kodak_ektachrome-x_film
By Thistle33 [CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)%5D, from Wikimedia Commons
A few weeks ago I wouldn’t have cared about this, but it appears that the new generation of Kodak’s Ektachrome slide film is slowly making its way back and I’m kind of excited. After killing it off the slide film in 2012 Kodak realized there was enough demand to considering bringing back the color reversal (slide) film. The project was announced at CES last year and the news that professional photographers are getting blocks of film in what looks like market ready packaging.

Ektachrome was the slide film of choice for many photographers with a distinctive color palette and look. National Geographic used it as a standard for years.

In my own experience some of my favorite earliest photographs were shot on slide film, and that box of slides has survived while negatives and contact sheets have been lost in cross country moves and closet purges. When I bought my used Leica a few weeks ago the gentleman was kind enough to throw in a bag of color negative film, so of course I’m going to shoot through all of that in the next few weeks. Hopefully this week’s news from Kodak also means I’ll have a familiar slide film option in the future as well.

Published by Steve Banfield

Kentucky born, Seattle based. Entrepreneur. Team Builder. Photographer.

Join the Conversation

2 Comments

  1. Now, if only they could bring Kodachrome back! But I guess the whole process has gone the way of the Dodo. Or the Dye Transfer Process, to stay on topic.
    Congratulations on your Leica, BTW! Which model is it?

    Like

    Reply

    1. It’s an R8 SLR. It came with a 60mm Macro-Elmarit lens and I’ve picked up 35mm and 50mm Summicrons so far. Of course I couldn’t resist the adapters to try using the Leica glass on my Sony aR7iii and Fujifilm X-T2. Lots of creative combinations in my future!

      Like

      Reply

Leave a comment