Kodak takes famous film out of picture (Kodachrome)

Financial times ^ | June 22 2009 19:00 | Last updated: June 22 2009 19:00 | Alan Rappeport i

[wally_bert]

I burned through a fair amount myself.

Another type I used was Ilford B/W film and it was fun to develop myself.

[reed13]

I’ve heard professional photogs say the same about the more recent films that are out as well.

[Hodar]

Good point.

[El Gato]

And what is wrong with a 40 year old song? Some of us are over 50 you know. Song had a good sound, even if it didn't make a lot of sense.

Kodachrome, they give us those nice bright colours
They give us the greens of summers
Makes you think all the world's a sunny day, oh yeah
I got a Nikon camera, I love to take a photograph
So mama don't take my Kodachrome away

[trisham]

She was so beautiful. How sad that life has been so hard on her.

[trisham]

It is a great song.

[squarebarb]

I’venever liked Kodak products. I always use Fujifilm.

[Red Dog #1]

It wasn't an ugly tree, it was hate, ignorance and intolerance. Most Westerns are incapable of understanding the toll 25 years of third world poverty and civil war take.

[ikka]

Kodachrome was a brilliantly designed film. It was sharp and colorful, very long lasting (archival) and did not fade provided it was stored properly.

Kodak erred in not allowing for the need for quick processing - the Kodachrome K14 process took at least 24 hours to have processed even on a rush basis, while the Ektachrome E-6 process could be done in an hour with a much simpler processor machine.

Supposedly someone came out with a one-hour K14 process but Kodak would not let it be marketed. One of many marketing failures from Eastman Kodak.

At least I still have a few hundred shots of Kodachrome taken when I was a teenager and into photography...

[HiTech RedNeck]

Absurd. Kodachrome went out of patent long ago and anyone who wished could produce a duplicate. Apparently nobody wishes, or else there would be a lot more places to develop it.

[headstamp 2]

One can only imagine what those green eyes have witnessed all these years in that hell hole over there. You wouldn’t look much better.

[Cboldt]

Best color film, ever.

[yefragetuwrabrumuy]

The Kodachrome in use today is somewhat different from the original Kodachrome, and its modifications, as well as its processing, are still proprietary.

Likely whoever is able to assemble all the rights, “ingredients” and process, will be able to set whatever price they want. But it will be decidedly high end, as other film makers will provide for the low end market. Even the high end users will do “practice” shots with digital and low end film, to conserve their Kodachrome as much as possible.

[jws3sticks]

I've used Kodachrome since July 1960 and totally love it. When I went in the U.S. Peace Corps in 1966, I took 50 36 exposure rolls of Kodachrome 64 with me and used every one.

One of my favorite example pictures is at the following URL

The image is a scan of a 40 year old slide, so it is a little kinky but still a fun shot of little Teraza, in Kaphuka Village, Dedza District, Central Region of Malawi in Central Africa.

Here's me and my little house about 50 feet from the picture taken of Teraza.

Kodachrome - R.I.P. You made us all better photographers.

[Checkers]

“When I think back
On all the crap I learned in high school
It’s a wonder
I can think at all
And though my lack of edu-—cation
Hasn’t hurt me none
I can read the writing on the wall

Kodachrome
They give us those nice bright colors
They give us the greens of summers
Makes you think all the world’s a sunny day, Oh yeah
I got a Nikon camera
I love to take a photograph
So mama don’t take my Kodachrome away

If you took all the girls I knew
When I was single
And brought them all together for one night
I know they’d never match
my sweet imagination
everything looks WORSE in black and white

Kodachrome
They give us those nice bright colors
They give us the greens of summers
Makes you think all the world’s a sunny day, Oh yeah
I got a Nikon camera
I love to take a photograph
So mama don’t take my Kodachrome away

Mama don’t take my Kodachrome away
Mama don’t take my Kodachrome away
Mama don’t take my Kodachrome away

Mama don’t take my Kodachrome
Mama don’t take my Kodachrome
Mama don’t take my Kodachrome away

Mama don’t take my Kodachrome
Leave your boy so far from home
Mama don’t take my Kodachrome away
Mama don’t take my Kodachrome

Mama don’t take my Kodachrome away”

[Paulus Invictus]

Ironically, it was Kodak that invented digital photography, but shelved it since they had billions invested in film production Although they don't get much good press from the digimags, they make excellent digital cameras today. Both of mine turn out super pics and HD videos.

They also had the best copier on the market, but were sued by Xerox and dropped out.

They also invented the best instant camera system/film ever, but were sued by Polaroid and dropped out. Curiously, Kodak supplied Polaroid with all of their film at the time.

Kodak also invented and is yet to fully market the very best media screen ever, based upon OLED technology, but where is it? An Oled screen on a digital camera or TV screen or video camera would look so Kodachrome sharp and bright you can see it in bright sunlight.

Kodak has had years of bad luck, poor choices and bad management. Too bad. It was a great company once. I know. I worked there for 36 years.

[Paulus Invictus]

Fuji actually copied Kodak film and is one of the reasons for Kodak’s loss of market share.

[SanFranDan]

Paulus,

Nice post. Wow 36 years! The stories you could tell...

[yarddog]

For maybe 20 years I used Kodachrome almost exclusively. I guess I haven’t put a roll of it through in at least 10 years but I still feel like I just lost an old friend.

[Paleo Conservative]

Likely whoever is able to assemble all the rights, “ingredients” and process, will be able to set whatever price they want. But it will be decidedly high end, as other film makers will provide for the low end market. Even the high end users will do “practice” shots with digital and low end film, to conserve their Kodachrome as much as possible.

Well if it's going to be a high end film, whoever manufactures it should manufacture Kodachrome 25 and 220 roll. I've heard good things about Fuji's Velvia for shooting landscapes, but Kodachrome still has superior warm tones for photographing people.