Kodachrome in the news -- Interview with Grant S. of Dwayne's ...
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squirrel$$$bandit
Veteran
geez, it's a freaking eulogy...
chris00nj
Young Luddite
The owner said they are doing over a thousand rolls per day. At $9/ roll, that's over $2 million in revenue. Sure some of that will go to keep the lights on, chemicals, employees, and good ole taxes, but it's still a good business.
Film is keeping Kodak alive. Kodak had film sales of $2 billion in 2007, which was about 20% of total sales. However, they made a profit of $369 million off film sales. Conversely, sales of digital cameras were $4.6 billion (about 45% of total sales), but they lost $92 million.
The equipment to make Kodachrome is long bought and paid for. So whatever they sell, is at a much higher margin. All of this is good news for Kodachrome. I see it being around for several more years.
Film is keeping Kodak alive. Kodak had film sales of $2 billion in 2007, which was about 20% of total sales. However, they made a profit of $369 million off film sales. Conversely, sales of digital cameras were $4.6 billion (about 45% of total sales), but they lost $92 million.
The equipment to make Kodachrome is long bought and paid for. So whatever they sell, is at a much higher margin. All of this is good news for Kodachrome. I see it being around for several more years.
charjohncarter
Veteran
Boy, I hope you are right, chris00nj, it is still a thrill to see them on my screen. My kids thing I a genius photographer when I show them. I like this one, taken by my father-in-law c1947:
Tuolumne
Veteran
This brings back memories. I used to shoot Kodachrome exclusively in the '80s and '90s. Back then I lived in Palo Alto, Ca. where kodak had a processing facility not far from my home on Page Mill Road. I used to roll in there before going to work and drop off my K25 and K64 for processing. They always did a great job and it was fun to listen to the old guys shoot the breeze about photography there.
Now I send my K64 (such as it is) and E6 to Dwaynes. I get back cardboard mounted slides with paper chaff splattered all over the edges and the rounded corners of the mount make you loose a good deal of slide real estate when scanned. Not to mention that touching up a slide with splattered chaffs (is this like dangling chads?) is nearly impossible. So now I have my chromes returned without mounting. But it's just not the same as holding a slide up to the light or viewing it in a hand-held lighted magnifier (not to mention projection, which I haven't done in a decade anyway).
The good old days just aren't anymore, even when you use the good old film.
/T
Now I send my K64 (such as it is) and E6 to Dwaynes. I get back cardboard mounted slides with paper chaff splattered all over the edges and the rounded corners of the mount make you loose a good deal of slide real estate when scanned. Not to mention that touching up a slide with splattered chaffs (is this like dangling chads?) is nearly impossible. So now I have my chromes returned without mounting. But it's just not the same as holding a slide up to the light or viewing it in a hand-held lighted magnifier (not to mention projection, which I haven't done in a decade anyway).
The good old days just aren't anymore, even when you use the good old film.
/T
shadowfox
Darkroom printing lives
Guys, it's an eulogy if we let it become one. 🙂
I am for one grateful that there is still a processor running.
I have pictures of my daughter on Kodachrome, something that she'll learn to cherish and hopefully her generation will too. Spread the video out.
John, you're a treasure trove of lovely Kodachrome shots 🙂
I am for one grateful that there is still a processor running.
I have pictures of my daughter on Kodachrome, something that she'll learn to cherish and hopefully her generation will too. Spread the video out.
John, you're a treasure trove of lovely Kodachrome shots 🙂
Al Kaplan
Veteran
Bring back Kodachrome II. To hell with Kodachrome 25. It's a poor substitute.
ray*j*gun
Veteran
I agree Al........I will use it as long as its around.
Ray
Ray
squirrel$$$bandit
Veteran
agreed. I was only referring to the tone of the piece. The local news anchor pitched the whole thing as a "film is dead" story, and meanwhile the Dwayne's guy is talking about how busy they are. It was kind of frustrating to watch.
sooner
Well-known
I just sent two more rolls of Kodachrome off to Dwayne's--but through Wal-Mart, which means I only pay about $4.75 per roll instead of $9--and it's easier. I wonder how many of those thousand rolls come in via Wal-Mart versus individual mailers.
dmr
Registered Abuser
Word on the street is that Wally World just increased their Kodachrome processing price significantly. Something like $6.95 now.
Fred Burton
Well-known
"Film is keeping Kodak alive. Kodak had film sales of $2 billion in 2007, which was about 20% of total sales. However, they made a profit of $369 million off film sales. Conversely, sales of digital cameras were $4.6 billion (about 45% of total sales), but they lost $92 million."
I'm not sure where you got that information, but it isn't accurate.
I'm not sure where you got that information, but it isn't accurate.
Chuck Albertson
Well-known
Looking through Paul Fusco's (new/revised) book on Bobby Kennedy's funeral train made me realize again how much I miss KII. Also made me glad he shot the assignment on KII, or the pictures might not have survived.
SolaresLarrave
My M5s need red dots!
Pherdinand
the snow must go on
Does the european Lausanne lab still accept the mailers and rolls (and send them out to Kansas and back to me)? Anybody knows?
Harry Lime
Practitioner
I really like the look of Kodachrome II. Looked like Technicolor...
terrafirmanada
Well-known
i hope the have a good service guy for their processor
Trius
Waiting on Maitani
Huh? How can you keep using KII? It's gone, and processing (K-12) is gone except maybe Rocky Mountain will make a run now and again ... for a LOT of money per roll.
It's a safe bet they do, most likely an employee who services all the processing equipment. When I worked in a pro lab, we had at least one guy who could work on all the equipment. Of course, most of his time was taken up getting the Kreonite back on-line. 😛
Rob-F
Likes Leicas
I liked the color of Kodachrome-X. Anybody remember that one? ASA 64. Kodachrome II, Hmmm. I used to shoot that one too, but it's a little foggy in my mind (which is a little foggy in the first place). It was what, Al . . . ASA 25? I guess that's right. I remember Kodachrome-X as being fairly punchy and with good, warm tones. I remember some vivid browns, oranges . . .
It kind of makes you want to order some Kodachrome. I don't where I could get any Kodachrome-X, though. If there are any rolls of it someplace, it's probably no good by now.
It kind of makes you want to order some Kodachrome. I don't where I could get any Kodachrome-X, though. If there are any rolls of it someplace, it's probably no good by now.
Al Kaplan
Veteran
Kodachrome-II was ASA 25 and Kodachrome-X was ASA 64. Supposedly the chemicals for the K-II and K-X process was bad for the environment. The change to K-25 and K-64 was for the environment, keep the EPA happy. At least that was the rumor. K-II had the lowest contrast and widest tonal range of any of the Kodachromes.
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