Is transparency film (E-6 process) likely to be produced in the future?

Question

Black & white film is going strong (with Ilford reporting, fingers crossed, year on year increase in sales and new film stocks such as Bergger and Ferrania being introduced), color negative process is still showing signs of life, but on the trasparency side I hear only bad news.

I do enjoy shooting a couple rolls of Velvia a year - spring flowers and autumn leaves look better in color than B&W, and the Velvia tones are legendary - but I am becoming worried about the availability of processing. Tetenal and Fuji are rumored to have stopped / severely reduced production of development kits. Not to mention that the prices of Fuji films seem to go only up.

Is the E-6 process still viable, or is it time to learn to learn working with Ektar?

(I do not plan to develop color at home, and I print color electronically).

Answer 1

According to this Time.com article from January:

Kodak Aliris, the firm that bought Kodak's film segments, announced during the [Consumer Electronics Show] that it would reintroduce Ektachrome, a color reversal film discontinued in 2012.

...and...

But in the last three years, companies like Kodak, Fujifilm and Harman Technology, which manufactures the popular Ilford Photo black-and-white films, have been experiencing a comeback. “We’re seeing film growth of 5% year-on-year globally,” says Giles Branthwaite, the sales and marketing director at Harman. “Our professional film sales have been increasing over the last two or three years,” confirms Dennis Olbrich, president of Kodak Alaris’ imaging, paper, photo chemicals and film division.

I'd say it's a safe bet that you'll be able to buy E-6 (at least Ektachrome) and get it processed for at least a few more years. And it looks like photographic film overall won't be dying any time soon.

EDIT: You can also still buy Velvia 50 and 100, in 35mm and 120 sizes. I found them for sale at B&H Photo just now.

Answer 2

In days of yore, slides were projected. The 21st century equivalent of projection is scanning and sharing online. The thing about slide film is it scans easily and shows strong contrast and vivid saturation (assuming, of course, it was properly exposed and processed). It takes a little to a lot more effort to achieve the same result from negative film -- and make it look natural. I truly believe digital/hybrid workflows will be the saving grace of slide film.

If you need exposure latitude and/or want to wet print your color film, color negative film is still the way to go. The chemistry to wet print slide film was discontinued with Ilfochrome several years ago. There are ways (RA-4 reversal, internegatives) but they're difficult and produce mixed results. A hybrid approach is probably the best way to print slide film.

Ferrania and Kodak at least must think slide film has a future. Ferrania is moving forward with slide film development, and Kodak has "reintroduced" Ektachrome to be available later this year. And since Kodak also manufacturers E-6 chemistry, I think we're safe for some time to come.

Answer 3

Photographic film manufacturing is an Economy of Scale proposition. Anyone who wants, can make film but likely the sale price will be too high and this discourages sales. To bring the price down you must sell tons of the stuff. If you succeed you can now make tons and make a profit. The problem is, every product has an “end-of-life”. Photographic film is hanging on but sales are dropping fast. Soon, economy of scale will prevail and the product will no longer generate profit.

The Ektachrome product evolved from World War II color movie film. Both Kodak and Agfa were making the stuff. It is an incorporated color film. The dyes reside in the film as opposed to Kodachrome which is non-incorporated. This makes for a simpler film that can be developed by those who regularly handle black & white film. Kodak’s Ektachrome prevailed, evolving into the E-6 formula. This formulation migrated to be made by others.

People liked slide film. The images are gorgeous. You could look at a slide and evaluate it in an instant. Magazine editor loved it, so did lectures. Armed with a projector and screen, you had portable lecture graphics. Besides it was cheap. In its heyday, a rolls cost about $2.00 and developing to mounted slides, about the same. It was a wonderful time. But – time marches on. Now the digital camera is king. Now, digital images are easily displayed on giant TV screens and these are everywhere, at home and auditorium. Once slide film was king – the king is dead – long live the new king – digital imaging.

Answer 4

It is of course crystal balling, but my guess is that colour positive film and the E6 process will die out pretty soon. Kodachrome is long gone, Ilford stopped production of Ilfochrome, the last direct positive colour paper, some years ago and to be honest, what exact function is there still to be covered by colour positive film? Is there anybody out there still pulling out their slide projector to show pictures from the last family holiday?

I don't dispute the partial advantages of film vs digital, especially 120 and large format film, but what do you currently need positive film for, which cannot be done just as good er even better with negative film? If you are using a hybrid workflow and scan your film for later digital processing or printing, you can just as well use Portra or any low saturation film, scan the image, click some buttons in Photoshop and you will have 'legendary Velvia tones' without ever having been close to a real roll of Velvia.