Kodachrome news

Giles Perkins · March 22, 2006

For those that haven't seen Kodak's deadline announcement for Europe wide processing of Kodachrome.... take note!

http://onsuper8.blogspot.com/2006/03/kodac...-deadlines.html

John Pytlak RIP · March 22, 2006

For those that haven't seen Kodak's deadline announcement for Europe wide processing of Kodachrome.... take note!

http://onsuper8.blogspot.com/2006/03/kodac...-deadlines.html

Better yet, go to the source:

http://www.kodak.com/US/en/motion/about/ne...achrome06.jhtml

http://www.kodak.com/US/en/motion/about/ne...hromeQA06.jhtml

Kodak announces final processing dates for all Kodachrome Super 8 film and Kodachrome 16mm film
European catalog number, with processing costs included

Eastman Kodak Company announced today that Kodak-certified processing of Kodachrome Super 8 film will no longer be available after August 1, 2006.

This move follows Kodak's announcement on May 6, 2005 that it would exit the manufacture of Kodachrome Super 8 film. At that time, the company alerted customers that they would have approximately one year to process their Kodachrome Super 8 film with Kodak.

Today's announcement sets August 1 as the final date by which customers can deliver their Kodachrome Super 8 film to Kodak for certified processing. No Kodak-approved processing will be available after that date for Kodachrome Super 8 film.

Kodachrome 16mm film with processing costs included (cat #5053327) has also been discontinued this year. With stock depleted, final sales of this product occurred in February. Customers who have purchased Kodachrome 16mm film with the processing costs included have until December 31, 2006 to process that film with Kodak. After that date, customers will have to seek an alternative at their own cost.

This announcement does not impact sales of Kodachrome 16mm film without processing costs included, (cat #1402494) which will continue to be available in some regions.

According to Kim Snyder, general manager and vice president for Image Capture products, Entertainment Imaging at Eastman Kodak Company, 'The rationale to discontinue these specific product lines was entirely driven by marketplace dynamics. In line with the discontinuance, we will also cease to offer processing for those particular films within the year."

Kodak remains committed to providing its motion picture customers a range of products and creative choices. As such, Kodak introduced a new color reversal film to its portfolio last year. An alternative product for Kodachrome Super 8 users, the new KODAK EKTACHROME Film 64T (film code 7280) combines very high image quality with excellent color reproduction. For Kodachrome 16mm users, Kodak offers KODAK EKTACHROME 100D, a 100-speed color reversal motion picture film (film code 7285). Designed for daylight, this film also delivers intensely saturated color, plus a neutral gray scale and accurate skin tones.

Q1:I recently heard that Kodak is discontinuing its processing for Kodachrome Super 8 film. What exactly does this mean?
A1: We originally announced the exit of our Kodachrome Super 8 product line in May of 2005. At that time, we alerted customers that they would have approximately one year to process their Kodachrome Super 8 film with Kodak.

The recent customer announcement is formal notification of the discontinuation of Kodak certified processing for Kodachrome Super 8 film, effective August 1, 2006. Please consider August 1 as the final opportunity to deliver your Kodachrome Super 8 film to Kodak for certified processing.

Q2: What happens if I don't get my Kodachrome Super 8 film in for processing before August 1, 2006?

A2: We hope the timing of this announcement will give our customers adequate opportunity to submit their film to Kodak for certified processing. And, we strongly encourage them to get their film in by August 1, 2006, as no Kodak-approved processing will be available past that date for Kodachrome Super 8 film.

Dwayne's Photo, based in Parsons, Kansas, does currently process all Kodachrome formats -- 35mm, 16mm and Super 8. However, Dwayne's does not carry a Kodak certification for Super 8. Because the technology and chemistry needed to process Kodachrome Super 8 is so unique, Kodak is not able to give any assurances in relation to Super 8 processing outside its own lab operations.

Customers interested in sending their film to Dwayne's should contact that organization directly to obtain information about their processing capabilities.

Dwayne's Photo

415 S. 32nd Street

Parsons, KS, 67357

USA

(620) 421-3940

http://www.k14movies.com/

Q3: How long will Dwayne's be able to process Kodachrome film?

A3: We can't speak for Dwayne's.

Q4: Does the discontinuation of processing for Kodachrome Super 8 mean that you are closing your lab in Switzerland?

