drjedsmith Posted October 8, 2007 Share Posted October 8, 2007 Well, thanks to the discussion here last month, I finally broke down and tried some Kodachrome. K64...and just got it back. For the record, I had to try it - a test roll, so I sent it through Walmart to Dwaynes. $4.88 total for processing and it came back in perfect shape. I was amazed to say the least. :-)<BR><BR> I have to say that overall, this film has a very pleasing palette. It's much less garish than Velvia, but also a little more grainy. I have the feeling it could use a warm-up filter in most scenic shots, or possibly a polarizer more often than Velvia. While it seems to have more grain than Velvia 100, it also has a very sharp look to it that I like, without looking over contrasty. I was also pleasantly suprised at how it captured higher contrast scenes. To my mind, it seems to have a bit more exposure latitude than Velvia, but then again, it could just be that I've never shot Kodachrome and it looks "different".<BR><BR> At any rate, here's a small file from one I scanned in off the roll. I posted it in my gallery here.<BR> All the best,<BR> Jed<div></div> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drjedsmith Posted October 8, 2007 Author Share Posted October 8, 2007 Please click on LARGER in my gallery to do it justice.<BR> I wish we could edit our posts here! (friendly hint to any Photo.net mods?) :-)<BR> Thanks,<BR> Jed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ronald_moravec1 Posted October 8, 2007 Share Posted October 8, 2007 Kodachrome 2 from 1960 was even nicer. K 25 was not bad either. Don`t get too excited about this as it will not last long as the life cycle of films goes. I would tell you to stock up, but the processing is so specialized it will not help. There was even a pro Kodachrome 25 and 64 that Kodak aged to perfect color balance before it was sold. Before that pros used to buy hundreds of rolls and process one ocassionally until the batch was perfect, then freeze it all. Fresh Kodachrome is green, old is magenta. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James G. Dainis Posted October 8, 2007 Share Posted October 8, 2007 Jedidiah,<P> It has been discussed but the feeling is that allowing user editing could lead to abuse or confusion. A person could start a troll/flame and then after the discussion gets heated, change the original post and say, "Who me? I never said that." <P> Even correcting innocent errors could lead to a disruption of the flow of a thread. "Try Velvia, it gives much more muted colors than Astia" would lead to several responses pointing out the error. If the user were to correct the error, "Try Astia, it gives much more muted colors than Velvia" then someone coming to the thread would be confused about all the following posts. <P> A moderator can correct a typo or other error in a post and then edit following posts to eliminate any confusion. James G. Dainis Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
russ_butner___portland__or Posted October 8, 2007 Share Posted October 8, 2007 Jedediah I grew up on K-chrome 64 & 25. I always underexposed it by 1/3 a stop, and got beautiful results. I often shot it with a mild warming (81-A) filter. I really miss the stuff. Russ<div></div> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
randrew1 Posted October 8, 2007 Share Posted October 8, 2007 Another favorite subject of mine! I've been shooting Kodachrome since Kodachrome II in the 60's. After waiting a week for processing, I still have to open the box of slides immediately to see what I have. I've repeated this many times, but I'll say again here: I'm planing to celebrate the 75th anniversary of Kodachrome in 2010 by shooting a few rolls. I'm betting I will still be able to get them processed. (I have no inside information on this question.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j_sevigny Posted October 8, 2007 Share Posted October 8, 2007 Unlike many people, I absolutely loved Kodachrome 200 and for years it was the only thing I shot. I even like the grain. Unfortunately, while Kodak has a huge factory here in Guadalajara where I live, Kodachrome isn't sold anywhere in Mexico as far as I can tell, and I think it would be a royal pain to send it to the US for processing. Ahh, what I would give to return to the good old days (sometimes). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
renzz Posted October 8, 2007 Share Posted October 8, 2007 As a long time lurker and first time poster I too will be sending off my firt roll of Kodachrome 64 and 200 for processing next week. It is actually cheaper for me to send 3 rolls to Dwaynes and buy another 3 rolls from him than to process E6 film locally. I am really looking forward to seeing the results of this film when processed in a few weeks time. Jim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john_shriver Posted October 8, 2007 Share Posted October 8, 2007 Due to the very thin emulsion, Kodachrome has very high resolution. It also has less tendency to bleed or flare around bright spots. Locomotive headlights are a known weak spot reported in E-6 films by railfan photographers. It has a pleasing, but not accurate color balance. The cyan dye doesn't scan the way it looks to the eyes. Professional Kodachrome isn't aged to correct color balance, it's made to correct color balance. The "aging to correct color balance" is an ancient urban legend. (Confirmed by Kodak veterans here.) They still make Professional Kodachrome 64. Of course, the current formulation of Kodachrome 64 doesn't color shift in storage before exposure the way the older version (and Kodachrome 200) did. So perhaps the current Professional is just the master roll that came out best from the current production run. Of course, the other advantage of the Professional films is that they are stored cold. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thirteenthumbs Posted October 8, 2007 Share Posted October 8, 2007 A edit/delete post that is available for only 15 to 30 minutes after the initial post/reply would help a lot of us fat fingered typist thet cant speel correctly clean up our act. :) <br>I must pull that roll of Kodachorme 200 out of the freezer one of these days, shoot it, and drive 25 miles one way to Wallymart and get it processed by Dwanes before it goes obsolete. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
