Kodachrome 64

[howard_stapleton1]

<p>I have shot Kodachrome 25 from the 1950's until it went away and Kodachrome 64 since then. About 20,000 images as a serious amateur and all of them still look very good (even sold a few but made my real money shooting TV docs.). Now I hear that Kodachrome 64 may be going away and it seems that there is only one place in the world that someone from the U.S. can get 64 processed. And it seems they mucked up my last batch of pictures - they have not yet responded to the problem. So I'm thinking of replacing my OM1 with another Olympus now that they have a 12mp chip. Any comments on Kodachrome processing or Japanese film will be appreciated.</p>

[graham_line]

<p>In 1995, whoever was processing Kodachrome returned half of a three-day unrepeatable shoot (K200) with dust, grit, indifferent processing and misaligned mounts. I found a high-quality local E6 shop, Provia, and haven't looked back.</p>

[dangoldman]

<p>Dwayne's has been doing pretty good in my experience. Messed my first ever roll of kodachrome, but have otherwise been ok. Daniel Bayer has been shooting hundreds of rolls of kodachrome the past couple years and i recall him posting the figure for bothced rolls, like 1 in >250 or something, its in one of the recent threads.My stuff has been coming back, both kodachrome and E6, better than my local lab which was all full of stains and scratched etc. And they're cheaper than the local lab.</p>

<p>If they messed up your rolls they should have at least replace the film for you.</p>

<p>Digital can't replace the look of kodachrome. It doesnt work for everything, but when it works, its worth it.</p>

[JDMvW]

<p>I always had good luck with Kodak itself, but no one is perfect. Dwaynes is not just the only place in the US, but I think it's the only place in the whole world where Kodachrome can still be processed. Most reports are pretty good, but--as I say--no one is perfect.</p>

<p>Actually, it is possible to get a Kodachome look out of digital, but it can be an involved process of color balance and emphasis of some colors and jacking up the saturation.<br>

I actually liked Kodachrome II the best of all, but have shot everything from ASA (yes) 10 Kodacheome up to K64.</p>

[charles_hohenstein]

<p>Sadly, screwups happen, even at good labs. I'm sure that they are few and far between, but they are going to happen.</p>

[patrick_mont]

<p>I am not sure who you contacted, but the film you sent went to Dwaynes Photo (Dwaynesphoto.com) who is the last Kodachrome Processor in the world. Any film you send out must end up going there. They are usually great in getting right back to you with emails. You could always call them. Kodachrome is an amazing film. If you want to learn more about it and its up and downs, I suggest joining the Kodachrome Projec Forums. Kodachromeproject.com</p>

[silverscape]

<p>I don't have that much experience with Kodachrome yet...I've only shot 1 roll so far (although I'm working on another one right now). But Dwayne's Photo did a great job with my last slides. They were very clean, with no scratches, dust, etc, and they seemed to be mounted perfectly to me. I've also had several rolls of color print film (C-41) mailed there recently, and they did a great job. Again, the negatives were super clean with no scratches or dust, and the prints looked great.</p>

<p>Also, I've shot 6 rolls of 8mm movie film so far, and sent them back to Dwayne's Photo to be processed. They came out great, and it takes less than a week! (By the way, I don't use Walmart to send film to Dwayne's, I just mail it directly to them).</p>

<p>Graham, there were probably several labs that were still developing Kodachrome film back in 1995. I wouldn't know though, because I would have been in high school then and I didn't know anything about photography when I was a kid. I hadn't even heard of Kodachrome back then. (well, I might have heard the song, but I didn't know what it was about). </p>

<p>Actually, I'm kind of curious now...what labs were developing Kodachrome in 1995? I think even Kodak itself might have still been doing it. <br>

</p>

<p> </p>

[r.t. dowling]

<p>Kodak had a lab in Fairlawn, New Jersey, as well as a lab in Switzerland somewhere, and I believe a lab in Japan. All of those were definitely processing Kodachrome in 1995, and I think Fairlawn was still processing it as recently as two or three years ago (?). A&I in Los Angeles was, I think, still processing Kodachrome into the 1990s.</p>

[paul_noble]

<p>Kodak is very closed-mouth about the future of Kodachrome. They have not said when it will be finally dropped. AFAIK, all that they have definitively said was that, as long as it sells in sufficient quantity, they will make it. They have declined to define "sufficient quantity".</p>

<p>Every once in a while, a rumor surfaces that Kodak has already made the last production run of K-64 and, as soon as it runs out, they will drop it. So far, these rumors have been unsubstantiated.</p>

<p>Yes, Dwayne's is the only lab in the world that still processes Kodachrome for customers. I've heard that Kodak maintains a small processing facility in Rochester, but that it is for internal use (quality assurance, I assume) only. A lot may depend on how long Dwayne's is willing to process the stuff. If they decide to get out of the business, Kodak will have little choice but to drop it.</p>

<p>So far, it looks like Kodachrome will still be available next year, for its 75th anniversary, but there are no guarantees. Again, Kodak has not said if they're simply hanging on until the anniversary, out of some sort of corporate pride, or if it has any future after 2010. I think I believe them when they say that they will make it as long as it sells.</p>

<p>Paul Noble</p>

[randrew1]

<p>In the past 6 years I've been told on 4 separate occasions that the last K-64 coating has occurred. Three of those pronouncements were definitely premature and the fourth is looking questionable. If it sells enough, they will make more. As with the ancient city of Nineveh, redemption is always possible.</p>

[silverscape]

