Ugly Hedgehog - Photography Forum
Home Active Topics Newest Pictures Search Login Register
Main Photography Discussion
Chasing Kodachrome
Page 1 of 6 next> last>>
Apr 7, 2021 16:02:56   #
Quixdraw Loc: x
 
Back in December I bought a Nikon D2x - got a great deal from Pixelstan77. Basically, he listed it for sale and I bought it because the weather was bad and I was bored. It usually takes me a month to six weeks to work through camera and manual, something I much enjoy, and good value for my recreation / camera dollar. As I started to use the camera, I was taken with the color rendition, different from my other Digital cameras, and almost familiar. A big camera, only DX, and somewhat limited compared to newer ones, but the color! Spring ahead (pun intended) to mid March. I found an inexpensive, well cared for D3 with a relatively low shutter count. As you have seen, I've been using that a lot, with new and old Nikon lenses. The color from the D3, even better, and the camera wonderfully easy to use with AI and AIS Nikon lenses, possibly even easier than my Df. My best and oldest friend, an excellent photographer with years of experience similar to mine, returned from an extended business trip and we got a chance to talk cameras. After the conversation, I sent him a dozen or so shots from the two cameras. His note back was that they resembled Kodachrome. He is a sophisticated post processor, and commented that it is difficult to get that look in post. Post is not something I do very much, a search online found all sorts of ideas on doing just that. Doesn't sound easy. At any rate, based on what I learned from the two old Ds, I'm continuing to use both of them, but am adjusting a couple of my newer digital Nikons to produce similar results. Early days, but fun and promising.

Reply
Apr 7, 2021 16:19:01   #
DianeL Loc: Charlotte, NC
 
eagerly awaiting some samples

Reply
Apr 7, 2021 16:27:30   #
Quixdraw Loc: x
 
DianeL wrote:
eagerly awaiting some samples


If you check my D2x and D3 posts there are a few. I'll probably gather ten favorites and post under the title The Kodachrome Project toward the end of the week. Thanks for your interest!

Reply
 
 
Apr 7, 2021 16:31:38   #
rook2c4 Loc: Philadelphia, PA USA
 
I believe the trick to emulating Kodachrome in editing is to isolate and increase saturation to specific color tone ranges within the image... red in particular. Determining exactly what those ranges be processed are (and to what amount they need to be processed) will require quite a bit of experimentation.

Reply
Apr 7, 2021 16:36:07   #
Quixdraw Loc: x
 
rook2c4 wrote:
I believe the trick to emulating Kodachrome in editing is to isolate and increase saturation to specific color tone ranges within the image... red in particular. Determining exactly what those ranges be processed are (and to what amount they need to be processed) will require quite a bit of experimentation.


There are all sorts of ideas and profiles and methods that turn up in a search with an eye toward post processing. Some even suggest retrieving profiles from an actual Kodachrome slide, beyond my skill set. My interest is duplicating the look largely SOOC, possibly with minimal tweaks. Thanks for your suggestion!

Reply
Apr 7, 2021 17:44:54   #
fjdarling Loc: Mesa, Arizona, USA
 
Back in the 70's when I shot a lot of Kodachrome I loved the look. Of course, all those shots have been lost somewhere during our 8 relocations since then. Never even thought of trying to mimic it in digital. Thanks for the suggestion. Looking forward to seeing more of yours that have that look.

Reply
Apr 7, 2021 18:13:02   #
Quixdraw Loc: x
 
fjdarling wrote:
Back in the 70's when I shot a lot of Kodachrome I loved the look. Of course, all those shots have been lost somewhere during our 8 relocations since then. Never even thought of trying to mimic it in digital. Thanks for the suggestion. Looking forward to seeing more of yours that have that look.


You were probably lucky as regards the slides. I don't even know how many there are, 8 or 10 moving boxes down in the box room. Have digitized a bunch, given more to family, but still endless. Apparently a lot of people thought about trying to duplicate the Kodachrome look, as far as I can see online, almost all via post processing. We'll see how it all works out. Thanks for commenting!

Reply
 
 
Apr 7, 2021 21:58:56   #
User ID
 
quixdraw wrote:
Back in December I bought a Nikon D2x - got a great deal from Pixelstan77. Basically, he listed it for sale and I bought it because the weather was bad and I was bored. It usually takes me a month to six weeks to work through camera and manual, something I much enjoy, and good value for my recreation / camera dollar. As I started to use the camera, I was taken with the color rendition, different from my other Digital cameras, and almost familiar. A big camera, only DX, and somewhat limited compared to newer ones, but the color! Spring ahead (pun intended) to mid March. I found an inexpensive, well cared for D3 with a relatively low shutter count. As you have seen, I've been using that a lot, with new and old Nikon lenses. The color from the D3, even better, and the camera wonderfully easy to use with AI and AIS Nikon lenses, possibly even easier than my Df. My best and oldest friend, an excellent photographer with years of experience similar to mine, returned from an extended business trip and we got a chance to talk cameras. After the conversation, I sent him a dozen or so shots from the two cameras. His note back was that they resembled Kodachrome. He is a sophisticated post processor, and commented that it is difficult to get that look in post. Post is not something I do very much, a search online found all sorts of ideas on doing just that. Doesn't sound easy. At any rate, based on what I learned from the two old Ds, I'm continuing to use both of them, but am adjusting a couple of my newer digital Nikons to produce similar results. Early days, but fun and promising.
Back in December I bought a Nikon D2x - got a grea... (show quote)

Aren’t those models from the CCD sensor era ? Not really sure myself.

Reply
Apr 7, 2021 22:03:51   #
Quixdraw Loc: x
 
User ID wrote:
Aren’t those models from the CCD sensor era ? Not really sure myself.


