kodachrome blues

[John Camp]

I've needed for a while to upgrade from digital projection to slide projection, but haven't shot film since 2000. I found a good used M7, got it on Friday, and immediately went out to Target to buy some chrome. Target doesn't stock chrome any more; neither does Walmart or Walgreens, all formerly reliable places (as late as 2000, anyway) to get it. Then I went to a dedicated film-processing store, and they had 3 assorted rolls, two Fuji and one Kodak, and wanted $10 a roll, and they aren't getting any more. I took them. Finally, I drove 40 miles round-trip to a pro photo store, where they had everything I needed, but common old garden variety consumer chrome now costs $8 a roll, plus another $8.50 for processing at a mail-in place like Dwayne's, which means roughly $900 a year (including mailing charges) if you shoot ONE ROLL A WEEK. All of a sudden, the economics of an M8 make a lot more sense.

I bought a used Kodak projector for next-to-nothing from a stack of them at a photo store that carries used equipment; used carousels cost $9 each...

The M7 is a gem.

JC

 

[aad]

B&H sells slide film, very reasonable. Processing for E6 is good, too, and there is likely an E6 lab in St. Paul. Kodachrome, well, Dwayne's is it, I hear. I have 1 roll that I'll shoot this year, and maybe say goodbye to it.

 

[amateriat]

Kodak has been doing the Death By 1000 Cuts thing with Kodachrome for quite some time now, even before cutting processing facilities back to just one. The common wisdom from Rochester about this – besides the digital thing – is that E6 emulsions have improved sufficiently in terms of pictorial quality and archival stability to supplant K'chrome in most if not all applications, and, of course, you can get it souped in a hell of a lot more places. Much of this is, in fact, true from a objective standpoint (and, in fact, E6 'chromes are a good sight more projection-friendly than any Kodachrome emulsion, the latter's strong suit being dark-storage longevity...a good reason to make dupes of your K'chromes if you plan on giving your Carousel a serious workout), but, subjectively speaking, as you likely already know, there's something about a good Kodachrrome slide that simply can't be that easily replicated otherwise, although almost any slide film shot through a decent projector these days positively stomps digital projection.

Best bet for cost-effective slide shooting (relatively speaking, natch), is ordering from the usual online suspects (Adorama or, as aad mentioned, B&H), both for film and mailers.


- Barrett

 

[captainslack]

The times they are 'a changin', John. 🙁

 

[whitecat]

Years ago I grew up in Chicago on the south side. There was a Kodachrome facility 3 blocks from my house. I sure do miss those days..