A4: In line with market declines, Kodak announced plans to significantly reduce the global asset base supporting its traditional products. This announcement was driven by the fundamental, structural change in the imaging industry worldwide. Implementation of that plan continues, very much impacting Kodak's laboratory operations across the globe. However, no announcement has been made relative to the closure of the Kodak lab in Renens, Switzerland.

Q5: Why did you discontinue the manufacture of Kodachrome Super 8?

A5: The decision to discontinue Kodachrome film in Super 8 format was driven entirely by marketplace dynamics. Because the 'home movie' market has shifted to digital, sales of Kodachrome Super 8 film have declined significantly over the years.

Q6: Will the entire Kodachrome portfolio disappear?

A6: The announcement made today applies specifically to the processing of Kodachrome Super 8 motion-picture product and Kodachrome 16mm processing costs included (a catalog number specific to EAMER). Sales of Kodachrome 16mm film without processing continue. That being said, Kodak is constantly evaluating its product portfolio -- both digital and traditional -- to ensure that it is consistent with market demands.

Q7: Does Kodak plan to discontinue its motion picture color reversal line?

A7: There are no plans to discontinue color reversal, so long as it is supported by marketplace conditions. At present, demand for motion picture color reversal is robust enough to justify investment in new products -- such as the recently announced EKTACHROME 64T.

Q8: Why did you discontinue Kodachrome 16mm film, cat no. 5053327?

A8: Cat no 5053327 is specific to our European market and includes film processing within the purchase price. Due to marketplace dynamics, we have discontinued this option.

Fewer and fewer labs worldwide have the machines and the chemistry necessary to process Kodachrome film. It requires a very unique infrastructure. So, with a view toward the processing complexity and the decline in sales, Kodak's European Region has decided to make its transition now to alternative EKTACHROME products such as the KODAK EKTACHROME 100D, a 100-speed color reversal motion picture film (film code 7285) designed for daylight.

Processing of Kodachrome 16mm film with processing costs included will be available through end of year.

Q9: We continue to hear about product discontinuances and plant closings. Is Kodak abandoning its film business?

A9: Not at all. The simple fact is that consumer preferences are changing, and demand for traditional consumer products such as film and paper has fallen with the increasing popularity of digital photography. The announcements about plant closings are all driven by the fundamental, structural change in the imaging industry worldwide.

Yet, Entertainment is still a film business, and film will remain an important part of the imaging chain into the foreseeable future. The success of our VISION2 product proves motion picture film's continued viability in the marketplace, and justifies future investment in silver halide. Nothing approaches motion-picture film for its quality, resolution, dynamic range, flexibility and archivability.

We're working hard to supply you with the technology for what we foresee as a film/digital hybrid world. We are committed to all our customers in the creative community, and to developing a full range of tools and services to help bring your vision to the screen, more faithfully, efficiently, and at the highest levels of quality.

A.Oliver · March 22, 2006

''The King is Dead''!!!!!!!, image longevity is obviously of no concern to anyone these days, otherwise joe public would use the stuff and kodachrome would live on. Hopefully, anyone who shoots kodachrome in its indian summer will have the last laugh in 50 years time. Kick in the teeth for the super 8 user, like many of us, we thought September was our cut off for super 8 processing. Good news for the 16mm user, least we have till the end of the year, 3 months longer than i expected, i assumed Sep 2006 would be cut off for processing. Tried to buy 25 rolls of 16mm k40 from kodak uk, told all gone!!! Anyway at last we have a date, and must thank kodak for keeping processing going till the end of 2006.

Alessandro Machi · March 22, 2006

This move follows Kodak's announcement on May 6, 2005 that it would exit the manufacture of Kodachrome Super 8 film. At that time, the company alerted customers that they would have approximately one year to process their Kodachrome Super 8 film with Kodak.

This is a somewhat incomplete statement.

NO NOTICE was given that Kodachrome would be discontinued, it was instantly discontinued and whatever was already in the pipeline was gobbled up. The more customer friendly approach could have been to agree to do one more run of Kodachrome 40 based on pre-order sales and let the market decide how much more it wanted to buy, rather than force everyone to scrum for only what already remained.

Anyways, I hope Fuji can continue to hold out with the Velvia until Kodak releases 7201 in Super-8, even though 7201 is a negative stock and Fuji Velvia is a reversal stock, both look sweet on Super-8 and would allow one to legitimately plan on a "for profit" venture in the Super-8 format.

John Pytlak RIP · March 23, 2006

''The King is Dead''!!!!!!!, image longevity is obviously of no concern to anyone these days, otherwise joe public would use the stuff and kodachrome would live on. Hopefully, anyone who shoots kodachrome in its indian summer will have the last laugh in 50 years time.

