kodachrome sales 2003

[randall_pukalo]

I am just curious, does anyone know what sales were for the Kodachrome

line in 2003? Either units sold or sales revenue. Also the relative

split between k200 and k64. I cant find anything on the net about

this, but perhaps some of you have read something about this in a

Kodak prospectus or year end summary. Thanks.

[james_ogara1]

One hundred twenty-seven rolls sold in 2003.

[John Crowe]

I can't stop laughing! Thanks, John.

[rowland_mowrey]

Minimum production would be about 5000 ft x 40 inches. Since that is all going to be 35 mm, you figure it out. Remember, that is the approximate minimum if they just made it once each year at one factory.

 

Ron Mowrey

[andre_noble4]

Assuming a 36 exp roll is appx 40 inches long:

 

((25.4mm per inch /35.0 mm wide per roll) X 12 inches per foot) x 5,000 feet

 

Gives approx 44,000 rolls of 36 exposure 35mm Kodachrome film.

[randrew1]

The answer to your question is: "yes, somebody knows." That person works for Kodak. It is highly unlikely that the information will be published. From time to time there are published estimates of the total consumer film market in some countries, but I've not seen them broken down to individual products.

 

Here's a way you can come up with your own estimate. Go to a Walmart, a drug store, a grocery store, and a photo specialty shop and count the number of rolls of each product on the shelves. Then look in the phone book for a major city (or consult an internet phone directory) and count the number of each store type. Multiply the number of rolls by the number of stores, total the products and you have a rough breakdown of the sales volume. If you want total numbers rahter than proportions, you will need an estimate of the total market. PMA may have published something.

 

This is the kind of "research" that retailers do to check up their competition. The fundamental assumption is that sales are proportional to shelf space. In actuality, low volume products are over-represented on store shelves. The equation is:

 

sales = K * (shelf space) ^ n

 

where K is a constant and the exponent n is something less than one.

[rowland_mowrey]

And, the sales volume of Kodachrome is much lower than you would imagine. Why do you think all of the labs are bailing out of processing it?

 

Ron Mowrey

[randall_pukalo]

Thanks for the info Rowland - when it comes to film (particularly Kodak) you have all the answers. So it appears film is made in 5000 ft production runs, interesting.

Ok, perhaps 44,000 rolls of Kodachrome may have been sold in 2003, hope that is enough to keep it in production, but that doesnt sound promising.

As for checking store shelves to get an estimate, that is easy - Zero rolls! All the stores in my area have withdrawn it from the shelves (or maybe I should say, Kodak has withdrawn it, as I believe they determine the product mix ratio of their store displays). Only 1 of the 4 camera stores in my area carry it. Otherwise, the only way I know of to get it is via mail order. Pretty grim...

Oh well, i am enjoying it whil I can, and will stock up on more from BH, should they pull the plug soon.

 

End note - 6 rolls of k25 just sold for over $150 on e-bay!!! Too bad Kodak cant tap into demand like that for the current K products.

[archie_alcantara1]

'End note - 6 rolls of k25 just sold for over $150 on e-bay!!! Too bad Kodak cant tap into demand like that for the current K products.'

 

there you go Kodak....revive K25 and sell it on EBAY..this was one of Kodak' best

[robert_johnson15]

Here is another way to calculate the film amount if the master rolls are indeed 5,000 feet by 40 inches. 36 exposure film is 64 1/2 inches per roll, not as above. Assuming the full width is used and NO spoilage occurs in slitting, perfing and packaging, then the amount is slightly over 26,900 rolls per emulsion number.

 

That would be 29 widths of 35mm film in 40 inches. 5,000 feet is 60,000 inches which when divided by 64.5 times 29 equals 26,976 rolls.

 

There is a Kodak URL that explains how motion picture film is slit and numbered. It can be found here: http://www.kodak.com/US/en/motion/support/h1/sizesP.shtml#p

 

This URL assumes a width of 54 inches for a master roll and a different length than what is above.

 

I do remember asking the photo director over at the National Geographic (this was in the early 80's and things could change)whether the rumor that they tested Kodachrome emulsions and if they found one they liked, they bought the whole emulsion number? He said it was true. I then asked how many rolls were in an emulsion number? He answered 15,000 on average, but could be as many as 16,000 or as low as 12,000 depending on how much spoilage during packaging.

 

This will get you in the "ball park", but if you don't know how many emulsion numbers a year, then you are kinda left hanging.

 

FYI, the only local store in Nashville, TN that I can find that carries Kodachrome is one lone Eckerds with a stand alone "photographic" outlet. They only cary 24 expoure rolls. If you want true variety and good prices, you have to mail order from one of the big places in NYC. Last time I checked/ordered, they had more than 1,000 of everything except PKL200!

 

Now as for that figure of 127 rolls, I shot more than that in 2003, so it must be more. Someone must have confused my roll usage with the world-wide usage!

 

Robert Johnson

[randrew1]

Ron Mowrey's numbers are an estimate of the minimum volume. If we were down to that minimum, there would only be one lab left in the world. We currently have 3 (or you could say 2.5 since the one in Japan is a low volume K-lab.)

[rowland_mowrey]

Guys;

 

More info for you...

 

1. Stores can order or 'refuse' to order a given film, or they can limit their stock of film. Locally, some stores stock Kodachrome, and others do not. Some stock just a few rolls.

 

2. Coating width depends on coating machine and location. Width varies from 40+ to 50+ inches. The edges are always waste due to the 'bead' of emulsion that forms unevenly at the edges.

 

3. Back when NatGeog bought film by the 'batch' there was 120 film sold as well, which caused the roll count in a 'batch' to vary. This may offset their numbers as given above.

 

4. It is true that 5000 ft represents one roll, but an emulsion # depends on the amount of coating that is made from one batch of chemicals. Lets say that half way through a 5000 ft roll you run out of magenta emulsion and replace it with another batch, then you have a coating defect for a few feet and a new emulsion # in the middle of a 5000 ft roll. If chemicals last for more than one roll then the number still changes at the end of a roll IIRC. Check the EK web site. I am not saying this happens or does not happen, but that is what could happen to offset the # of rolls / emulsion # or batch.

 

5. The master roll of about 5000 ft is only one product such as K64, so if they make K200, that is another run. They have 2 x 5000 ft x 50 or 40 inches of two products then with a total of twice the # of rolls.

 

6. For most popular products such as Ektachromes, Porta, Endura, etc, the lines are running 24/7 at 8 plants (excluding Australia). Kodachrome is a very tiny fraction of that production. And, at each site there is more than one machine, and more than one subdivision (paper and film for example). The ratio of Ektachrome / Kodachrome is massively different. You should understand that one fact.

 

Ron Mowrey

[randall_pukalo]

Rowland,

Does this mean they produce some amount of Kodachrome at each of the 8 plants, or is Kodachrome run out of only one plant? I hope at all 8. One plant puts it into extinction should they close it.

I began this thread because I was trying to estimate if they are even still producing Kodachrome, because the latest expiration date I can find for it is 2/06 (k64). I suspect it will "die silently" - that is, they will stop production, but not anounce cancellation untill all the remaining stocks are gone.

Hopefully, newere stocks than 2/06 are out there.

[rowland_mowrey]

Randall;

 

I have no idea where all they make it.

 

I know that any plant that can make color can make Kodachrome, but that is about it.

 

Sorry.

 

Ron Mowrey