Kodachrome 40 used as Black & White...

[Alex]

I did a test between some black & white film and Kodachrome 40 in which I turned the Kodachrome 40 black and white.

I compared the footage and found the footage originally shot in black and white had just a bit more "life", more "zest", more fineness to it than the K-40.

However, if I did not have the black and white of the same location to compare the K-40 to, I might not have noticed and thought the K-40 was just about as good.

[Actor]

How did you turn the Kodachrome 40 black and white? Did you use a computer or did you have it processed as B&W?

[Alex]

I am still editing with high-end videotape machines.

I have the original super-8 film transfer on BetaCam SP, and I edit directly to a new BetaCam Sp Tape.

I have several ways I can make the image go Black and White. I can disable one of the pins in the S-Video connector (not recommended but it is a way to make black and white from a color image), I can "dechroma" the image via my Panasonic MX-50 Digital Switcher by either using the "mono" button or turning the color processor down all the way, or I can also "dechroma" the image on the BetaCam SP editing Deck via the proc amp controls.

I believe I can also make the image black and white via the component cables by only leaving the Y cable connected, but it's been a while since I tried this method and I don't recall how well it worked!

[Actor]

Are you aware that K-40 can be processed as B&W? I believe that Film & Video Services offers this "cross processing?" Their address is:

2620 Central Ave. N.E.
Minneapolis, MN 55418
Telephone: (612) 789-8622

Of course this is a burn-your-bridges step. Once processed this way the color can never be recovered. Also the film is 1 to 2 stops slower, and K-40 is not fast as it is.

I have not tried this. It's on my "to do" list. Should be interesting.