25.00. I have not sent it and it sits on my desk slowwwwly color shifting.... 🙂

chris
canonetc

 

[kbg32]

Chris:

Rocky Mountain Film processing in Aurora (suburban Denver) also processes K-64. They do film so old that they consider K-64 to be a "current film".

http://www.rockymountainfilm.com/index.html

-Paul

Wow, thanks for this info Paul. I have a few rolls of Ektachrome - E4 process, of my brother's wedding in 1975, that I would love to get processed! Don't ask. The film has been refrigerated all this time. It would be interesting to see these images after all these years!

Keith

 

[StuartR]

There are actually numerous places in the US that still do the K14 process. Fromex in Long Beach does it, I'm pretty sure Color Services in Santa Barbara can do it, and possibly Richard Armstrong Photo Services, also in Santa Barbara. Santa Barbara has Brooks Institute of Photography, and all the students generally have a phase where they try 50 new emulsions a week. The labs there do a pretty good job keeping up with the students film ADD.

Edit: I'm pretty sure that The Smithsonian still uses Kodachrome to record their collection, because nothing else keeps as well as Kodachrome. There are also probably a couple of old Nat Geo photogs that still use the stuff, so that is a couple of big organizations that Kodak has to cater to.

Edit again: The fromex website says that the only place in the US that still process K14 is in Kansas. I think everyone needs to look up the definition of the word "only" again, because I count at least 2 places now.
Color services doesn't do K14, but I forgive them. They do same day turnaround on E-6, and for this I love them to pieces.

Yeah, no go on K-14 in Santa Barbara. You can drop it off at Samy's and they will send it out for processing, but it takes about 10 days and comes back dusty. Color-Services is great though, and it is less than a mile from my house, so it is still really easy to get 3 hour turnaround on E6 Mon-Sat.

 

[SolaresLarrave]

There's hope for K-chrome... A place in Kansas, Dwayne photography, processes the stuff for a very decent price. I've been using their service for a long time and they´re the reason I have stocked up the stuff.

 

[SolaresLarrave]

Chris,

Here´s the goods. Send your film to Dwayne's Photo (P.O. Box 274, 415 South 32nd Street, Parsons KS 67357) in a padded envelope, along with a check for $6.00 (for 24 exps.) or $8.00 (for 36 exps.). You´ll get it back in around a week.

Don't give up on the stuff! It's a great film, with wonderful "technicolor" tones and resilience without a match. We'll die and those slides will be scannable and projectable. 🙂

 

[Roger Hicks]

Last time I looked, Kodak still offered Ektachrome 64. Easily their worst film -- and I like Kodak's current E6 line-up -- BUT people (inexplicably) keep buying it in large enough quantities that they don't dare stop.

Cheers,

Roger (www.rogerandfrances.com)

 

[StuartR]

Roger -- it's got to be catalog photographers or printing people that keep that stuff alive. It is the only explanation -- they have been using it for years, so they know how to light it and filter it so that the colors come out accurately in their catalogs or magazines. Since most of these people are going or have gone digital, I would not expect ektachrome 64 to last as long as, say, E100G.

 

[Roger Hicks]

Dear StuartR,

Must be much as you say -- but its survival is still nigh-miraculous.

Cheers,

Roger

 

[dmr]

Cheers,

Roger

Roger, sorry for being OT here, but I'm curious. Are you the same Roger Hicks who recently wrote a Konica-Minolta scanner review in one of the magazines?

Just curious, the name rang a bell. 🙂

 

[Little Prince]

I don't know about Kodachrome, but E6 sure doesn't seem to be a problem. I have at least 2 'pro' labs within 2 miles of me and more if I increase that radius a bit. They process in less than 3 hrs and I've not had a complaint so far. Prices are very good too. My immediate local lab charges $8.00 for a 35mm roll and $5.5 for a 120 roll.

 

[eric]

I have 1 roll of KR64 in the freezer. If someone wants it, send me a couple bucks in the mail and I'll put it in a padded envelope for you. Its only 1 (one) roll.

 

[canonetc]

Chris,

Here´s the goods. Send your film to Dwayne's Photo (P.O. Box 274, 415 South 32nd Street, Parsons KS 67357) in a padded envelope, along with a check for $6.00 (for 24 exps.) or $8.00 (for 36 exps.). You´ll get it back in around a week.

Don't give up on the stuff! It's a great film, with wonderful "technicolor" tones and resilience without a match. We'll die and those slides will be scannable and projectable. 🙂

Hey Francisco, thanks for the info. I'll try them out!

chris
canonetc