Kodachrome Gone?

[venchka]

From the LUG:

Just heard from a colleague that K64 and K200 have been discontinued. Any
other confirmation of this?

Earl, what say your sources eh?

Bueller?
Bueller?
Anyone?

 

[40oz]

is the leica users' group the preferred outlet for news releases these days?

 

[dmr]

I have been told that K200 is no longer being produced but is still in stock quite a few places. I haven't heard anything about K64, can your colleague cite a source?

As a sanity check, I just looked at the Product Availability forum over at APUG and I don't see anything there. Some people who are close to the source (Big Yellow) hang out over there.

 

[erikhaugsby]

K64 is still alive and well at National Camera, I ran over last week to pick up some FP4. I've never tried Kodachrome, though this might tempt me to pick up a roll or two.

 

[venchka]

Earl (Trius) has a source clad in Yellow Boxes. Hopefully he will check in.

As for the LUG being a reliable source, I merely posted the direct quote. I am seeking confirmation from usually reliable sources. As for inventory on shelves, that is no indication of whether or not a product has been discontinued in recent days or weeks.

I suppose an email to the source of Yellow Boxes might yield the truth. Or marketing double speak. One never knows what you'll get.

 

[Santafecino]

As far as I know Kodachrome 64 is still available, and Dwayne's will process it. Dwayne's say they will do so as long as the film is avaialble.

 

[Trius]

Wayne: I haven't heard this, but neither have I checked directly with Yellow Father. The Kodak site, under Professional Films, does not list it, even under "Advanced Amateur" films. There is no press release in the press center area, going back to 1/22/07, but a general search yields a page for PKR64 and the tech pub at http://www.kodak.com/global/en/prof...alFilmPKR.jhtml?id=0.2.24.14.13.22.7.14&lc=en

So it is a confusing picture right now, I'll have to call in the morning. Holding my breath.

Edit: On the amateur film page, KR and KL are listed, even though it is my understanding further manufacture of KL has ceased.

 

[40oz]

Kodachrome is listed on Kodak's site under the pro films. See under "Other Color Transparency Films" on the left column.
http://www.kodak.com/global/en/professional/products/colorReversalIndex.jhtml?id=0.2.24.14.13&lc=en

Not that that means anything. But if you look around here, you'll find people claiming Kodak isn't making Tri-X anymore, either, which tells me people will claim anything at all, with no evidence whatsoever. I'm not sure why people say those things, or why they get repeated.

 

[jaapv]

Last year Kodak representatives at the Photokina told me Kodachrome would be phased out in two to three years time, as environmental legislation made it more and more difficult and expensive to produce and process.

 

[Trius]

40oz: Thanks, I'm not sure how I missed that. It is buried a bit. I won't bother calling, since the Kodak site officially lists it as an available product.

Jaap: I wouldn't believe a Kodak rep for a second with regard to those kinds of statements. I'm not saying they're wrong, but I don't trust them when it comes to that kind of statement about the future.

Earl

 

[wilt]

Just bought a roll of Kodachrome 64. The expiry date is 11/2007. Is such short time normal? What expiry dates have you been getting lately?

 

[dmr]

Just bought a roll of Kodachrome 64. The expiry date is 11/2007. Is such short time normal? What expiry dates have you been getting lately?

I just realized that the three rolls I have (bought them some time ago from Adorama or B&H, forget which) expire this month. Guess I will shoot them shortly.

 

[venchka]

Keep it Cool!

Keep it Cool!

Just bought a roll of Kodachrome 64. The expiry date is 11/2007. Is such short time normal? What expiry dates have you been getting lately?

I'll have to look at the dates on the film I bought from Dwayne's last fall. I think the date on those rolls is 2008. No worries. Keep it cool. The film stores very well. Naturally, using fresh film makes you feel better. On the other hand, I have a brick of K64 from the 1990s in the freezer. I need to break it out and use it.

I hope we have nipped another Internet Myth in the bud.

Shoot LOTS of Kodachrome and send it to Dwayne's! Buy more fresh film from Dwayne's at the time of processing. By the way, Dwayne's says they will push Kodachrome 3 stops and E-6 film two stops. Go play in the dark with slide film! 🙂

 

[Rhoyle]

What is the contact info for Dwane's?

Bob

 

[Iskra 2]

Last year Kodak representatives at the Photokina told me Kodachrome would be phased out in two to three years time, as environmental legislation made it more and more difficult and expensive to produce and process.

I think the EPA "brainless" should worry more about mercury in fluorescent bulbs. The whole world is going crazy over this kind of nonsense. 😡

If it happens in the US, then let China do it. They don't have any environmental "cry babies" there. 😀

Regards.

 

[dmr]

I think the EPA "brainless" should worry more about mercury in fluorescent bulbs. The whole world is going crazy over this kind of nonsense.

I thought I had a more precise cite on this, but this is all I could find on it quickly. On "another network" this topic comes up semi regularly, and it appears to be a misinterpretation.

What apparently was/were environmentally hazardous was/were some nasty substances in the older processes such as E3/E4 and K12, and that the current K14, E6, and C41 are not particularly dangerous. (I still wouldn't wanna drink it or even pour it down the sink drain, but ...)

Here's a quote from a retired photo engineer 🙂 on another system:

I cannot remember either date exactly. The patent for K14 issued April 25th, 1972 (3,658,525), so the process came out shortly thereafter, say 1975. E6 was a little later than that, so I would put it about 1980. C41 was about 1970. Ektaprint 3 was about 1969. Sorry I can't do better than that.

Kodak tried to keep major product introductions from falling within the same year. That is one thing I do remember. We were told that we could come out a year on either side of another product, so that introduction and hype didn't overlap and tax production and marketing.

There was a very big push on to eliminate cadmium, mercury and ferricyanide and that was the object of all of these projects.

I seem to remember a more explicit quote about the nasty substances and such, but I can't seem to find it now.