No, both CMOS, D2x DX, D3 FX. Both surprising cameras until you consider they were top of the Nikon line in their day. Having a lot of fun with them.

Reply
Apr 8, 2021 06:09:28   #
billnikon Loc: Pennsylvania/Ohio/Florida/Maui/Oregon/Vermont
 
quixdraw wrote:
Back in December I bought a Nikon D2x - got a great deal from Pixelstan77. Basically, he listed it for sale and I bought it because the weather was bad and I was bored. It usually takes me a month to six weeks to work through camera and manual, something I much enjoy, and good value for my recreation / camera dollar. As I started to use the camera, I was taken with the color rendition, different from my other Digital cameras, and almost familiar. A big camera, only DX, and somewhat limited compared to newer ones, but the color! Spring ahead (pun intended) to mid March. I found an inexpensive, well cared for D3 with a relatively low shutter count. As you have seen, I've been using that a lot, with new and old Nikon lenses. The color from the D3, even better, and the camera wonderfully easy to use with AI and AIS Nikon lenses, possibly even easier than my Df. My best and oldest friend, an excellent photographer with years of experience similar to mine, returned from an extended business trip and we got a chance to talk cameras. After the conversation, I sent him a dozen or so shots from the two cameras. His note back was that they resembled Kodachrome. He is a sophisticated post processor, and commented that it is difficult to get that look in post. Post is not something I do very much, a search online found all sorts of ideas on doing just that. Doesn't sound easy. At any rate, based on what I learned from the two old Ds, I'm continuing to use both of them, but am adjusting a couple of my newer digital Nikons to produce similar results. Early days, but fun and promising.
Back in December I bought a Nikon D2x - got a grea... (show quote)


Every camera manufacture has their own color pallet. For instance, my older Minolta lenses created a definite look, as do my Nikon lenses. Then there is the color cast of my Sony lenses.
Yes, they are all different, but shooting in RAW, I can make them all look the same, sort of.
Personally, I like all three. I am sure Canon also produces it's own unique color signature.

Reply
Apr 8, 2021 06:51:51   #
camerapapi Loc: Miami, Fl.
 
It was the so called first Nikon color generation that produced colors similar to those of Kodachrome. Cameras like the D100, D200 and the D2X just to mention some of them had those colors. When I bought my D300 and after using a D2H for a while I could immediately see that colors have changed. I believe at the time Nikon began to use Color Control. I never thought those colors were as good as those of the cameras of previous generation.

I have no experience with the D3 or the D700 and I know not only that both are excellent tools but also the colors are fantastic. Both of those cameras were used by portrait and wedding photographers.

Reply
 
 
Apr 8, 2021 07:07:16   #
whfowle Loc: Tampa first, now Albuquerque
 
Looking forward to your pics. My favorite film in the 60's and 70's was Kodachrome 25. Never liked Ektachrome because of the blue/green tint.

Reply
Apr 8, 2021 07:19:00   #
rmalarz Loc: Tempe, Arizona
 
quixdraw, I'm been playing with both the Kodachrome look as well as the dye transfer process to get that look, as well. So far, lots of experiments but nothing I'd use on a regular basis. I'm looking forward to seeing your photographs when you get your approach dialed in.
--Bob
quixdraw wrote:
Back in December I bought a Nikon D2x - got a great deal from Pixelstan77. Basically, he listed it for sale and I bought it because the weather was bad and I was bored. It usually takes me a month to six weeks to work through camera and manual, something I much enjoy, and good value for my recreation / camera dollar. As I started to use the camera, I was taken with the color rendition, different from my other Digital cameras, and almost familiar. A big camera, only DX, and somewhat limited compared to newer ones, but the color! Spring ahead (pun intended) to mid March. I found an inexpensive, well cared for D3 with a relatively low shutter count. As you have seen, I've been using that a lot, with new and old Nikon lenses. The color from the D3, even better, and the camera wonderfully easy to use with AI and AIS Nikon lenses, possibly even easier than my Df. My best and oldest friend, an excellent photographer with years of experience similar to mine, returned from an extended business trip and we got a chance to talk cameras. After the conversation, I sent him a dozen or so shots from the two cameras. His note back was that they resembled Kodachrome. He is a sophisticated post processor, and commented that it is difficult to get that look in post. Post is not something I do very much, a search online found all sorts of ideas on doing just that. Doesn't sound easy. At any rate, based on what I learned from the two old Ds, I'm continuing to use both of them, but am adjusting a couple of my newer digital Nikons to produce similar results. Early days, but fun and promising.
Back in December I bought a Nikon D2x - got a grea... (show quote)

Reply
Apr 8, 2021 07:31:21   #
nervous2 Loc: Provo, Utah
 
quixdraw wrote:
If you check my D2x and D3 posts there are a few. I'll probably gather ten favorites and post under the title The Kodachrome Project toward the end of the week. Thanks for your interest!


I too will be eager to see some pics.

Reply
Apr 8, 2021 07:39:42   #
ELNikkor
 
I shot a lot of Kodachrome while it was available and avoided Ektachrome for the most part because of it's blueness/blandness by comparison. UNTIL the Ektachrome Plus came out in 1988. I bought quite a few bulk rolls of EPP 100 and rolled/processed my own. It was like having a faster, more neutral, less contrasty, with cleaner, (no occasional magenta cast in the flesh-tones) colors than Kodachrome (sorry, K-diehards!), that I could process & mount cheaper; same day I shot it. I wish EPP was the emulsion Kodak brought back, rather than the current Ektachrome. (Still no fading after 30 years in the basement.)

Reply
Page 1 of 6 next> last>>
If you want to reply, then register here. Registration is free and your account is created instantly, so you can post right away.
Main Photography Discussion
UglyHedgehog.com - Forum
Copyright 2011-2024 Ugly Hedgehog, Inc.