Identify Kodachrome - how?

[Ted Griffin]

Forgive my ignorance but is there a way to identify Kodachrome slides?
I've been happily scanning with my new Nikon (about 4,000 slides) and
once in a while I get a really nasty batch of scans. Then I check the
KC button and re-do them. If the slide mount doesn't say KC does the
film have a "look"? Ektachrome appears to be more shiny on both sides.
Is this a valid pre-scan check?

Griff

 

[Jim]

Forgive my ignorance but is there a way to identify Kodachrome slides?
I've been happily scanning with my new Nikon (about 4,000 slides) and once
in a while I get a really nasty batch of scans. Then I check the KC
button and re-do them. If the slide mount doesn't say KC does the film
have a "look"? Ektachrome appears to be more shiny on both sides. Is
this a valid pre-scan check?

Griff

Every Kodachrome slide that I own has Kodachrome printed on the mount. I
vaguely remember something like that as a marker for Kodachrome...
Jim

 

[Ted Griffin]

Every Kodachrome slide that I own has Kodachrome printed on the mount. I
vaguely remember something like that as a marker for Kodachrome...
Jim

I would have thought so too, but this batch I'm into now has no markings
on the mount. I'm rescanning them as KC and they're turning out much
better. BTW, they're from the early 60's.

 

[rafe b]

I would have thought so too, but this batch I'm into now has no markings
on the mount. I'm rescanning them as KC and they're turning out much
better. BTW, they're from the early 60's.

As far as I know, Jim is correct. Kodak never licensed
KC processing to any other outfit, so all Kodachromes
were processed by Kodak. Not the same situation
as E6, which is generic.


rafe b
www.terrapinphoto.com

 

[Norm Dresner]

As far as I know, Jim is correct. Kodak never licensed
KC processing to any other outfit, so all Kodachromes
were processed by Kodak. Not the same situation
as E6, which is generic.

This is not to say that they couldn't have been remounted in generic paper
mounts, though it's not clear why someone would do that.

I recall from the days when I shot Kodachrome instead of generic E-6 & C-41
that there's something that looks like a relief of the image outline visible
on the surface of the slide when viewed from an angle.

Norm

 

[Surfer!]

Jim wrote:


Every Kodachrome slide that I own has Kodachrome printed on the
mount. I
vaguely remember something like that as a marker for Kodachrome...
Jim


I would have thought so too, but this batch I'm into now has no markings
on the mount.  I'm rescanning them as KC and they're turning out much
better.  BTW, they're from the early 60's. 

At that time I imagine Kodachrome were using card mounts. My earliest
ones are from 1975, and the have 'Kodachrome' printed on the mount, and
also the processing date (year & month) stamped on. Later they changed
to plastic mounts, but still with the year & month stamped on, and I
think still with Kodachrome on.

 

[Jim]

The film from the early 60's was Kodachrome II (ASA 25). They introduced Kodachrome X (ASA 64) sometime later in the 60's.
I have a roll or two from around 1967 which do not scan well.
Jim


Jim wrote:
Forgive my ignorance but is there a way to identify Kodachrome slides?
I've been happily scanning with my new Nikon (about 4,000 slides) and once
in a while I get a really nasty batch of scans. Then I check the KC
button and re-do them. If the slide mount doesn't say KC does the film
have a "look"? Ektachrome appears to be more shiny on both sides. Is
this a valid pre-scan check?

Griff
Every Kodachrome slide that I own has Kodachrome printed on the mount. I
vaguely remember something like that as a marker for Kodachrome...
Jim


I would have thought so too, but this batch I'm into now has no markings on the mount. I'm rescanning them as KC and they're turning out much better. BTW, they're from the early 60's.

 

[Ted Griffin]

Yes, this is what I'm beginning to suspect. The batches of slides I
have trouble with have that definite relief texture/image on the reverse
side. While the ones clearly marked Ektachrome are shiny on both
sides. Thanks

 

[Don]

I would have thought so too, but this batch I'm into now has no markings
on the mount. I'm rescanning them as KC and they're turning out much
better. BTW, they're from the early 60's.

