May 31, 2005

Kodak, Don't Take My Kodachrome NY Times, reg. required. Earlier this month, Kodak, based in Rochester, N.Y., delivered a shock to experimental, underground and just plain old-fashioned filmmakers when - one day after a May 8 celebration called Global Super 8 Day - it announced plans to discontinue its low-speed, fine-grained Kodachrome Super 8 film in favor of a new Ektachrome Super 8 product.

For those caught up on the digital revolution, the announcement was easily missed. But to film geeks around the world, Kodak might as well have declared the death of color. This sux.

posted by squidranch 19 years ago
  • Start stockpiling... Analogous to the reel-to-reel mastering tape dilemma.
  • There is some petition going around to try to convince them to change their minds. The people in my department got all in a tizzy about it and sent the link round via email a couple weeks ago. I deleted it though. I don't know nothing about making no movies. I'm a gamer. Digital or die, baby!
  • Photographers everywhere stockpile film in their closets, have to decide if a subject is "koda-worthy". Elaine Benice unavailible for comment.
  • If you read the article, the problem is less the film than the processing, which Kodak is discontinuing no matter what because they lose money on it. Stockpiling the film will get you nowhere if you can't get it developed.
  • Stockpiling the film will get you nowhere if you can't get it developed. Unless you know someone that has a knack for hand processing it, which I have witnessed twice in NYC with surperb results. In addition, the Kodak processing centre in Switzerland is not the only place where Super 8 can be processed. In my case, I would rather stockpile some of the film before it's gone for good, and have the option of using it a couple years down the road if I so choose. However, you are right in that the problem is more the processing than the film itself.
  • Stupid question—what's wrong with the Ektachrome film? To hear everyone talk, you'd think they were phasing out Super8 film altogether.
  • awwww...too bad, squids...i know how much you were loving your new super 8 camera....