[photo-3d] processing

["Joseph Petrarca" <jpetrarca@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Date: Fri, 28 Jul 2000 06:53:58 -0700
   From: "Oleg Vorobyoff" <olegv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Slide Processing Nightmare

I’m about at the end of my rope and need some help.  I take ordinary full
frame slides.  A good 50% of the stereo pairs I have taken in the last
couple of months have been ruined in processing.  Since I am now using a
twin rig, if either film is bad the stereo pairs will be unusable.  It is
disheartening to think about how many weeks of hard work and how much
expense have come to nothing.

My question is whether there is any way to get reliable Kodachrome
processing.  I do not want to use Kodak processing and hesitate to switch
films for reasons detailed below.  One thing I have yet to try is to mail my
film south to A&I.  Is this worth trying?  I’m not up for much more
disappointment.

So here is my story.  I have been using Kodachrome for thirty years.  There
have been a few bad patches over those years, but nothing like recently.
First there was mismounting and miscutting, mostly salvageable.  Then a job
in June came back all bright green.  Another came back gouged.  At that
point I said good bye to Kodak, despite having having received apologies and
free film and processing.  I loaded up with Fuji Provia F.  Those slides
came back bluish, as if they were shot through an 82C filter.  Even if that
was a one time thing, I did not feel like giving Provia another try because
the film simply did not have the sharpness of Kodachrome 25.  So it was back
to Kodak.  Next job actually came back fine.  But the slides I picked up
yesterday are not usable for stereo.  A defect I first encountered last
January has resurfaced.  Each slide has a tiny pinhole in the middle, barely
noticeable - until viewed in stereo.

I believe the Kodachrome ended up at Kodak’s lab in San Leandro, California.
The Provia went to Fuji.  All were regular full frame format.

I really do not want to give up stereo, but that is looming as the only sane
option.

Oleg Vorobyoff
Oleg-
Sorry to hear of all your misfortune.  I have found Kodak to be slow but
producing acceptable results.  I only sent about two rolls a month, however.
I am also not quite as critical of color balance and density, etc, with
stereo as I am with my conventional shooting.  That being said, I have
switched from Kodachrome 200 which I have used for the past three years, to
Kodak E-100 series, especially 100SW and 100VS.  The VS is super punchy
stuff, almost 3D when shooting conventional "flatties"!  The 100 ISO seems
to be a good balance between slower/sharper speeds that absolutely require
tripod use and faster 200.  I am beginning to give my stereo film stock to
my local pro lab, however, because I really don't want to put up with the
typical three week delay and the ever-present chance of never seeing my film
again or having something weird happen.  At my local lab, I know the people,
they know me, and I know the results I can expect.  If you like the
resolution you get with the slower ISO film stock, why not give Fuji Velvia
(50) a shot.  The only downside you get with both Velvia and The E100VS is
that skin tones go really red-unacceptably so.  I miss the extended flash
range (extra stop) I got with the 200 Kodachrome stock, but other than that,
the 100 stuff is really nice to work with.  I'm shooting with a Stereo
Realist, and 100 to 200 ISO seem to be realistic speeds for hand holding.
As I do about 1/2 of my shooting hand held, this is important to me, but
might not be to you.  Good luck.
Joseph