Goodbye Kodachrome 40. Hello Ektachrome 100D.
So I’m back in the United States and looking to shoot some Super 8 mm film as I run around the streets of San Jose, California. Things have changed since I left. Kodachrome 40 processing ends in December. It’s replacement Ektachrome 64T has also left us. But in it’s place sits Ektachrome 100D. Okay, so what does that means to me?
I have no idea where to buy Super 8 mm film in San Jose. But I can always order it directly from Kodak in Los Angeles. 1-800-621-FILM is the number to call and they do give discounts to students or members of film organizations. Ektachrome 100D is $14.00 a cart plus tax and shipping. If you order over $100 I think you don’t have to pay shipping. And if you order over 200 carts, the base price is $12.18 each. These are prices as of 4/26/2010.
I was amazed to find a Walmart in San Jose. What makes this a miraculous discovery is that they are one of the few companies to use FujiFilm for their processing company. FujiFilm sends any Ektachrome they get to Dwayne’s Photo for E-6 processing. Sending a cart of Super 8 mm directly to Dwayne’s Photo costs $12.00 plus the costs to ship it there and $4.50 to ship it back. At Walmart you will pay $4.88 plus tax. Just be sure you let them know it’s Kodachrome 100D for E-6 Processing @ Dwayne’s Photo. Not a bad deal and can keep your costs per cart under $20.00
Ektachrome 100D film ASA is 100 Daylight / 25 with a Tungsten Filter. What this means to your Super 8 mm camera is a larger question. Simply put, the default ASA for the Super 8 mm automatic exposure is 40. When you use the daylight filter it becomes 25. Either setting is of no use to you. Ever. If you put film in that camera that depresses the notch inside the camera the ASA becomes 160, or 100 with the daylight filter. If you have more than one notch inside the camera, you might have better luck with your camera. Most have only one.
If you have one notch, like in a Nizo 136XL, use the daylight filter mode to set the ASA to 100. But you’re going to want to take apart your camera and remove the daylight filter. Yep. That’s about it. The filter is lame anyway. So take that sucker out.