“Sunrise” Koh Pha Ngan, Thailand, 1995. Canon EOS 10s, Sigma 28-70 f/3.5-4.5 UC, Kodak Ektachrome. The return of Ektachrome. Perhaps the dawn of a new day for film lovers?
I’m sure many of you hardcore film fanatics have heard by now of Kodak’s decision to bring their Ektachrome slide film back from the dead.
That is the best thing I have heard out of Kodak in the past ten years!! A snippet from Kodak’s press release: “Sales of professional photographic films have been steadily rising over the last few years, with professionals and enthusiasts rediscovering the artistic control offered by manual processes and the creative satisfaction of a physical end product…”
I used Ektachrome film mostly in the 1990s and early 2000s. It was a great slide film, but also considered a lower cost alternative to Kodachrome which was Kodak’s gold standard for slide film.
If memory serves me correctly, I remember Ektachrome to produce neutral colors with perhaps a shift towards cool, strong on the blue and greens.
“The Sun Never Sets” Krabi, Thailand, 1995. Canon EOS 10s, Sigma 28-70mm f/3.5-4.5 UC, Kodak Ektachrome. Colors shifting a bit, but this photo is almost as vibrant as that day I took it twenty-two years ago. The two beloved family members, on the far left and far right are gone. And so too did we think Ektachrome was gone. But Kodak is bringing it back from the dead. Unbelievable news in many ways.
The reasons I didn’t use Ektachrome more was because I was and am a negative shooter rather than a slide shooter. And when I did shoot slides, I always went with either Fuji Velvia or Kodachrome. I tried Ektachrome just because. Not because I wanted to, or didn’t want to, just because I had to try it.
But with Kodak’s announcement of the return of Ektachrome, I’m itching to try it again. It was an iconic film in its own right.
Again, this is the best news I’ve heard out of Kodak in ten years and it is awesome news for film in general. With the demise of Fuji’s FP-100C packfilm, this was certainly unexpected.
People, including myself, have been quite hard on Kodak in recent years. This time, let me say that they are doing something amazing. Now if they would concentrate in this direction, they might have a chance of not only reclaiming their legendary name but maybe even be the king of the hill for film again. Kodak is doing what they do best…make film. Kudos Kodak, wishing you the best of luck on this!
Camera Legend 
Wonderful news indeed though I was never an Ektachrome guy. But who knows, perhaps there’s a smallish chance of Kodachrome coming back.
Till then I’ll use some Ektachrome just to do my small part of encouragement for Kodak!
LikeLiked by 1 person
As I tried to state in a subtle way, I was not an Ektachrome man either! Just like you, my excitement for this news comes from the thought that if this is a success, the possibility of Kodakchrome’s return is entirely possible. Now THAT would be really exciting! 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
:-))
LikeLiked by 1 person
My memory of using Ektachrome was that you could get same-day or one-day processing. And it was bluer than Kodachrome 🙂
LikeLike
“perhaps a shift towards cool, strong on the blue and greens.” Yes it did shift a bit but it was pleasing. I used Kodachrome initially (1970 onward for a few years) but started using Ektachrome as it was available in a higher asa. Eventually I switched to Fujichrome in the 90s. All those beautiful slides using Ektachrome 200 are now gone. The archival life was 15 years.
LikeLiked by 1 person
really great news ! i hope that the price will be not too high 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
I hope so too Victor. If it’s too high, we can always shoot the alternative slide films already on the market! 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
I used EPP (Ektachrome Professional Plus) back in the day when there were as many variants of Ektachrome as there are films today! It was a bit warm-ish with a look similar to Vericolor on the negative side. I would try it but the one lab left by me no longer processes dip and dunk. I’ll take a look at it though. Thanks for the newsflash bro.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I have always regretted never shooting Ektachrome before Kodak axed it, though I have to say that I prefer Fuji for color. I’ve recently shot a few rolls of Velvia 100 and I don’t know if I’ll ever find a better-looking slide film, but I love that Kodak is confident enough to bring this back because I know how much filmmakers have wanted and asked for it; hope it finds its way to 16mm soon. I’m certainly going to buy some myself and try it out, and from looking at the old stuff I’m sure I’ll definitely prefer it to Ektar!
LikeLiked by 1 person