Re: [Leica] Kodachrome

["Henning J. Wulff" <henningw@archiphoto.com>]

Nigel wrote:

>Kodachrome processing is available in the US through the Kodak
>Premium/Kodalux labs using the PK-24/36 processing mailers.  There are
>also a few other reliable independent sources with reasonable turnaround,
>including Holland Photo in Texas, and both A&I and The New Lab in
>California.
>
>According to test results I read a while back, RVP (Velvia) actually
>out-resolves PKR (K25 professional) 160 lp/mm to 125 lp/mm.  I'm an
>obvious skeptic of the value of test results of anyone's doing because it
>still boils down to a subjective opinion as to what portion of the
>results is or isn't repeatable, let alone significant, in actual field
>use.   My experience is that RVP and PKR's sharpness is very close.   If
>PKR has a minute theoretical advantage it is probably cancelled by the
>requisite slower shutter speed or wider aperture the 1-stop speed
>difference requires.
>Of much greater significance is the apparent sharpness generated by  1)
>grain (especially in even-toned areas such as open sky) and 2)saturation;
>in both cases Velvia is the clear winner.
>I do not agree that PKR has rich black shadows.  The old KII (pre-1974)
>did, but PKR is a higher-contrast yet less-saturated film and given the
>slightests overexposure to mitigate that contrast and the shadows go
>green and mucky.  Shoot Velvia at EI 40 and you can tone the contrast a
>bit and yet the shadows stay inky black.  Velvia also pushes well to EI
>80 or 100, whereas PKR is ISO 25, period.  For 99% of subjects the snap,
>crackle and pop of Velvia out-wows Kodachrome 25 by far and away.  The 1%
>is skin-tones.  In that respect PKR is the agreed winner as Velvia is a
>quite  warm-balanced emulsion.
>Another factor worth consideration is that whilst Kodachrome has superior
>archival properties when stored in the dark, E6 films such as Velvia will
>hold up much better with repeated projection.
>In short, to concur that using any specific film-- and in particular
>Kodachrome, is necessary to fully exploit the optical prowess of the
>latest Leica lenses hardly speaks well of Leica's lenses with respect to
>the photographic artists' needs.

The resolution of Velvia may or may not be higher; I have also read the
tests, but the higher acutance of PKR and similar grain makes it look
sharper generally. In practice I shoot PKR at 32 and Velvia at 40 to give
me equivalent (as much as they can be equal) slides. That's 1/3 stop in
practice. Velvia's saturation is the most controversial point. I rarely
shoot under controlled conditions, and I find that the saturation sometimes
leads to a garishness in certain colors that to my eye is unacceptable, and
takes extra work on the computer to control. It will often 'punch up'
scenes that would be rather flat if rendered naturally, but for the most
part, I don't mind 'natural'. Professionally, of course, I shoot what the
client likes best. I find PKR's shadows properly black, and not green, but
mainly, the toe of PKR allows shadow detail that Velvia just can't handle.
Conversely, Velvia has a better roll-off of the shoulder, rendering
highlights better. The latter are the two factors that demand the general
overexposure of Velvia and the underexposure of Kodachrome.

As for the archival qualities; I know that Kodachromes I have from the 40's
are still OK, I don't have any useable non-Kodachromes from later than 20
years ago, and most of those are toast. Maybe my Kodachromes haven't 'seen
the light' enough, but none have any appreacheable fading. As the common
wisdom holds, I don't want to find out 25 years from now (if I'm still
around) that the artificial aging tests done on the E-6 stuff wasn't quite
right. Obviously, E-6 has made tremendous strides, but PKR hasn't gotten
worse (except for the processing turnaround).

I shoot Velvia (when circumstances force me to), Provia and Astia
professionally because of the quick turnaround, but for my personal stuff I
shoot Kodachrome. Leica M's are fine with it.


   *            Henning J. Wulff
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