Kodachrome at home

<p>I know this is a silly question, but if the process to develop Chodachrome was published, would it be possible for someone to do it at home ?</p>

<p>no, the process is WAY too complex and the required dyes & chemicals are no longer available.</p>

<p>My first job in industry was at Kodak working on debugging new Kodachrome processing machines ;)</p>

<p>Do you have a chemistry lab in your basement or outbuilding? I believe the whole process is patented, so a quick search should find it. Complexity could be the reason no one else tried to duplicate the process.</p>

<p>Alternate answer, yes you can process it as black and white film.</p>

 

<p>It can be done, but you may have to mix the chemicals yourself. I know there was someone, in Florida I believe, that did it years ago, but the chemicals were more readily available then. It is a "dye-transfer" process, and not for the amateur chemist.. It's not the <em>only </em>Kodak dye transfer process, but the only one that was available as a consumer product. If anyone succeeds in doing it, I still have half a case of K120 that I'd LOVE to shoot.</p>

<p>It's not that you have to MIX the chemicals yourself. You have to MAKE (synthesize) the chemicals yourself. All the information on the formulas is in the patent. But no information on how to synthesize the key dyes. You need a good organic chemist who knows dyes. There's no other commercial use for several of the chemicals in the process, and no commercial source. Historically, Kodak synthesized them in their own labs. At the end it might have been subcontracted to Eastman Organic Chemicals, as they spun off that unit some years ago.<br>

The chemistry to keep Dwayne's running to the end of 2010 was transferred from Kodak's Lausanne Kodachrome plant when it was shut down. With neither lab running at capacity, resulting in much waste of chemistry, it was better to consolidate at one lab. (Kodachrome processing is only cost-effective in a line running near or at capacity, the solutions go bad faster when not used than when used.)<br>

It is possible to do a "sink line" Kodachrome process. This is how the engineers developed and tested the process. This is also how Kodachrome sheet film was always processed until that was discontinued in favor of Ektachrome. The only part that isn't conventional "sink line" is the re-exposure, since unlike the Ektachrome and Anscochrome re-exposure, it is not by white light, and not to completion. So you need two calibrated light sources with accurate filters.</p>

<p>Isn't it the case that some of the chemistry involved is highly toxic?</p>

<p>Too late, I found another roll of exposed, but not developed K25 -- I'm thinking about just developing it as B&W in D-76.</p>

<p>This has been discussed at APUG as well. Here's a link to get you started: <a href="http://www.apug.org/forums/forum40/58189-kodachrome-b-w-neg.html">click</a></p>

<p>I printed a link to "developing kodachome as a B&W film"<br>

I realize kodak developed Kodachrome in a sink setup. but they are Kodak, not joe public.<br>

the thing that amazes me is they the inventors worked in a nyc hotel room in the 1930's.<br>

BTW they originally had a two color process. and told George Eastman to wait and created a three color process. Accoprding to Modern Photography some person in california<br>

developed Kodachome,. Nothing was said about his results.</p>

 

<p>Impossible? No. But highly, highly improbable. Or to put it another way, if someone had announced the marketing of a home Kodachrome processing kit on April 1 (as an April Fools' joke) I don't think anyone would bite.<br>

Definitely research processing as black & white if you want to at least see some images. I have a couple of rolls of KL 200 that the lab I sent them to "lied" and said they would forward to Dwaynes. Two weeks after Dwaynes closed its Kodachrome line, the film came back unprocessed with a note saying that it was unable to process. I may eventually try doing those two rolls as black & white.</p>

<p>Kodachrome was the brainchild of Leopold Mannes and Leopoid<br />Godowsky, both of New York City. Both as kids had seen the washed out<br />hand-colored cartoons at the movies and though they could do better. They<br />worked in the basements of their respective apartment buildings and in 1933<br />showed George Eastman their work. </p>

<p>George Eastman acquired the firm of Wratten and Wainright, a British maker of filters and photo materials. Along with the purchase came Charles Edward Kenneth Mees. One of the foremost photo scientists ever. He was assigned to work with Mannes and Gowsky. Kodachrome was the resut, introduced in 1935. </p>

<p>Mees leadership produced most of the major photographic research of the twentieth century. His achievements also include Kodacolor. Our industry flourished because of this man. </p>

<p>To add to the chronology, Eastman purchased Wratten and Wainwright and obtained the services of Mees in 1912. He contracted with Mannes and Godowski in 1930. </p>

<p>Godowski Jr was a musician, so if he could do it at home laboratory... he was married to Gershwin's sister, also he was the son of famous pianist coming from Wilno (Polish city at that time).</p>

<p>Godowski and Mannes were both professional musicians.</p>

<p>See here:<br>

<a href="../photo/6129789&size=lg">http://www.photo.net/photo/6129789&size=lg</a></p>

 

<p>To answer the original question....yes, it <em>would </em>be possible to do it at home in theory, but to stand any chance of success you would need money and time , to source and build the dedicated processing equipment (I'd guess that the originals are now all scrapped or u/s) , and a lab and advanced skills to synthesise some unique and complex organic chemicals.<br>

Even with the right chemicals, any substitute "kitchen sink" method would be very experimental...Kodak did it for research, of course, but they were experts and working in laboratory conditions.<br>

Much as I loved Kodachrome, I'm, personally, now accepting that it's gone for good. And, of course, all remaining K-14 film is now out-of-date and will be deteriorating with time.</p>

<p>I processed a roll of E6 by hand once. The results were good, but it was a long and difficult process. The temperature variance is 1 degree, you have to have water available at 108 degrees IIRC, and not higher or lower. My film came out looking slightly under, but by a half stop only, so it was usable for the project I was working on.</p>

<p>If E6 is that hard, I can't imagine how difficult Kodachrome would be.</p>

<p>Just tell the poor guy the truth: NO!</p>

<p>This goes along with the recent question asking if one can mount a Mamiya 7 lens to a Holga. No, No, and No. Move on.</p>