End may be near for Kodachrome

[john_boyle3]

Interesting article about this classic film. I used to buy it in packs of 20 for less than $5/roll, processing included.

Change happens, but it's not always progress.

 

http://www.thestar.com/Business/article/503393

[charles_stobbs3]

When I first started using it I could plan on $0.10 a slide (film plus processinng, postage was extra).

[charles_stobbs3]

But you could buy a cup of coffee for a dime too, so I guess it's even cheaper now. These are the good old days.

[hjoseph7]

Time to stock up. I have a couple of rolls in my fridge already.

[stwrtertbsratbs5]

Throwing a bunch into the freezer won't help unless someone will still process the stuff. Great film.

[danielleetaylor]

It's interesting that on one hand people feel very strongly about this film, but on the other hand Dwayne's

confirms that sales are slipping. People talk about how much they love and will someday miss this film...but

they're not shooting it?

 

I would like to do a project or two on this film before it's gone, just to do it, just to work some more with a

classic material before it slips into history. This article is probably an indicator that it's time to stock up.

 

I wonder what the numbers are when it comes to producing, storing, and selling Kodachrome. Is it profitable for

Kodak? I also wonder if a production run that included 120 and 4x5, and/or K25, would spur some interest and

boost sales a bit. But even then it might just be too small a player now to appeal to Kodak management.

 

If Kodak is going to discontinue it, it would be nice to see them "go out with a bang." Do a big run of K25 in

multiple formats so people who spent their careers with this film can have one more crack at completing whatever

project they might want to before it's gone forever. Then again, that assumes Dwayne's can even handle other

formats...

 

BTW, as far as I know Walmart will still send Kodachrome out to Dwayne's for $4.88 a roll.

[waltflanagan]

The best thing about this article is it mentions Kodachrome Basin State Park in Utah. It's right between Bryce Canyon and Grand Staircase Escalante Nat. Mon.

 

Fuji Velvia is really what destroyed Kodachrome sales, not digital.

[ellis_vener_photography]

it wasn't Fuji Velvia alone. It was a combination of factors:

 

For many commercial photographers who used to buy film in case lots, you had the faster turn around of in town (or in house) E-6 porcessing vs. a 2 t o 3 day send out to the nearest Kodachrome lab for processing.

 

then there was the disastrous switch and fall off in quality when Qualex took over Kodachrome processing.

[Mike Gammill]

When Kodachrome is gone, don't be sad that it's over, but be glad that it happened! Think of all the great images that many of us have that would have faded by now if they weren't taken on Kodachrome. The fact that only one lab (Dwaynes) can process it is not a good sign. To add to factors that caused Kodachrome's decline, in many areas 2 to 3 day send out wasn't even an option. For those of us that lived in such areas the Kodachrome processing mailer with its two week turn around was what we had to endure. By the time Kodachrome 200 became available, the turn around time had stretched to almost 3 weeks.

[DB_Gallery]

Just shoot it.

 

http://www.Kodachromeproject.com

 

That is what I am doing, shooting hundreds of rolls of it before it is gone. Nothing worse in life than regret that is irreversible....

[dangoldman]

Mike, not sure where you get the 3week figure, atleast in recent times. Its about a 1week or less turnaround directly, or 1.5-2week turnaround through walmart.

[Mike Gammill]

3 weeks? Easy. Here in North Central Missisippi. The closest lab at the time was in Atlanta. Somewhere I still have the mailer stubs with the date written on them. For quite a while it was 3 weeks +/- a day or two. Kodachrome 200 seemed to come back a little faster from the lab than K25. Can't think of any reason why it should have. But to be positive, I never saw any signs of quality control.

[Mike Gammill]

I would add, Dan, that I was thinking about when I used to shoot a lot of K200 and K25. I neglected to notice recent times. The last Kodachrome I sent out was about three years ago, and yes, it was faster than three weeks. I'm encouraged. I may have to shoot a few rolls of K64 before it's gone.