Kodachrome 25 & 64 - Shooting Anna *updated*

DigiChromeEd · Joined: 29 Dec 2009 Posts: 3462 Location: Northern Ireland

I cry now when I think of Kodachrome Sad

I used my last roll of K64 at Christmas. I really do miss this film.

womble · Joined: 28 Sep 2009 Posts: 987 Location: Hertfordshire

Kodachrome was my main film for most of my pre-digital photographic "career" (since 1982). I have two drawers of a filing cabinet full of hanging files of slides. I really will miss it. Still have about ten rolls to finish up.

More on topic, lovely photos, very well done.

Kris.

Carlsson · Joined: 26 Jul 2008 Posts: 793 Location: Portugal

Dr.AK · Posted: Fri Jun 04, 2010 10:30 pm Post subject:

Absolutely fantastic work!

ellepi · Joined: 07 Aug 2010 Posts: 486 Location: Treviso - Italia

Fantastic series. I love the first picture.
I always wanted to try the kodakchrome 64 ... but now that I have seen the 25 ....
Unfortunately, in Italy, the 25 is unavailable while the 64 is insane prices (40$ for a roll of 36 and its development).

Attila · Expire: 2025-11-18

Katastrofo · Expire: 2013-11-19

ellepi · Joined: 07 Aug 2010 Posts: 486 Location: Treviso - Italia

Carlsson · Joined: 26 Jul 2008 Posts: 793 Location: Portugal

Thank you Bill, Dr.AK & Ellepi, very appreciated!

Unfortunately we can not develop Kodachromes, the K14 process is very complicated, only one lab in the world can do that - until December 2010.

You could develop Kodachromes in black & white, but this would not make any sense. Smile

C41 (color negative) and E6 (slide) can be developed at home, I've had great success with E6, having developed now more than 400 rolls in the last months.

Here are some self developed Kodak Ektachromes (last sunday):

(Zeiss Ikon + C Sonnar 50mm, f1.5, Kodak Ektachrome 100EPP, pulled one stop,
#1 @ f1.5, #2 #3 @ f4)

ellepi · Joined: 07 Aug 2010 Posts: 486 Location: Treviso - Italia

Thank you Carlsson.
Dop you have some link to understand how can I process slides at home?

Carlsson · Joined: 26 Jul 2008 Posts: 793 Location: Portugal

You're welcome!
You don't need a link, here's my workflow (for Tetenal's 3-bath kit):

You will need four bottles (1l) for mixed solutions:

- first developer
- color developer
- bleach fix
- stabilizer

For washing I work with 5 1.5L bottles, filled with fresh & clean water.

- a tank of course.
- themometer, buy a good one, the more expensive, the better the result.
- four 750ml measuring cups (marked & dedicated = FD, CD, BLX, STAB.
- bath tub & hot water.
- a timer (a smart phone works well, I use the tool EggTimer, with more than 20 time presets in a row)

Step I - Pre Warm, 5'

Put all the bottles in the tub, including the tank. Fill the tub with hot water (45°C works best for me). Let the tank warm up for at least 5'.
Check the water level and temps of the chemicals. Water level should be two centimeters below the tank opening.

When the First Developer has reached the 38.5°C take it out of the bath, the tank too.

Step II - First Developer 38.5°C, 6'30"

Fill the right amount of First Developer in your tank.
Start your timer, 6'30" for the first four films with the fresh solution.
Agitate/inverse the tank for the first 30 seconds, then every 15" two inversions. There is not much time between the agitation steps.
Between the agitations, put the tank back into the hot water!

During the First Developer step, check the temps of the Color Developer, take the bottle out of the tub, allow it to cool down to 38.5°C.
Wash your themometr! The Color Developer may not contaminate the First Developer!

Step II - Rinse 2'30" ~ 38°C

Spill out the First Developer in the dedicated measuring cup "FD". Fill 500ml of water in your tank, inverse five times, dump the water, fill with 500ml again, agitate 10 times, dump the water, again 500ml and 20x agitation and dump, last wash 10 agitations, dump.
Keep an eye on the temps of the Color Develeoper and fill the First Developer back into his bottle.

Step III - Color Developer 38.5°C, 6'

Fill the Color Developer in the tank, first 30" agitate continiously, then every 15" two times.
In the meantime, prepare the Bleach Fix, checking the temps, take it out of the water bath, to let the temperature drop down. Remember to clean the themometer.

Step IV - Rinse 2'30" ~ 38°C

Dump the Color Developer in the dedicated measuring cup "CD". Fill 500ml of water in your tank, inverse five times, dump the water, fill with 500ml again, agitate 10 times, dump the water, again 500ml and 20x agitation and dump, last wash 10 agitations, dump.
Keep an eye on the temps of the Bleach Fix.
Take the remaining bottles out of the tub (water & stabilizer), because the last step (VII) is not temp critical, temps can be between 20° and 40°C.
Fill the Color Developer back into his bottle.

