Return of Kodachrome?

[Drew Bedo]

heard a wild rumor: Kodak will reintroduce Kodachrome!
No info on when or any specs on film sizes ISO etc . . .or who will process it.


Is this true or just someone CHASING UNICORN IN THE MIST?

[xkaes]

His name is Paul Simon.

[Bruce Watson]

Is this true or just someone CHASING UNICORN IN THE MIST?

It can't possibly be true. Just the environmental impacts alone would stop it. Not to mention that no one has the equipment to process it any more. And... who really wants it? That was the main problem in the end, and the main reason they quit making it and people quit processing it. Not enough volume to keep the product on the active list.

So, I vote for someone is chasing unicorns. Again.

[faberryman]

I think the Kodachrome rumor was an off the cuff remark made in January by the Kodak employee who announced the Ektachrome revival, which was later walked back by his superior. There was also some talk of Kodak calling the new Ektachome Kodachome to play off the trade name, but it would still be an E-6 film.

[David Lobato]

As I remember when Kodachrome ended, Kodak said that the last run of film used the last of the dye stocks. And the process and materials to make the dyes are now gone.

[Mark Sampson]

The Kodachrome process is enormously complicated, and by design must run at large volumes to stay in control. Kodak's labs would have a chemical engineer on staff to keep things running. The machinery is complex and thus would be very expensive to rebuild.
E-6 by comparison is far simpler, of course. Although Kodak is making a profit on film nowadays, and is planning to re-introduce Ektachrome, I can't imagine any way they could possibly make a profit on Kodachrome.
In the long-gone golden era, Kodak made many unprofitable films to fill a market niche, supported by the vast profits from consumer photography. But like the clipper ship and the steam locomotive, those days aren't coming back.
See my friend Bob Shanebrook's fine book, "Making Kodak Film" at makingkodakfilm.com.

[photog_ed]

Kodak has introduced a new magazine, confusingly named Kodachrome:

http://store.kodak.com/store/kodak/en_US/pd/ThemeID.39513700/productID.5114031100

So they have introduced Kodachrome, but not the film.

Ed

[Tim Meisburger]

Yes, I think it just the magazine, but one can hope...

[Duolab123]

Kodachrome is a very powerful brand. I wouldn't be a bit surprised to see Kodak make a E6 or C41 film and call it Kodachrome. Somehow they need to take advantage of the brand and try to license the name for consumer goods. For goodness sake, there's been a song about it, a national monument named after it. Kodak has Ektar mobile phones. What's next?
Best Regards Mike

[BrianShaw]

I think Drew's account has beeen hacked by a troll.

[BrianShaw]

... There was also some talk of Kodak calling the new Ektachome Kodachome to play off the trade name, but it would still be an E-6 film.

Never heard that one before but I believe you. But wouldn't that be the epitome of bizarre?

[stawastawa]

I really hope they dont do that.

There was also some talk of Kodak calling the new Ektachome Kodachome to play off the trade name, but it would still be an E-6 film.

[Jac@stafford.net]

Kodachrome is a very powerful brand. I wouldn't be a bit surprised to see Kodak make a E6 or C41 film and call it Kodachrome.

Why not. They changed Tri-X without telling us.

[Duolab123]

Why not. They changed Tri-X without telling us.

Man, that's the truth! Old Tri-X had grain like snowflakes. The new stuff is pretty much high speed Panatomic-X :-)