Jump to content

Kodachrome, Dwyanes and Switzerland


John Adolfi

Recommended Posts

I was keeping quiet until Kodak figures out how to get our film to Switzerland again. As of 3 years ago I was told by head of processing at Qualex that Kodak has sent everything to Dwaynes. After 8 rolls over the last 2 months I can say I'm hardly impressed with the quality of the processing. I have 4 rolls for the Goat Movie ready to be processed and I will not send them to Dwaynes! Kodak is aware of their problem. You see Kodachrome has a 19 step process and Dwaynes Kodachrome machine is designed for 35mm slide film. They have issues in the agitation portion of the developing process. That and any other issues of quality control have been at the heart of why our Kodachrome is looking sad these days. Mine has greater grain and two tracks running down the middle of 6 of the 8 rolls with a bit of orange tint bewteen the tracks. We need to have our film sent to Switzerland, period. Or I'm going to film in neg 16mm from now on or the unthinkable Video. Kodak needs you friends to encourage them in what they are already in process of doing. If you are experiencing less than beautiful processed film and you have eliminated all the known variables then call Kodak and voice your concern. I have and will continue. My Goat Movie depends on it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Premium Member

Five years ago, we sent our Super-8 Kodachrome for the dream sequence in "Twin Falls Idaho" to a lab in Phoenix, which scratched everything by removing the film from the cartridge by yanking it from the throat (I guess) -- lots of horizontal blue nicks and stress fractures. This was from two different cameras and there were no vertical scratches.

Edited by David Mullen
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi,

I lost faith in switzerland´s kodachrome lab since i got 9 rolls with the worst developement you could ever imagine.

It had a deep magenta cast, film was not out of date and it was shoot exterior without the 85 inside.

The only way to get that deep magenta shooting exteriors is bad film or bad processing. both were suplied by kodak.

I think kodak should look after the quality control of this lab, or the quality control of the film sold, after all there was a kodak logo at the door of the place where i bought this film

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Dwaynes had some problems but this has to be related to a particular batch only. I have sent over a hundred rolls to Dwaynes through Kodak Fair Lawn the past year without experiencing the problems some are having.

 

Where did you get the information that Dwaynes is having problem specifically pointing to the agitation process and Kodak is aware of it?

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Premium Member
Hi,

I lost faith in switzerland´s kodachrome lab since i got 9 rolls with the worst developement you could ever imagine.

It had a deep magenta cast, film was not out of date and it was shoot exterior without the 85 inside.

The only way to get that deep magenta shooting exteriors is bad film or bad processing. both were suplied by kodak.

I think kodak should look after the quality control of this lab, or the quality control of the film sold, after all there was a kodak logo at the door of the place where i bought this film

 

Did you let your Kodak technical representative know of your dissatifaction, and investigate the cause?

 

Once the film is in the hands of a dealer or customer, they need to store it properly.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi,

I lost faith in switzerland´s kodachrome lab since i got 9 rolls with the worst developement you could ever imagine.

It had a deep magenta cast, film was not out of date and it was shoot exterior without the 85 inside.

The only way to get that deep magenta shooting exteriors is bad film or bad processing. both were suplied by kodak.

I think kodak should look after the quality control of this lab, or the quality control of the film sold, after all there was a kodak logo at the door of the place where i bought this film

 

To me it seems like the magenta cast you describe is due to a storage problem.

It is typical for heated or long overdue/some heated K40.

 

R

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sorry John, i did not contact kodak when this happened. Let´s say the times i have called kodak motion department about S8 they have always treated me like i was a freak, not a professional.

Then i call another day asking for film for my eclair acl and then everything changes. I´m a DOP!

Maybe this dealer with the kodak logo at the door had store it badly. I bought it, shoot it and back to the dealer. maybe just 2 days. I´ve been shooting for sometime and don´t leave things under the spanish sun.

Anyway they should take care of this as the main difference betewen a good brand and a bad brand is quality control.

I believe kodak is the best photography brand nowdays

7218 is one of the most marvellous thing to see

i just say i´m not using s8 anymore as my art depends on my control

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Premium Member
Sorry John, i did not contact kodak when this happened. Let´s say the times i have called kodak motion department about S8 they have always treated me like i was a freak, not a professional.

Then i call another day asking for film for my eclair acl and then everything changes. I´m a DOP!

 

Are you sure you talked to someone in Kodak's Entertainment Imaging Division, who work with professional filmmakers? It could be that you reached someone in another division, who still thinks of Super-8 for home movies only. Asking for 16mm motion-picture film would immediately put you in touch with someone in Entertainment Imaging.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

In spain, as i think, it is the same department s8, 16 and 35mm.

Time ago i think S8 was through the comon user department as kodakgold goes. this is not nowdays.

I think this is caused by the low aception of S8 in my country. people use to think and xl1 is more estetically profesional than S8.

of course i can only disagree.

Maybe it was bad at the store, or just i fall into that very litle percentage of factory problems.

If you buy a VOLVO it is likely to be a good robust car, but sometimes, maybe once in a million, breaks just the first week.

35mm is the Rolls Royce

S16 is a porsche

and Super8 is a BMW

I think video is more like a 50c.c. motorcycle

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...