<p>Ron, I definitely agree with you. You never know. Sometimes the "impossible" happens after all. Does everyone remember a while back, when Kodak started making the new Etkar 100 film, and some people kept saying how they wished they would make it in 120 format? Supposedly, it was "never" going to happen. Kodak never said anything about it. Then all of a sudden, it's here...Ektar in 120 rolls. Everyone said it would never happen. But here it is. I guess there was so much demand for the 35mm Ektar that Kodak finally listened and figured it was worth the gamble to make it in 120 rolls.</p>

<p>And from what I've been seeing and hearing, there's already so much demand for it that photo supply places are having trouble keeping in stock. Heck, I <em>still</em> haven't had a chance to try it! (I've shot several rolls of 35mm Ektar, but not the 120 roll yet).</p>

<p>So you never know. If no specific date has been given for the end of Kodachrome, it might just be that one doesn't exist yet. If people keep buying it and using it, they'll keep making it.<br>

<br /><em>mamma don't take my Kodachrome awaaay...</em><br>

<br />hehehe...Okay, I <strong>have</strong> to go listen to that song now :)</p>

[howard_stapleton1]

<p>Thanks to everyone for your comments. I didn't use the name of the lab because they have not yet responded to my complaint and images I sent them via email attachments. If I can take Dan Goldman's response as a guide I guess my next 240 rolls should be OK. But over the years I have never had a problem like this with Kodachrome processing. </p>

[nicholas_rapak]

<p>The best way to contact is via phone, (620) 421-3940. You are more likely to get a prompt response.<br /> </p>

[d_f11]

<p>Last year before the economy went really downhill, I theorized that a group of Chinese investors would buy the film/paper/chemicals division of Kodak, Bejing would be the new Rochestor, or the guy who makes Voightlander cameras could be in on it or so forth. But now it's even more hazy what might become in the next year. The experation date on my latest batch of Kodachromes is 6/09 - 1 month!</p>

[dangoldman]

<p>i have 04/2010 as my last exp, 1559.</p>

[DB_Gallery]

<p>I have 07/2010....pretty sure there will be later ones too. I am committed to the stuff, I am not worried about it anymore either. I literally don't think about when it is going to disappear, it does not matter. I am shooting it now and getting great results, every day in fact. It's simply stunning film in my experience...</p><div></div>

[DB_Gallery]

<p>And I do mean stunning!</p><div></div>

[terence_spross1]

<p>I have bought my Kodachrome from the Rochester Institute of Technology's book store the last few years. But last week when I was there the clerk, who is a photography student and generally knowledgeable (in all fairness I found he transferred to RIT) did not know Kodachrome was still available or that there was any way to process it anymore. He only knew that they hadn't had any in stock for months. This is not a good sign considering this is Rochester and RIT has connections with Kodak.</p>

[DB_Gallery]

<p>Thanks Terence, I am going to have Kodak address this directly. On another note, Micheil Hegener has a new book out shot nearly all on Kodachrome, "The Kurds of Iraq":<br /> <a href="http://www.thekurdsofiraq.com/">www.thekurdsofiraq.com</a><br /> Keep on Chroming!</p>

[dangoldman]

<p>B&H still has over 900 rolls in stock.</p>

[howard_stapleton1]

<p>I'm having a conversation with Dwayne's via email about the problems. Here's one example of the problem shot outdoors. The Manatees are swimming underwater of course. They said perhaps the camera back was opened - it was not - or maybe something happened in their lab. They sent me one replacement roll of film. I don't expect a replacement trip from California to Florida! The question is not where to get Kodachrome, Dwayne's also sells it, but what to do when it's gone. There also seems to be a Kodak lab in Switzerland but they do not accept film from the United States - suggesting they do accept film from elsewhere. Anyway, thanks for all your comments and I'll keep watching for more.</p><div></div>

[DB_Gallery]

<blockquote>

<p>The question is not where to get Kodachrome, Dwayne's also sells it, but what to do when it's gone.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>I don't even think about that anymore, thinking about what to do about a product that is gone when it is clearly not gets in the way of creative thinking in terms of making photographs. So I use Kodachrome every day because it is here....right now...with expiration dates that go into mid next year...meaning that I can get my film processed probably until the end of next year.....or beyond.<br /> <br /> I bet all this when is Kodachrome going away? Why does Kodak not make a special run of 120 Kodachrome, KM-25? or any of this kind of speculation, well I bet it drives Kodak nuts.<br /> <br /> I also bet they are not making a huge profit if any on Kodachrome, so it is simply incredible that it is still around, at least to me.......there are days I really *can't* believe it is still around to tell you the truth.<br /> <br /> As for what happened to your Kodachrome from your trip to Florida, that is unfortunate. But it does happen and for many, many decades, it has been the policy of every lab on earth to only be liable to the point to replacement of film and processing. This is not unique to Kodachrome. I have had a few little bugs pop up here and there with Dwayne's, but nothing any worse than dust on the sensor of my D3 killing the vital detail in a otherwise perfect shot.<br /> There is risk in anything we do in life. But nothing risked, nothing gained...</p>

[James G. Dainis]

Howard, the lab in Switzerland sends the Kodachrome film to Dwayne's in Kansas. It would be silly to send film from the United States to Switzerland only to have them send it back to the United States to Dwayne's, and then the finished slides sent back to Switzerland to be sent to the client in the United States.

[kentigern]

<p>Having read a lot about this legendary film, but not having used it before I've just taken delivery of 10 rolls of KR64, with an expiry date of 02/2010. I'm very much looking forward to using it.<br>

(It's admittedly not eco-friendly as I'm in London, ordered it from 7dayshop in Guernsey, will take it on a forthcoming trip to California, then back to London to post it to Lausanne who then send it to Kansas, then back to the UK. )</p>

[howard_stapleton1]

<p>Thank you James Dainis. I guess Dwayne's is doing a good business if not always good work.</p>