How to develop old Kodachrome slide film?
January 26, 2012 11:18 AM Subscribe
I found an old roll of Kodachrome slide film - is it possible to get it developed?
I found an old roll of Kodachrome slide film in a camera bag, most likely shot in the early-mid 1990s. Is there any way to get it developed? I realize that the colors won't be right or it's so old that maybe nothing will come out at all but still curious enough to want to send it somewhere and have them give it a shot.
Here's what it says on the canister:
35mm FILM FOR COLOR SLIDES
200
24 EXP
Kodachrome
PROCESS K-14 KL
Kodak Select SERIES
I don't have a slide carousel handy, so would I ask for just negatives to scan in myself? Or does it make more sense to get the slides and scan those?
I found an old roll of Kodachrome slide film in a camera bag, most likely shot in the early-mid 1990s. Is there any way to get it developed? I realize that the colors won't be right or it's so old that maybe nothing will come out at all but still curious enough to want to send it somewhere and have them give it a shot.
Here's what it says on the canister:
35mm FILM FOR COLOR SLIDES
200
24 EXP
Kodachrome
PROCESS K-14 KL
Kodak Select SERIES
I don't have a slide carousel handy, so would I ask for just negatives to scan in myself? Or does it make more sense to get the slides and scan those?
Best answer: You have two remaining options:
1. Wait for enthusiasts to resurrect the K-14 process. (This may never happen, and is years away if it does.)
2. Develop the roll as B&W. You may do this yourself, or have a professional lab like Rocky Mountain Film Lab do the work.
Given your curiosity, go with the second option. Rocky Mountain does good work.
Good luck!
posted by tapesonthefloor at 11:34 AM on January 26, 2012 [1 favorite]
1. Wait for enthusiasts to resurrect the K-14 process. (This may never happen, and is years away if it does.)
2. Develop the roll as B&W. You may do this yourself, or have a professional lab like Rocky Mountain Film Lab do the work.
Given your curiosity, go with the second option. Rocky Mountain does good work.
Good luck!
posted by tapesonthefloor at 11:34 AM on January 26, 2012 [1 favorite]
Sorry. Under "do this yourself" above, pretend there's a link to this very thorough set of instructions from Alan Marcus on photo.net.
posted by tapesonthefloor at 11:50 AM on January 26, 2012
posted by tapesonthefloor at 11:50 AM on January 26, 2012
Best answer: You could also send it to Film Rescue International.
posted by Juniper Toast at 12:07 PM on January 26, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by Juniper Toast at 12:07 PM on January 26, 2012 [1 favorite]
As everyone said above me, not it's not possible to get K-14 processing done anywhere in the world right now.
You would not ask for negatives, because slide film does not give you negatives, it gives you a "positive". If you want to scan them, ask for your film to be unmounted and uncut. You will get a roll of film instead of mounted slides (like you're used to seeing put into a slide carousel). There are auto slide feeders for film scanners that would allow you to scan mounted slides quickly, but they're really expensive.
Although, actually, I think when you process Kodachrome as B&W it does give you a negative. Still, you want to ask for your film to be unmounted and uncut for scanning!
posted by inertia at 12:14 PM on January 26, 2012
You would not ask for negatives, because slide film does not give you negatives, it gives you a "positive". If you want to scan them, ask for your film to be unmounted and uncut. You will get a roll of film instead of mounted slides (like you're used to seeing put into a slide carousel). There are auto slide feeders for film scanners that would allow you to scan mounted slides quickly, but they're really expensive.
Although, actually, I think when you process Kodachrome as B&W it does give you a negative. Still, you want to ask for your film to be unmounted and uncut for scanning!
posted by inertia at 12:14 PM on January 26, 2012
Best answer: Film Rescue International developed a 50 year old roll of Kodachrome for me as black and white (K-11 would have been the process to use if it could be done). Alas, after 50 years only a few shots were recognizable as something, and barely.
They can scan the negatives for you if you desire.
They also developed a 50 year old roll of black and white film that came out quite well. See http://ask.metafilter.com/165663/Where-on-Northern-California-Coast-1960.
posted by ShooBoo at 4:44 PM on January 26, 2012
They can scan the negatives for you if you desire.
They also developed a 50 year old roll of black and white film that came out quite well. See http://ask.metafilter.com/165663/Where-on-Northern-California-Coast-1960.
posted by ShooBoo at 4:44 PM on January 26, 2012
Response by poster: Thanks all! I knew all the certified labs stopped doing Kodachrome but I was hoping maybe there was a rogue un-certified lab somewhere. Reading up on the process and can see why there isn't! It looks like B&W is the way to go.
posted by mikepop at 5:05 AM on January 27, 2012
posted by mikepop at 5:05 AM on January 27, 2012
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by scruss at 11:23 AM on January 26, 2012