maandag, juni 30, 2003
When Kodak unveiled its Kodachrome film in 1935, company executives hoped they had produced the world's first user-friendly colour film. They got their wish, and more. Not just a technical and commercial success, Kodachrome revolutionized photography. Within three years of its introduction, it surpassed black-and-white film sales and became a world standard.
Kodachrome went on to become the film that popularized the 35mm format and killed off cumbersome roll and sheet film; that captured millions of priceless personal memories for amateur photographers, in colour; and that still lives — with undiminished colour and clarity — in homes around the world, handed down from one generation to the next. Perhaps Paul Simon's chart-topping hit, "Kodachrome," of 1973 did say it best, pointing out its ability to "make you think the world is a sunny day." No wonder his lyric then went on to plead for his Momma to not take his Kodachrome away.
Sixty-eight years after its introduction, Kodachrome is still selling, albeit in reduced quantities in the face of rising digital photography and declining sales of all conventional films and cameras. It has proved to be the most commercially durable film ever produced. The thought of its possible demise at the hands of the digital juggernaut horrifies its loyalists. A world without Kodachrome's warm reds, breathtaking blues and lush greens? Unthinkable.
That may be hard to understand for the casual photographer who wants the viewing convenience of easily-accessible prints of family gatherings or vacations. Or likes the ease of downloading digital shots to a personal computer to share with friends over the Internet.
After all, Kodachrome produces slides — not prints — which aren't conducive to passing around for casual viewing. It can't be dropped off at the one-hour photo counter in your local supermarket; it has to make the time-consuming trip to and from a Kodak lab for specialized processing.
But Kodachrome wins out with a small and intensely loyal band of serious photographers on its original selling points. When it was unveiled, Kodak stressed its colour accuracy, razor-sharpness, and its lack of the grainy coarseness seen on other films. Dedicated users say that, for once, the advertising was truthful. Even now, "comparable to Kodachrome" is a claim sometimes made for digital imaging, reinforcing the real film's reputation as a benchmark. And the product's longevity extends beyond the retail shelf.
Digital formats have already come and gone, and it is debatable whether pictures people take today will be readable in a decade or two. Colour print and other colour slide films have demonstrated a frustrating tendency to fade. But nearly seven decades of experience has proved that Kodachrome lasts. Properly stored, pictures shot with it in the 1930s have lost less than 10 per cent of their colour, which is unnoticeable to the average person's eye.
"We freely admit it's not a film for everyone," says Charles Smith, Kodak's vice-president of worldwide public affairs for consumer imaging. "The demand for all film has declined because of the application of digital technology to every aspect of photography. But Kodachrome continues to appeal to a discerning segment of the market, particularly photographers who want stability."
Contrary to rumours of its impending demise, Smith says Kodak has no plans for a Kodachrome fade-out. He attributes some of the confusion to the company's reduction of the product line from three to two film types in 2001. Some users read this incorrectly as the death knell of all Kodachrome.
Tapping into the almost fanatical devotion of these devotees, a number of speculative auctioneers stockpiled batch-lots of the now-discontinued Kodachrome 25 in cold storage, to be sold off to the highest bidder over the Internet. It regularly goes today for twice its original price.
First introduced as a 16mm motion picture film, it was progressively released in other motion picture formats and, finally, as a still-photography film. Its acceptance by amateurs and professionals was swift. Within a decade, Kodachrome had killed off competing and less successful consumer-market colour films. Later, cheaper films by Kodak and other manufacturers ate into Kodachrome's market, but never killed it.
Bron: Toronto Star.
Kodachrome went on to become the film that popularized the 35mm format and killed off cumbersome roll and sheet film; that captured millions of priceless personal memories for amateur photographers, in colour; and that still lives — with undiminished colour and clarity — in homes around the world, handed down from one generation to the next. Perhaps Paul Simon's chart-topping hit, "Kodachrome," of 1973 did say it best, pointing out its ability to "make you think the world is a sunny day." No wonder his lyric then went on to plead for his Momma to not take his Kodachrome away.
Sixty-eight years after its introduction, Kodachrome is still selling, albeit in reduced quantities in the face of rising digital photography and declining sales of all conventional films and cameras. It has proved to be the most commercially durable film ever produced. The thought of its possible demise at the hands of the digital juggernaut horrifies its loyalists. A world without Kodachrome's warm reds, breathtaking blues and lush greens? Unthinkable.
That may be hard to understand for the casual photographer who wants the viewing convenience of easily-accessible prints of family gatherings or vacations. Or likes the ease of downloading digital shots to a personal computer to share with friends over the Internet.
After all, Kodachrome produces slides — not prints — which aren't conducive to passing around for casual viewing. It can't be dropped off at the one-hour photo counter in your local supermarket; it has to make the time-consuming trip to and from a Kodak lab for specialized processing.
But Kodachrome wins out with a small and intensely loyal band of serious photographers on its original selling points. When it was unveiled, Kodak stressed its colour accuracy, razor-sharpness, and its lack of the grainy coarseness seen on other films. Dedicated users say that, for once, the advertising was truthful. Even now, "comparable to Kodachrome" is a claim sometimes made for digital imaging, reinforcing the real film's reputation as a benchmark. And the product's longevity extends beyond the retail shelf.
Digital formats have already come and gone, and it is debatable whether pictures people take today will be readable in a decade or two. Colour print and other colour slide films have demonstrated a frustrating tendency to fade. But nearly seven decades of experience has proved that Kodachrome lasts. Properly stored, pictures shot with it in the 1930s have lost less than 10 per cent of their colour, which is unnoticeable to the average person's eye.
"We freely admit it's not a film for everyone," says Charles Smith, Kodak's vice-president of worldwide public affairs for consumer imaging. "The demand for all film has declined because of the application of digital technology to every aspect of photography. But Kodachrome continues to appeal to a discerning segment of the market, particularly photographers who want stability."
Contrary to rumours of its impending demise, Smith says Kodak has no plans for a Kodachrome fade-out. He attributes some of the confusion to the company's reduction of the product line from three to two film types in 2001. Some users read this incorrectly as the death knell of all Kodachrome.
Tapping into the almost fanatical devotion of these devotees, a number of speculative auctioneers stockpiled batch-lots of the now-discontinued Kodachrome 25 in cold storage, to be sold off to the highest bidder over the Internet. It regularly goes today for twice its original price.
First introduced as a 16mm motion picture film, it was progressively released in other motion picture formats and, finally, as a still-photography film. Its acceptance by amateurs and professionals was swift. Within a decade, Kodachrome had killed off competing and less successful consumer-market colour films. Later, cheaper films by Kodak and other manufacturers ate into Kodachrome's market, but never killed it.
Bron: Toronto Star.
# posted by Jan-Edward : 09:34
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