Kodachrome degeneration from 70s

[Thomas Dafnides]

  I have two super 8 films from 1978 and 79, where the footage was all processed at the same lab.   Camera footage was Kodachrome 40 .   I had not viewed the films in about ten years.   Upon screening the the footage  , which had all been perfectly exposed ,  now looks  about 1 stop underexposed, with the colors obviously, now muted.   It is apparent to me the film emulsion is degrading, my guess probably from insufficient stabilization in the original lab processing.   I have Kodachrome 8mm films from the mid-60s that still look new.     Has anyone experienced this?     The film reels were stored in their individual  closed plastic containers.   I have now drilled holes to allow some air ventilation,  although this has not been a problem with any of my films from the 60s.    Has anyone encountered this?    Any solutions to halt the degradation process?   Thank you for any help.

[Joerg Polzfusz]

Hi!

Kodachrome from the 60s differs from the one produced in the 70s and on: K-11 process until 1961, then K-12 process until 1974, then K-14 process.

I have never encountered your problems before. But they fit the description of the defects in the publications from http://www.wilhelm-research.com/ for Kodachrome that hasn’t been properly stored or that has been projected too often. Direct link to the 260MB-pdf: http://www.wilhelm-research.com/WIR_Reference_Collection/The_Wilhelm_Analog_and_Digital_Color_Print_Materials_Reference_Collection_1971_to_2025_v26_(2025-02-01).pdf

I hope that you can find a reason and a cure!

 

[John Salim]

I've never heard of any processed film accumulating density.
I'd check your projector's bulb !

John S

[Martin Baumgarten]

Sadly, years ago when there were many labs processing KODACHROME film, the quality was all over the place.  I've also experienced deterioration of KODACHROME film processing from the 1970s done by Drewry Photochrome Corporation in California.  From my own analysis the problems stem from poor washing, certainly in final wash, and lack of Stabilization.  This has caused severe brown casting and also large brown spots. The overall look at first is one of the film being darker, but it's due to these awful processing stains most likely from unwashed chemistry later in the process.  The damage is done, and not much can be done to repair this. To a limited extent, the film can be digitized and adjustments done. Perhaps with the newer A.I. software out there, such as from TOPAZ or similar, it can be repaired to a greater extent than it is now.  For the actual film, even rewashing and stabilization hasn't been able to fix this since these are severe chemistry stains that bloomed out in the film emulsion and crystalized deeply.  Good luck though.  I want to add that ALL of my KODAK processed KODACHROME films still look great. I even have a uncle's old films from the late 1930s and they still look fine, except for emulsion cracks from poor storage prior to my getting them.  You get what you pay for....and for saving a lousy couple dollars per roll, going to a cheaper lab, a lifetime of images ruined resulted.

[David Mullen ASC]

My dad took a lot of color slides while in the Navy in the early 1960s, stationed in the Philippines and Japan -- the Ektachromes faded to pale magenta but the Kodachromes got eaten by mold in the Philippines, dark spots everywhere -- I guess they liked the dye! The colors are still great though...

[Thomas Dafnides]

Martin,   I believe you are right.  "Brown casting" is the correct word.  These films were non-Kodak processed and I suspect poor stabilization and washing.