russ_butner___portland__or Posted October 8, 2007 Share Posted October 8, 2007 Kodachrome 200 is great stuff. Quite grainy, but a tight, uniform grain. It pushes well to asa 500 too. Russ<div></div> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
randall_pukalo Posted October 8, 2007 Share Posted October 8, 2007 Kodachrome processing will be available for at least 2 more years per Dwaynes (the last remaining Kodachrome processor in the world). They have a contract with Kodak, so should be in a position to know. Perhaps longer, given the loyal following it has, as well as the influx of newcommers from the digital world who become interested in it. If you shoot film, and have never tried a roll, it is sort of like being into music in the 1970's and never going to an Elvis concert. Do it before its too late. You may find you like it. And one day, when it is long gone, and that Paul Simon song comes on the radio, you can say that you too once shot the King of Film;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
asher Posted October 8, 2007 Share Posted October 8, 2007 <p>Here's a recent K64 snap (July 4, 2007)<p> <img src="http://d6d2h4gfvy8t8.cloudfront.net/6194375-lg.jpg"> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john falkenstine Posted October 8, 2007 Share Posted October 8, 2007 Let's just state it simply; Kodachrome is fantastic film. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drjedsmith Posted October 9, 2007 Author Share Posted October 9, 2007 Great examples of a wonderful film. Can't wait to shoot some through my old manual Minolta Rokkor prime lenses. Seeing how I got the slides back in perfet shape, in 10 days for less than $5 - that's not too bad - I just might have to purchase a few more rolls and get to know K64 a little better! :-)<BR> Of course I've only just shot one roll, but it really does seem to have a different look than modern film emulsions or digital.<BR> Jed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
randrew1 Posted October 9, 2007 Share Posted October 9, 2007 John, the keeping of K-64 was improved in 1987, but it still has a modest shift from green to magenta as it ages. The shift was small compared to K-25. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
berk_sirman2 Posted October 9, 2007 Share Posted October 9, 2007 When I began shooting Kodachrome in 2004 there were some people here on this forum who said I should not bother with this film, it would be gone very soon anyway. Well it has been more than three years and Kodachrome is still alive, and I am very happy about the tens of rolls that I shot. So, for those of you who are interested in trying Kodachrome, or Kodachrome beginners (I should also include myself in this group), nevermind the discussions about the mortality of Kodachrome and just shoot the stuff. It is a weird film that seems to have a very natural look until you compare the slide with the real scene! Than you realize how far off it is at times. But it is the ultimate film to use in low contrast cloudy days that we have so often in Scandinavia. You get to bump up the contrast to a pleasing level, and get good skin tones. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laurentvuillard Posted October 9, 2007 Share Posted October 9, 2007 Think also to the stability of images on Kodachrome, my grandfather's slides are still perfect although they are almost 60 years old and were kept simply under normal house conditions ! However the E6 slides die young from the fading of their dyes! Does anyone has experience of Fuji's archival properties ?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john falkenstine Posted October 10, 2007 Share Posted October 10, 2007 Same here. My Dad's Kodachromes are keeping their color very well, but the Agfas are all gone now. I keep his slides in an insulated case in the dark. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeff_z. Posted October 11, 2007 Share Posted October 11, 2007 I'm one of those who was able to use K-25 late in its production, and just as I came to appreciate its unique, wonderful qualities, it was gone. I called Kodak like others, and while they were very understanding (they are film buffs, too), the explanation they gave was that it simply wasn't selling enough. It took me reaching a sort of "intermediate" level of skill and knowledge in photography to be able to appreciate this wonderful product. That said, I have a strong suspicion that because of my age at the time K-25 was discontinued, and the huge numbers of others in this demographic, that had this film been made for just another couple of years, sales would have picked up and it would still be in production. K-64 is the closest emulsion to 25, in terms of the Kodachrome qualities that we love I think, and I for one, plan to shoot more. Hopefully, others will also, and new users will learn of its unique qualities; enough to keep it in production. But, there really seems to be a place for K-25 in photography, and I mourn its loss like many. Kodak, if you're listening, please bring it back, if only in limited production runs at first! J Sevigny, You might want to give Dwayne's a call on their toll free number. http://www.dwaynesphoto.com/newsite2006/slide-film.html I think another poster in this thread alluded to possibly being able to purchase Kodachrome from them as well as have it processed via mail order. While I didn't know about obtaining the film through them (you should definitely be able to order it through B&H in N.Y.), I can say that their processing is excellent, and they seem to care very much about doing a good job. I've had several rolls processed through Dwayne's and the quality has been excellent. The turn around times seem to have improved, too. Although it would be travelling much further for you of course, I am getting it back in one week from date of mailing-I am about 350 miles from them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dangoldman Posted October 11, 2007 Share Posted October 11, 2007 "Let's just state it simply; Kodachrome is fantastic film." John Falkenstine Yep. On turnaround time, its about one week and im in florida. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rainer_nagel Posted November 22, 2007 Share Posted November 22, 2007 Hi, let us not forget that Kodachrome has excellent dark fading stability but is killed by slide projection (light fading) according to Wilhelm Research. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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