Appeal for Kodachrome: Letter to the European Parliament

[norbertnl]

Dear colleagues,

As most of you supposedly already know, Kodak has announced the closure of the only remaining kodachrome lab facility in Europe at Lausanne. The facility will be closed by September 30, 2006. Dutch journalist Michiel Hegener, who works with NRC Handelsblad, has drafted an appeal to be sent to the Director of the Dutch Office of the European Parliament. Hegener argues that the European Parliament should take action to preseve technical variety in the arts of photography and film, by intervening to save the Lausanne facility as well as a range of Kodachrome products.

For those interested in the subject I have added the appeal as a .txt file. For a .doc version you could possibly contact the author. You'll find his email address at the bottom of the page.

Best regards,
Norbert

[mym6is12]

Sorry but as viable alternative films and processes exist there is not a chance in hell of EU intervention - it's an open market.
If a private firm was to negotiate a franchise to process K-14 then that's another story.

Asking to reinstate long dead products like 6x6 kodachrome does not add any credibility.

[TimF]

Sadly I have to agree with Donald's analysis. In addition, the whole idea of state (or supra-state in the EU's case) intervention makes me feel queasy.

If there was some hope of a management buy-out at Lausanne, so Kodachrome processing could continue there for european users instead of being transferred to the USA, I'd be all for it. Without evidence to the contrary, one has to presume that the possibility has been looked into and rejected as unviable.

[Rona|d]

That would not be successful, Kodak´s legal department would offer a digital Kodachrome-filter as a Photoshop-plugin

[leicapages]

Hello Norbert,

I sympathize with you but I don't believe that there is a case for the European Parliament (or other institutions for that matter) to act on at all.

The practical problem that may exist, however, is how the European users of Kodachrome should develop their films after 30 September. Sending it off for development to the USA is not a viable option (also in terms of risk of loss during shipment via mail), so that sounds to me as basically the end of Kodachrome in Europe.

That said, there are many other (and better, IMHO) alternatives than Kodachrome, such as the excellent slide films produced by a company that still takes interest and pain to further finetune them to a point of excellence (in case you were wondering: Fuji).

[norbertnl]

Hi Pascal,

I was posting a letter of a Dutch journalist and photographer who has started a sympathetic initiative. I personally think that it would be fine if some private company could start running a kodachrome development facility. I mostly shoot in b/w anyway, but I think Michiel is right in saying that the disappearance of variety is not always a praiseworthy development - though merely economically it more often than not is a rational choice.

All the best,
Norbert

[timbedsted1234]

Norbert,

I am very! disappointed at Kodak for doing this. I would recommedn that we all make it clear to Kodak that we simply won't stand for it. A good way of doing this would be to boycot Kodak film completely and only use Fuji film. We have had several cases here in Denmark where large companies had to learn the hard way the the consumer is king, the good thing is that if sufficient number of people do this companies will listen. Kodak still has a large film business

Cheers,
TIm

[marknorton]

The decision by Kodak to keep the Lausanne lab open - any lab open - will be driven by the business case for doing so.

For a stark reminder of the decline of film, take a look at the photo essay in LFI of the now disused Agfa plant in Leverkusen, shot using some of the last remaining rolls of Agfa black and white film.

They were reduced to selling the last stocks of film through an ebay shop but even that seems to have come to an end now. Let's hope Leica never find themselves in the same ignominious position.

One of their feedback comments: "Mit großem Bedauern allen AGFA-Mitarbeitern alles Gute für die Zukunft!! schade!" - "With great sympathy to all Agda co-workers, all the best for the future!! Pity!"

[brunom]

Tim

In the past film had a monopoly in photography, and films such as Kodachrome and for instance Scala were little used by the general public[ used mainly by professionals and knowledgeable users] , and in the over all plan of things now that film has competition from digital, usage of film by the old main users [general public and print film] will continue to drop, so that the historically low use film [Kodachrome etc] could now become a bigger percentage of film use - well that's the theory, but if true could make the manufacturers think again, if sufficient inerested parties let them know of this potential market.

In a recent issue of LFI in an article about the future of film, the representative from MACO said that they were still supplying Scala !

Bruno

[timbedsted1234]

Bruno,

I am with you all the way. Besides the R&D of Kodachrome has been payed many times over so if necessary someone could buy the rights for Kodachrome and distribute it outside of Kodak, like some of the specialized B&W film one can get through PHOBATEC. I think that Kodak has all but given up on film, which I think is a big mistake but if you are only interested in meeting the next quarterly earnings targets you don't have time to think about the long term interests of the company.

Cheers,
Tim

[KevinA]

It's not Kodak closing the lab, it's customers or lack of. If it was profitable it would stay open, it's there as a money making business.
Why stop with Kodachrome, lets get Gaf 500 and Agfa CT18 back on the market.

Kevin.

[brunom]

Kevin

You may be right about the lack of customers, but it could just as easily be Kodak just deciding to pull out of a small market ? who knows, and unless you have an insight into Kodak's bookkeeping what you're saying is along the lines of a guess, or assumption.

Kodachrome [ and Scala] were/are unique photographic products , and are being asked for, whereas the Gaf and Agfa film you mention are neither asked for or unique, so asking for their return would not only water-down any arguement regarding Kodachrome and Scala but would be unneccesary as no-one wants them brought back [ ok - there might be one or two who do, but anyway very ,very few] anyway.

Personally, I would love to see both Kodachrome [and Scala] roll film re-introduced.

Bruno

[andybarton]

Maybe Kodak could be persuaded to sell the technology to a smaller company who can make some money out of it.

There are a few small film manufacturers coming through in the old Eastern Europe and China, who could pick up the baton.

The environmental argument may come into play, though... doesn't Kodachrome require the use of some pretty nasty chemicals?

[stunsworth]

I don't think it's viable. I seem to remember reading that the Kodachrome line only employed 20 people - and that's fall all of Europe and beyond.

Maybe it's time to get those rolls of Kodachrome 64 out of the freezer and shoot them before the end of the summer :-)

[earleygallery]

Kodachrome may or may not be profitable for Kodak - my guess is that they're probably not running it at a loss at present - but clearly Kodak as an organisation have taken a strategic decision to move away from traditional processes and concentrate on the digital market, maintaining just the more popular and profitable lines (for now?).

I'm sad to see Kodachrome being phased out. It has been one of my favourite films. When I spent a year travelling I used nothing else, and had it processed on the way.

I've still not tried out Velvia - got a roll of 50 in the fridge which needs to be used.