Well, I have home movies shot onSuper-8 EKTACHROME movie film in the mid-1970's that still look darn good. B) I stored them properly (cool, dry, and vented), and any fading is minimal. Stored properly, many of the color productions from the 1960's shot on EASTMAN Color Negative films like 5250, 5251, and 5254 are finding new life and look very good on the DVDs of today. Lots of the KODAK VNF newsfilm from the 1970's look alot better than the "Electronic News Gathering" material recorded on 3/4-inch tape, which is sometimes almost unplayable today due to "sticky shed" and ever decreasing availability of good playback machines (if the news tapes weren't erased to reuse and save money).

Even though these examples don't date back to the early days of KODACHROME in the 1930's, they certainly show that more recent film stocks are holding up very well. The bad reputation of incorporated coupler films fading rapidly date back to an earlier time, in the years before Kodak introduced low fade color print film, and made further improvements to the color camera films. These improvements were facilitated by Kodak's development of "Arrhenius Testing" to predict which dyes would have minimal fading. (The infamous Color Reversal Intermediate "CRI" 5249 was the last film developed before Arrhenius testing had been perfected). And film archives now recognize the importance of proper storage conditions, rather than keeping films in an unconditioned warehouse or hot shed on the backlot.

And remember, as has often been said before, a projection contrast reversal original film like KODACHROME film is not the best option for duplication for release printing or telecine transfer, where modern color negative films are so great.

David W Scott · March 23, 2006

image longevity is obviously of no concern to anyone these days, otherwise joe public would use the stuff

While I don't share your fervent Kodachromeophilia, I agree with you about Joe Public's concern over longevity.

OT:

After reading about DVD-R lifespans that range from a high of 5 years to a low of 3 months, I have advised my family to not keep any important movies or photos on DVD-R. As a result, my Dad went through his DVD home movies and found 3 discs from the last year that will no longer play. I feel sorry for folks who have moved to such fragile media to shoot/store their memories. They won't have anything to show their kids, let alone their grand kids :(

I think there will be a great panic in a few years when Joe Public realizes what has happened to their home movies... it's too late to start backing up discs or putting images on sturdier media when the originals are dead.

Edited March 23, 2006 by David W Scott

Maulubekotofa · March 24, 2006

i dont think anyone is paniking over there VHS tapes and ebsides knowbody shoots super 8 that much that makes home movies people shoot super 8 to convert to the mac to make commercials

John Pytlak RIP · March 24, 2006

i dont think anyone is paniking over there VHS tapes and ebsides knowbody shoots super 8 that much that makes home movies people shoot super 8 to convert to the mac to make commercials

If you shoot video or digital photos, just be prepared to migrate them to new formats, and do it before the expected lifetime of the media is up. If you have 10-year old VHS tapes, better start migrating NOW.

Good archiving practice is to have multiple copies, in different locations. Learn from those who lost everything in Hurricane Katrina.

For digital still photos, consider using the on-line storage services, such as Kodak EasyShare Gallery. The images are stored on servers and backed-up, and can serve as one of your storage locations:

http://www.kodakgallery.com

Hal Smith · March 24, 2006

If you shoot video or digital photos, just be prepared to migrate them to new formats, and do it before the expected lifetime of the media is up. If you have 10-year old VHS tapes, better start migrating NOW.

Good archiving practice is to have multiple copies, in different locations. Learn from those who lost everything in Hurricane Katrina.

For digital still photos, consider using the on-line storage services, such as Kodak EasyShare Gallery. The images are stored on servers and backed-up, and can serve as one of your storage locations:

http://www.kodakgallery.com

The professional museum people are real concerned about long term archival. It's somewhat sad that in 100 years we may have Edison cylinders of Caruso that will still play and no tape or CD's of Pavaroti that will. In 100 years finding a working reproducer for video and audio tapes, CD's, etc. will be almost impossible even if one had media that would play given a working machine.

Edmond, OK

An afterthought: The fact that media and manufacturing corporations are putting profit over permanence will some day be remembered as a set of acts as rapacious as the destruction in antiquity of the Royal Libraries of Alexandria. We lost something like 98% of the Greek classics because of that tragedy. There are Aristophanes plays that we have ancient commentary about but don't have the original, Euripides' "Trojan Women" was the third play of an otherwise lost trilogy, etc.