Kodachrome

An interesting evening at the Photographic Society with a presentation of transparencies - mainly Kodachrome.

It is quite a while since we had a traditional slide presentation as opposed to digitally projected images.  For me it emphasised the advantages of the modern technology.  Apart from the nostalgia of the whirring cooling fan, the mechanical noises of the slide changing, and the black screen between images, the image quality (certainly from Kodachrome 25 or 64) was pretty good, but I had never before been aware of the noticeable magenta cast in shadow areas or on longer exposures.  When it came to Kodachrome 200, the images were positively muddy, lacking true blacks and with limited contrast.  This is an area where digital wins hands down:  the ability to shoot great images at very high ISOs with digital cameras must be one of the greatest advances compared with traditional film (at least reversal film).

I had also forgotten the rounded corners and ragged edges of the traditional Kodachrome cardboard mount.