Kodachrome 64 Development In Black & White?

Has anyone here developed Kodachrome 64 either at home or at a photo lab? How did the pictures come out?

Thanks for any info.

Photo films work because the chemicals of the process are selective. The developer has the ability, in the time allotted, to differentiate between exposed and unexposed salts of silver. Subsequent, the developer reduces exposed silver salts to metallic silver and a halogen (Swedish for salt maker). The metallic silver component becomes the black and white image; the halogen is dissolved into the waters of the developer. As film ages more and more unexposed silver salts become developable. In other words, film over time film ages, its fog lever increases. Thus in time, all photo film expires. What I am trying to say, think twice before buying and imaging with outdated film.

Now Kodachrome is basically three specialized black & white film emulsions coated on the same film support. As such this film could be developed in standard black & white chemicals. However, this material is fabricated to be developed in a rather complex series of chemical steps. This process resulted in a fine-looking full color image suitable for viewing by projection. The resulting color transparences were often re-imaged as prints on paper.

Assuming the Kodachrome film you will use is still viable, you can expose it and process it in ordinary black & white chemistry. The result will be a black & white negative image. Your pitfall is, this color film was designed to be loaded into both still and movie cameras under subdued light. To protect the film roll from being fogged during the loading/unlading procedure, the back of this film has an opaque coat of lamp black. This is called a RemJet (removable jet black backing). Assuming you succeeded in the exposing and developing steps, you will have difficulty removing the RemJet.

To remove the film is soaked in an alkaline solution such as sodium sulfite. This softens the binder that holds the RemJet to the film. Next the RemJet is buffed away with a soft cotton swab.

Best of Luck

Thanks, Alan.

Let me clarify something... I don't have a darkroom, but I was just wondering what kind of results others here might have gotten if they developed their Kodachrome. My darkroom days are long gone LOL.

I did find one lab that supposedly develops the film, but I haven't tried to contact them because it was too late today. I'd be interested in seeing some results. It they look good, I might try to find some old Kodachrome (frozen, of course) to shoot then send off to a lab.

Thanks, Alan.

 

Let me clarify something... I don't have a darkroom, but I was just wondering what kind of results others here might have gotten if they developed their Kodachrome. My darkroom days are long gone LOL.

 

I did find one lab that supposedly develops the film, but I haven't tried to contact them because it was too late today. I'd be interested in seeing some results. It they look good, I might try to find some old Kodachrome (frozen, of course) to shoot then send off to a lab.

Foot note: Years ago, I was Technical Manager Photofinishing for Eckerd Drugs. We operated 7 giant photofinishing labs in the South East USA. I was charged to build an 8th in Metairie. I finished the building but never built the lab due to environmental challenges posed by the city. The lab was to process and print 20,000 rolls of color film per day

I have some rolls to use for this, but haven't been in a rush to do it.

Developing 5247 in C41 chemistry, the rem-jet came off easily in the wash.

The developer softens it up. I presume it will do that in this case, but

I haven't tried it.

The layer sensitivities are designed to produce a color positive, where the

visual density is appropriate with each color dye.

Developing as black and white (positive or negative) puts silver in each layer,

not necessarily at the appropriate density as a gray representation of the color.