[PRCo] Re: Kodachrome film

Fri Aug 19 16:33:20 EDT 2005

The image degradation that occurs by projecting Kodachrome is vastly
overrated in this article.  Your slide is not "irreparably damaged" after
120 seconds of screening.  If that were so, a lot of my stuff would be a
wasteland.

I'd be curious to know who the author was (I don't read the magazine on a
regular basis).  The real expert on image permanence appears to be a gent by
the name of Henry Wilhem, whose articles appear in legitimate photo
journals, but not generally railfan magazines.

Kodachrome degradation does occur with increased projection, but you need to
be talking two HOURS, not two MINUTES.

Ed

-----Original Message-----
From: pittsburgh-railways-bounce at lists.dementia.org
[mailto:pittsburgh-railways-bounce at lists.dementia.org]On Behalf Of Bill
Robb
Sent: Friday, August 19, 2005 4:17 PM
To: pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org
Subject: [PRCo] Re: Kodachrome film

There's an article on digital photography in September
2005 Railfan & Railroad with a couple of interesting
quotes:

"Much of the complaining over digital images has been
the work of a small but vocal minority."

"Even the much-acclaimed Kodachrome, once the standard
in longevity, will begin to fade after just two
minutes of cumulative projection.  Show a shot for ten
seconds twelve times, and your slide is irreparably
damaged."

Speaking of longevity, do any of you with large,
unique collections have a will or a willing will to
protect your collection and ensure your wishes are
carried out should something unexpected happen to you?
 Most of us are past 50 at least.  Ray Neilson the
producer of the GPS traction videos recently passed
away relatively quickly and only in his 50s.

I see advantages to digital (ability to make multiple
copies, multiple storage mediums: CDs, memory cards
and print; and keeping the original in your hands).

Have any of you ever lost a roll of film, had a roll
of film break in the camera or had the film damaged
when sent in for processing?  We tend to forget these
things years later.  I lost a roll of Pittsburgh
traction slides with a break in a roll of film in the
70s. Oh, how that hurt!

Kodachrome is no longer readily available outside of
the big city speciality camera stores these days it
seems.  For most part I use digital now, with a
professional print of the photos I like.  I also
backup my images on CD.  I don't trust my computer's
hard drive.  Never have, never will. But I only take
photos for my own enjoyment.  I don't profess to be
trying to document history, although in its own way
each photo documents history whether or not I intend
it to.  :) It's just a great way to enjoy myself.

One thing to remember, prints can survive getting wet
in a flood.  Most can be restored.  After all what is
in an old-fashioned dark room?  On the other hand,
anything digital would be destroyed.  This is why it
pays to have print copy.  And floods don't just have
to be from below.  Today many tiolet tanks develop
cracks and start pumping and pumping....

Bill Robb

--- Fred Schneider <fschnei at supernet.com> wrote:

> And there are pictures of yours truly as an infant
> in 1940 that have not faded
> materially.  Must of my Ektachromes from 1960 are
> shot.  Dad's Ektachromes are
> badly faded as well as his Anscochromes and
> Anscocolor slides.   However, I've
> been told that most of the films not have a similar
> dye longevity and at age 65,
> what do I care?   Where am I going to put 10,000
> general interest slides
> anyway?   Furthermore, no one seems to be concerned
> with whether or not they can
> read digital files next year.   And our own census
> department can't read the
> tapes from the 1960 census.
>
> Bob Rathke wrote:
>
> > I agree, Fred.  That's why on fantrips and runbys
> I usually take up a photo
> > position hundreds of yards away from the railfan
> crowd.  And while riding a
> > trolley or train I've been known to photograph the
> curious local residents
> > on the street rather than the car or train I'm
> riding in.
> >
> > I've been shooting Kodachrome since 1957 because,
> in the words of Paul
> > Simon, "They give us those nice bright colors."  I
> was burned by the awful
> > color shifts in Ektachome film in 1960-61, while -
> happily - after 48 years,
> > Kodachrome has proven that its color lasts.
> >
> > Bob 8/18/05
> >
> > -----------------------------
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "Fred Schneider" <fschnei at supernet.com>
> > To: <pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org>
> > Sent: Thursday, August 18, 2005 6:25 PM
> > Subject: [PRCo] Re: Kodachrome film
> >
> > > Long ago I came to the conclusion that railfans
> were hampered by the
> > > opinions of too many of their friends, and that
> the best railroad
> > > photographs were taken not by railfans but by
> journalists whom no one had
> > > told that 1) people should not be included, 2)
> that the rods had to be
> > > down, 3) that the doors had to be closed, 4)
> that only the right side
> > > could be photographed, and so forth.  Is the use
> of Kodachrome just one
> > > more example or is it simply that we were burned
> too many times with the
> > > dye longevity of other emulsions?
> > >
> > > P. S.  I count people like Philip Hastings,
> David Plowden,  and Jim
> > > Shaughnessy as photo journalists because they
> earned many a check for
> > > their work  and we know that Ted Benson and
> Winston Link  earned their
> > > living that way.  These men are (were) masters
> (in the biased opinion
> > > of Fred).
> > >
> > > Bob Rathke wrote:
> > >
> > >> I had a meeting in the Loop today, so I took
> the Metra train downtown.
> > >> On the way back to Union Station, I stopped at
> Central Camera to buy some
> > >> slide storage boxes, and I found that they had
> a large supply of
> > >> Kodachrome 200 film at $8 per 36-exposure roll,
> so I stocked up.
> > >> When I was checking out, the clerk said to me,
> "You take railroad photos,
> > >> don't you?"  I answered, "Yes, how do you
> know?"  He said that Central
> > >> sells most of its Kodachrome film to railroad
> photographers.
> > >>
> > >> Bob 8/18/05
> > >
> > >
> > >
>
>
>
>

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