[none]

[Michael Scarpitti <mikescarpitti@yahoo.com>]

Mr Jim:

I can accept that pros such as you have a hard time
letting your film out of your sight. That's natural. I
also agree with you that Kodachrome is not available
in formats larger than 35mm. There are historical
reasons for that, about which you can read if you're
interested. I would argue, however, that much of the
need for larger formats is negated by using Kodachrome
in the first place. If you use K25 in a Leica, you can
often match or even exceed the quality of a larger
format camera with an E-6 film. You don't "need" the
larger format, so the problem is non-existent.

As far as transportation, the structure of Kodachrome
is such that local processing is not viable. That's
what makes it Kodachrome. If the paradigm for you is a
variety of formats and local processing, then
Kodachrome seems alien and peculiar. To those of us
who use Kodachrome in 35mm, needing many formats seems
alien and peculiar. I have made slides on K25 that
will chill you to the bone with their sharpness. As
for heat tolerance, Kodachrome, which does not have
couplers in the emulsion, is far more heat-tolerant
than E-6 and C-41 type films. Kodak will verify this.


Subject: [Leica] Re: Kodachrome      
Date: Wed, 31 May 2000 17:48:24 -0700 Status: Normal 
From: Jim Brick <jimbrick@photoaccess.com>   
I still get this Scarpitti stuff second hand, but I'll
respond anyway. What an dumb thing to say, "rescued",
"seeing the light", reaching someone? What a joke! The
color photography world lives on color negative and
E6... Period! Kodachrome dribbles out of Kodak for
those die-hards that iconize products. This year
another Kodachrome bit the dust. K25 Professional.
Professional photographers, usually use multiple
equipment formats, 35mm, MF, and LF. How long has it
been since Kodachrome was available in anything but
35mm? It is pretty difficult to standardize a look, a
process, a consistency, if you change film types
between formats. And there is a huge difference
between the look of Kodachrome and the look of E6. I
participated in a heavy duty Kodachrome test,
conducted by Kodak a couple of years ago. They
supplied me with Kodachrome to use in parallel with my
E6 films. They know I use mostly Fuji E6 films. I used
two R7's with RRS quick release plates and used Velvia
in one body and K64 in the other. Swapped
cameras/lenses on every photograph. Calypso processed
the E6 and Kodak processed the K14. These were
photographs for our upcoming book on Napa Valley Wine
Country. Next to the Velvia, the Kodachrome was
disappointing. The huge questionnaire that accompanied
the test results asked questions like "If a Kodachrome
were produced that had the look of your current E6
films, would you switch?" To which I answered
"possibly, if processing were made to be as convenient
as E6." I've said this many times. After paying for
travel, lodging, meals, film, negotiated access,
etc..., which for three or four days of photographing,
ends up being a sizable sum of money. And usually is
not repeatable. Or even a vacation, which is never
cheap and cannot be repeated easily: "There is no way
in hell that I am going to send my precious film,
through the mail, via express service, via courier, or
any other method of transportation that is not "ME". I
will either process it myself or personally take it to
a local Pro lab, where I know everyone. Basically, my
film is in known hands at all times." Sure, the lab
can screw-up. Sure, I can screw up. But add to that an
unknown courier of some sort to a lab. An unknown lab
with unknown lab people in an unknown location,
returned by unknown people via some courier service. I
DON'T THINK SO! I have seen many UPS delivery
disasters. I have had a UPS number and pickup service
for 30 years. I have seen numerous FedEx delivery
disasters. And don't get me started about the US Snail
Mail. You all worry about X-Rays.Ever see cooked film?
The latent image is the most vulnerable to heat.
FedEx, UPS, and Snail Mail trucks and vans are not air
conditioned. Neither are their holding depots. The
bottom line is that after a huge amount of work and
expense, of which I have "total" control, their is not
going to be an unknown lapse in the loop, at the end,
where the rubber meets the road. No way, Jose! (No
way, Hose-A!) I have made and sold many prints, from
E6 film, 40"x40", 50"x50",and 48"x60". These prints
are dead sharp, bright, clean, vivid color, with no
visible sign of grain. Like I'm missing something...
not! Kodachrome is a great K14 film. Fuji Velvia,
Kodak E100VS, E100S, & E100SW are great E6 films. You
can get the same E6 film across all formats, 35mm,
120, 220, 2-1/4x3-1/4, 4x5, 5x7, and 8x10. You can get
K14 films in 35mm only. It doesn't take more than two
brain cells to figure out this one! It's 9 O'Clock. Do
you know where your film is? In a container on the
tarmac in Memphis? In a UPS van in Houston Texas? On a
loading dock in Biloxi Mississippi? Jim >At 03:41 PM
5/31/00 -0700, Michael Scarpitti wrote: >> >>Someone
on the list has admitted to seeing the light >>(ahem!)
and being rescued from the land of the >>brainwashed
N**** and C**** users to the land of the >>living. So
refreshing.... >> >>Someone else has taken up
Kodachrome after 20 years in >>the desert. How very,
very, interesting. Could it be >>that perhaps, after
all, I did reach some of you? >> >>As for the rest of
you: >>Repent! All ye N**** and C**** users! >>Repent!
All ye Velvomita users!  


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