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OMG...I just shot my first roll of Kodachrome!


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<p>I shot my first roll of Kodachome, and I just got the slides back today. I'm stunned! I this the first time I have ever used slide film. It looks so amazing, just seeing these little positive images in my hands. I wish I had tried this a long time ago. I guess I won't know for sure how they look until I project them (or put them in some kind slide viewer?), but from what I can see they look great. The colors are awesome. I'm definitely going to get a projector though. I figured that if I'm going to do things the old school way and use Kodachrome, I might as well do it right! :)</p>

<p>Now I can understand why people like Kodachrome so much. I just wish I had done this sooner, since it might not be around that much longer. I only got seriously interested in photography about maybe 2 years ago though. </p>

<p>The thing is too that this was <em>expired</em> film! I wrote to someone on a photography group on Yahoo and said that I wanted to try Kodachrome. So he sent me a bunch of rolls of Kodachrome 64. The film expired in 1993! (That's funny...that means I probably would have been in middle school when he bought it). I don't know how it was stored. I think he said he did keep it in a refrigerator. But it looks great, like what I would expect new film to look like. <br>

I should have had the slides scanned, so I could show a few of the pictures here. If I figure out a way to record them and upload them online, I'll post a few pictures. (Maybe take pictures from the screen if I project them? That's kind of lame though)</p>

<p>I'll be shooting more Kodachrome from now on. And probably more slide film in general. Maybe some Fuji Velvia too. I haven't even projected the slides yet, and I'm already hooked just looking at them! :)<br>

<br>

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<p>I suggest buying a fairly cheap light table and loupe. You can use a 50mm lens backwards or even a magnifying glass.</p>

<p>If you are in a medium to large city find a pro lab that will process E6 slide film. My local lab will process and mount slides in 2 hours. Velvia comes in 3 types, 50, 100, and 100F. 50 is supposed to be virtually the same as the original. Try a roll of Provia 100 (saturated but not as over the top as Velvia) and Astia (slightly pastel, good for people) Try the other Kodak slide films (100VS is probably the closest to Velvia for better or worse)</p>

<p>If you're interested in black and white go to dr5.com and shoot some B&W negative film but have it reversal processed.</p>

<p>Slide film is great, I gave up color print film over a decade ago. You may be able to find someone throwing away or giving away a slide projector.</p>

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<p>chris,<br>

your excitement is justifiable. i felt exactly the same way after shooting my first few rolls of positives. the feel of them, the texture, the 3d quality of the images is mindblowing and nothing comes close to it. i have shot about five or six rolls of the stuff to date and i find the results breathtaking. of course, my scanning technique is poor and can never reproduce the result in any other way when put in a flatbed scanner, however, in my slide viewer, it looks fantastic. i would love to own a projector but money matters prevent me from going the whole hog.<br>

what camera are you using? since positives are not so forgiving, a good exposure meter is useful. i shoot almost exclusively using my olympus om4 body for slides. the exposure meter never seem to miss anything.</p>

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<p>Welcome to the club Chris! That was my reaction several years ago too (and still is when I get those slides back in the mail!).<br>

Post a listing on Craigslist and Freecycle for a projector. My wife got me one for free this way! or, spend $40 (shipping included) for a projector, and use a white wall. If you think your slides look good now, just wait till you seethem projected. There is nothing like it, in all of the world of photography. It will blow you away!<br>

Enjoy!</p>

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<p>Hey Chris,</p>

<p>What would really blow your mind is shooting stereo in chrome, and seeing those slides pop in 3D....</p>

<p>I haven't shot slides in a while, but am thrilled when I do. Got into slide film when starting out back in 1980s because the consumer labs' gear would have a hard time printing my nighttime pics w/o trying to "adjust" exposure for me. With slides, I got what I shot.</p>

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<p>Grats! Now to finish it off, you have to start developing it yourself (E6, not K12 obviously). You can go on ebay and get a slide viewer for next to nothing, and a projector for just a little more. I just bought a box of 2500 pakon slide mounts for $40, so I'm set there for a while. The camera shop guy has a couple more boxes, I might buy them and corner the market.</p>
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<p>To doug about his time exposed 4 minute Kodachrome. Holy Crap. That is Amazing. Like something out of a movie. I shot a roll of kodachrome recently but Cvs and Walgreens do not do send out of any slides anymore and I refuse to step foot in wallyworld. So I guess I will have to send them direct to Dwaynes.</p>
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<p>OMG!!!! :) Welcome to the world of Kodachrome. Please hook up with The Kodachrome Project and Forums found at <a href="http://www.kodachromeproject.com/pages/contents.html">http://www.kodachromeproject.com/pages/contents.html</a> and The Kodachrome Project Forums can be found at <a href="http://www.kodachromeproject.com/forum/index.php">http://www.kodachromeproject.com/forum/index.php</a>. Thanks for your help! By shooting this film you are a major part of keeping the tradition alive! When you get a projector please beware that kodachrome fades greatly after over an hour of projection. The great answer to this is try to take two shots of something that you would like to project often. At the Kodachrome Project Forums you will learn this and more other things that you ever knew there was to know about film and Kodachrome.<br>