Visually, Nikons introduce a blue cast (actually, absence of red) when
Kodachrome is scanned as Positive.

However, you can definitively identify the film by the film number
printed alongside using this link:

http://www.taphilo.com/photo/kodakfilmnumxref.shtml

Here's a quick selection of K-14 (Kodachrome) processing (the leftmost
number is the Film Code Number):

4955 KODACHROME 200 Professional PKL K-14
5001 Kodachrome 200 film, daylight, KL-135-25, ~ 1996 KL K-14
5001 KODACHROME 200 (Daylight) KL K-14
5002 Kodachrome 200 Professional (PKL) process K-14, 35mm, 5.3 mil
acetate base, ~ 1988 PKL K-14
5032 KODACHROME 64 (Daylight) KR K-14
5033 Kodachrome 64 Professional (PKR) process K-14, 35mm, 5.3 mil
acetate base, same as 6033, ~ 1988 PKR K-14
5033 KODACHROME 64 Professional PKR K-14
5034 Kodachrome 25 Professional (PKM), , process K-14, 5.3 mil
acetate base, ~ 1988 PKM K-14
5034 KODACHROME 25 Professional PKM K-14
5070 KODACHROME 40 5070 (Type A) KPA K-14
5073 KODACHROME 25 (Daylight) KM K-14

Since I may have missed some you better check the page.

Also, try this wonderful site:

http://www.historicphotoarchive.com/index.html

This is a really fascinating site as the guy decoded all those weird
icons (triangles, squares, semi-circles and whatnot) as well as slit
markings, in some cases down to a quarter of the year when they were
used by Kodak for all of their film.

Don.

 

[Jim]

Visually, Nikons introduce a blue cast (actually, absence of red) when
Kodachrome is scanned as Positive.

However, you can definitively identify the film by the film number
printed alongside using this link:

http://www.taphilo.com/photo/kodakfilmnumxref.shtml

Here's a quick selection of K-14 (Kodachrome) processing (the leftmost
number is the Film Code Number):

4955 KODACHROME 200 Professional PKL K-14
5001 Kodachrome 200 film, daylight, KL-135-25, ~ 1996 KL K-14
5001 KODACHROME 200 (Daylight) KL K-14
5002 Kodachrome 200 Professional (PKL) process K-14, 35mm, 5.3 mil
acetate base, ~ 1988 PKL K-14
5032 KODACHROME 64 (Daylight) KR K-14
5033 Kodachrome 64 Professional (PKR) process K-14, 35mm, 5.3 mil
acetate base, same as 6033, ~ 1988 PKR K-14
5033 KODACHROME 64 Professional PKR K-14
5034 Kodachrome 25 Professional (PKM), , process K-14, 5.3 mil
acetate base, ~ 1988 PKM K-14
5034 KODACHROME 25 Professional PKM K-14
5070 KODACHROME 40 5070 (Type A) KPA K-14
5073 KODACHROME 25 (Daylight) KM K-14

Since I may have missed some you better check the page.

Also, try this wonderful site:

http://www.historicphotoarchive.com/index.html

This is a really fascinating site as the guy decoded all those weird
icons (triangles, squares, semi-circles and whatnot) as well as slit
markings, in some cases down to a quarter of the year when they were
used by Kodak for all of their film.

Don.

How about original Kodachrome, Kodachrome II, and Kodachrome X? If I
remember correctly, the later two are process K12.
Jim

 

[Don]

http://www.taphilo.com/photo/kodakfilmnumxref.shtml

How about original Kodachrome, Kodachrome II, and Kodachrome X? If I
remember correctly, the later two are process K12.

Off hand, I don't see any of those but I'm looking at a saved version
of the page. Maybe there were upgrades in the meantime?

All my KCs were identified on the film or slide mounts and the only
one I had to chase up was marked KRU (I didn't even know it was KC)
but it turned out to be Kodachrome 64 Professional. However, for that
I just did some creative googling for "KRU".

Don.