Kodachrome 40 in 16mm,A bargain maybe?

February 22, 2005

I found excellent pricing on kodachrome 40 in 16mm.So much so that it might cut my film stock cost in half.i understand that it is a low speed film with narrow lattitude....but with that in mind if it can fit my situation would i save money?

Dwaynes processes 16m k40 and cleans + prep for telecine at $20 per 100 ft roll. I've seen some places charge less but many charge just as much for negative.

Im a really saving money or am i paying for it in processing costs? seems to me dwaynes prices are at least fairly competetive .

anyone seen k40 in 16? The fine grain structure is intriguing.i've also heard it kinda gives a little"retro" look with its colors and contrast.That kinda appeals to me for what Im doing.

February 22, 2005

"Im a really saving money "

I think thats supposed to read "Am I saving money"

I'm developing typing dyslexia.....

beware, I hear its contagious.

Dirk DeJonghe · February 22, 2005

I would say that Kodachrome is far to contrasty for normal telecine transfers. Strictly for direct projection. Very unlikely you can keep the highlights and shadow details in the same shot at the same time.

John Pytlak RIP · February 22, 2005

Kodak KODACHROME is a great film with a great history. It is primarily intended for direct projection, and has a high contrast suited for that application. Since the couplers are not in the film, it can have very thin emulsion layers (helps sharpness), and its reputation for dye stability is outstanding. It has a unique color palette that many like, especially the vibrant reds.

The disadvantages are that the high "projection" contrast means less latitude, so you have to be precise in exposure. A higher contrast reversal film is not as suited to telecine transfer as a low contrast color negative or master positive. And only a handfull of labs are left that still run the very complex KODACHROME process that requires separate developers and couplers in the developers for each color.

If you are shooting film for direct projection (no prints or transfers needed), or are after the high contrast, high color saturation KODACHROME "look", it's a good choice. But today's Super-16 production has shifted almost entirely to color negative film.

Dan Salzmann · February 22, 2005

Kodachrome is a beautiful filmstock and all the observations already mentioned I agree with.

However my experience is that TC colourists really love to work on projects shot on it because they see so little of it.

Just remember that lighting and exposure have to be spot on.

Anthony Schilling · February 22, 2005

I did part of a shoot in 16mm K-40. for a retro look at Vegas stuff for the 100th anaverary of Vegas. Had it transferred and got the look I was going for.

Austin Schmidt · February 22, 2005

Kodachrome is an extremely beautiful film. However there are some things to consider. First, is that it is not so easy to find. I live in Manhattan and had to pre-order a shipment from Denver to get it. Just make sure you contact Kodak well in advance so they have time to get it to you. This also required shipping and delivery costs which I had to pay for. I believe you stated that you found a good price on it. Just make sure that the film has been taken good care of and stored properly and not for too long. I can't imagine it's reletively new if you are getting a good deal on it because I'm sure Kodak doesn't sell much of this stuff in 16mm. Second is that the the processing is much more expensive. I also dealt with Dwaynes for processing and just like you said, they charged $20 for 100ft. That means .20 cents for every foot. This is extremely expensive, even for processing houses in Manhattan which will charge between .11-.14 cents a foot depending on the deal you work out. If a transfer is done in house, then the telecine prep is done for free. All in all it is a much more expensive film to work with, however, if it has the look you are going for, I would highly recommend it as it has a much different look then the ektacrome reversals. Other side notes: Labs will not cross-process this stock; it is balanced to the old movie lights rather then todays tungsten and daylight films.

Rik Andino · February 22, 2005

They make Kodachrome for 16mm?

Where can you get it and where can you develop it & Telecine?

Is it douple perf or single perf?

That seems so cool...I'm shooting a video in about a week

And the High Contrast/ High Saturation is just the look I'm going for.

Anyways thanks in ahead...

Anthony Schilling · February 23, 2005

Dwayne's is the only one that processes it. you may also want to look into Ekta 100D reversal. contrasty with excellent colors. Shot 400ft recently and I'm quite blown away with the look of 100D.

February 23, 2005

This isnt old stock....its just an order price.

Before i reveal the source ...let me call them to make sure the price is accurate and that they can get it. i'll post next week.

The price I found was $11.95 per 100 ft daylight spool. Even if I paid an extra 8 cents a foot to process....I would still be at 20 cents a foot. Thats getting daylight spools for short end prices maybe?

Of course, I could buy short ends and spool them onto daylight rolls....but I would need a drakroom right? This is something i havent done before.Is this a better idea? Maybe i can learn.

Hey I figure,k40 should kick my butt enough to where if i get the exposure right....everything else will seem easy. i'm shooting two rolls of super 8 ektachrome this weekend ...we'll see just how bad or good my exposure estimating is! lol (fingers crossed)