Patrick</p>

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<p>ok, ok! Excuse my use of the cliche 'OMG.' I was just excited at the time. I have never held slides in my hand (well, definitely not slides of pictures that I had personally taken <strong>myself</strong>) so it was totally new. It felt like the first time I developed my own film, and opened the tank and saw images on the film. I guess it's something that you never forget.</p>

<p>Patrick, so if I were to use the slides on a projector frequenty, they'll fade? Is it the heat from the lamp that can cause it to fade, or the exposure to light? I have a collection of vintage 8mm movie cameras, and I shoot with them once in a while. For a while, I was using Cinechrome 40 (which I'm pretty sure is just Kodachrome, but in a movie film)...I load it on the projector pretty often, just to watch again or to show to my friends, etc. The last Cinechrome 40 roll I shot was about 2 years ago. But I haven't really noticed any fading of the colors. I know a movie film is going to be different than a still photo, of course. But I just haven't heard of slides fading after being used. I mostly use Ektachrome 100D for my 8mm movies now. </p>

<p>And Doug, I have to say too that picture was absolutely incredible! Where did you take that? It looks like you were kind of exposed up on a hill like that though! Lightning and being in high places don't mix :)</p>

<p>Some day, I want to try to get a photo of lighting. That, and the Aurora Borealis. It's on my "one of these days" list.</p>

<p> </p>

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<p>Doug, that is a great photo. But, for the most amazing shots on chrome that I have seen from others posted on other web sites. They would be astro shots that took close to an hour. Astro photographers use mostly chrome because the lab can't mess it up. As, they could with prints.</p>
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<p>welcome to the world of kodachrome, start saving your pennies...<br>

I didnt have the awesome "OMG" moment with my first roll though, they messed it up... came back with a bad color cast. so they gave me a free roll of 36 and i tried again... then i was floored.<br>

My recomendation is to get your own scanner. You don;'t have to get a new one, i didnt, just be careful. I got a used nikon IV which is only 16bit and 2800 (i think) DPI but i have printed kodachrome up to 12X18 and it looked like i could have gone more. I got the scanner for about 300 on KEH.com, though i havent seen many used scanners going up for sale there in a while.</p>

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<p>I switched to slides from prints in 1989 or '90 and never went back for my general photography. For family and weddings, prints are great, but the direct feedback of slides, lack of the need for post-processing (once you figure out how to get results you want in camera), and impact of a projected image won me over. I left Kodachrome for Velvia 50 a couple years later, which some may consider a greater blasphemy than 'OMG', but it's all a matter of taste. Have fun and stay inspired.</p>
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<p>I bought a new Kodak Retina I and a roll of Kodachrome in the 1950's and have used transparency film almost exclusively since then. I now use mostly Elite Chrome 100 because it's readily available and I have heard it is easier to scan than Kodachrome. I use one of several hand held viewers that I have found on EBay. Some of the better ones have focusing eyepieces. I can view them anywhere, no need to be tied to a light table or a computer. Enjoy</p>
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<p>Hello Chris...ditto regarding getting a projector. I got into slides about ten years ago, and viewed them on a small hand held viewer. I thought this was good, so I saved my pennies for a couple of years and got hold of a projector. I can still recall the first time I looked at my slides on a big screen - it was an incredible experience. Whilst I now also have a digital camera, I still use my 35mm set up very regularly but shoot exclusively slide film with it.</p>

<p>Try and get a projector fund going - the price of them has come down a lot now so many people use digital. You will not be disappointed - honest!</p>

<p>Regards, Steve.</p>

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<p>Chris,<br>

Congratulations! It's exciting to see those slides. If you are local, I have 2 slide projectors and you are welcome to one. I picked these up from a local school system. They were ready to throw these things away. Also, check yardsales. Our local Boy Scouts had an entire set up and screen that they were ready to give away.<br>

Save your money up for medium format. Wait until you see the slides that you get from them. Like you, I was speechless when I saw my first 6x6 transparency. However, the projector is much more expensive! (Anyone have one that they want to give away?)<br>

When feeling nostalgic I will spend an evening looking at slides. Everyone but me can't stand it. Instead, they force me to huddle around their cell phone or computer monitor to look at tiny images of their cat (or children) doing funny things. Oh well!<br>

Have fun!</p>

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