Step V - Bleach Fix 6', 38.5°C

Fill the Bleach Fix in your tank, first 30" agitate continiously, then every 15" two times.
In the meantime, nothing to prepare, you can relax of wash the first measuring cups. Smile

Step VI - Final Rinse, 4', 20-40°C

Like the rinse steps before, rinse with all the remaining water. Open the tank and take out the spool. Have a first look at the slides - wow! Smile

Fill the Bleach Fix back into his bottle.

Step VII - Stabilizer, 20-40°C, 1'

For this step I work with an old developing tank, fill the tank with the stabilizer, drop the spool into the tank, turn the spool gently.
After one minute take the spool out of the stab, open it and hang the film for drying, dust free enviroment is preferred.

Clean all your measuring cups, the the tank, spools and the bath tub of course with hot water! The Color Developer and the Bleach Fix can leave ugly stains on carpets and tiles. If not, you cannot enjoy your own E6 process over a longer time - problems with wife/girlfriend may occur! Smile

Done!

Some notes,
depending on the temps of the solution, you can "play" with the measuring cups, filling the solution into the cup will drop the temps.

The rinse step is not time critical, you can rinse for a minute longer, if you need the time to let the next solution reach the amount of temperature.
Prepare a small bath in the sink, with cold water, to drop the temps.
The recommended temperature is 38.3°C, but I've found out that you will loose temperature when filling the tank, so adding a little safety margin will help.

Storage
Store at least the First Developer and the Color Developer in the fridge! This will make them last longer, unless you will develop 15 rolls a week.

Shelf life
The mixed solution can be used for more than six months, if stored in the fridge. I've seen some experiments with freezing the solutions, after one year, the chemistry was still fine. But I would not recommend this, I hate to defrost things. Smile

Store the concentrates in a dark & cool place = fridge. Smile

If possible, to them up with Protectan.

Times and Temps
there comes a small booklet with the kit, with all the times written in,
because of the exhaustion of the solutions, you ahve to adjust the time for 1-4, 5-8 and 9-12 rolls.

Quantity
15 rolls should be possible with one liter of solution. After that, I prefer fresh chemicals.

Hope this helps, and perhaps Attila can make it "sticky" Smile

I will update the workflow, if necessary.

Sandy

ellepi · Joined: 07 Aug 2010 Posts: 486 Location: Treviso - Italia

Thank you Sandy, I'll try as soon as possible (after I buy a thermometer).
Another question: I suppose that kodakchrome 25 is impossible to find on internet...right?

Carlsson · Joined: 26 Jul 2008 Posts: 793 Location: Portugal

You are welcome! Smile

Perhaps the little Tetenal starter kit is the best to try it out.

Unfortunately yes, K25 is discontinued since 2002. But somtimes there are some larger amounts on eb*ay.
Take care that the process is included, and like I said, the last remaining lab (Dwayne's Photo, USA) will be closed in December 2010.

Orio · Expire: 2012-12-04

I'm happy that this topic was resumed, so I could see again these great portraits!

Carlsson · Joined: 26 Jul 2008 Posts: 793 Location: Portugal

Thank you Orio! I'm glad you still like them.

May I show some more images? Smile

Zeiss Ikon, Lens C Sonnar 50 f1.5

25KM

64KR

Orio · Expire: 2012-12-04

Thanks for sharing these further photos!
With a nice model, a Zeiss lens and a Kodachrome, and a nice sunlight day, you can take gorgeous portraits even without any studio accessories.
I like them all but I find lighting in last one really exceptional.

Speaking of Kodachrome, I always liked more the 25 ISO, finding the 64 a bit too much on the warm side, although in pictures like the last one, the warm tonality really makes sense.

It is so sad that we will not have those anymore.
Fuji slides are very good (especially Provia) but far from the superior level of image quality of the Kodachromes Sad

Carlsson · Joined: 26 Jul 2008 Posts: 793 Location: Portugal

Thanks Orio.
I love to shoot outdoor and the models love it too. They were always impressed by the locations. Altough the way to some of the beaches can be tough.

The 25 is more realistic in my eyes, yes, and I'm running out of them Sad

It's really sad! I have tried many other films for those shots, Ektachromes (EPR, EPN, EPP, EPY, E100) none of them could create that tonality.
Fuji's slides are great, especially the Provia, but in this topic the Provia would fail completely, I have tried that.
I don't like the Sensia/Astia, seems a bit on the dull side and the sharpness is not comparable to Kodachrome.

I found it very interesting, I have shot digital & film with Anna, but most of the time she preferred the Kodachromes, although lacking the cleanness of the digital shots, she said that they have something special.

Oh my, I will miss them.

LucisPictor · Expire: 2013-12-03

Attila · Expire: 2025-11-18

visualopsins · Expire: 2025-04-11

I like the pretty red flower in the (cork?) tree.