Kodachrome Film: What Happened and What to Shoot Today (2026)

In June 2009 Kodak announced it would stop making Kodachrome film, the colour slide film that a whole generation of photographers loved, and we told readers to buy the last rolls while stocks lasted. Here is what Kodachrome was, what happened after that announcement, and what to shoot today if you want that classic slide-film look.

Quick answer: Kodachrome film is gone for good. Kodak stopped making it in 2009, and the last lab that could develop it, Dwayne’s Photo in Parsons, Kansas, ended Kodachrome processing at the end of December 2010. Any old roll you find today cannot be developed in colour. If you want real colour slide film now, shoot Kodak Ektachrome E100, which Kodak brought back in 2018.

What was Kodachrome film?

Kodachrome was introduced in 1935 and became a favourite for professional colour photography, especially for pictures meant for magazines and print, because of its colour accuracy and the way its slides lasted for decades in dark storage. The catch was its complex processing: it could only be developed by specialised labs, and in many countries the price of a roll included processing.

Photo by awrose on Flickr.

Its best-known image is probably Steve McCurry’s 1984 portrait of Sharbat Gula, the “Afghan Girl” on the cover of National Geographic, shot on Kodachrome. Kodak later made a short film with McCurry about the end of Kodachrome, which you can still watch on YouTube.

Why Kodak stopped making Kodachrome film

By 2009, digital cameras had taken over and most film shooters who still used slides had moved to Ektachrome, which used a much simpler process that ordinary labs could handle. Demand for Kodachrome had fallen so far that only one Kodak-certified lab in the world was still processing it: Dwayne’s Photo in Parsons, Kansas.

When we wrote this post in 2009, our advice was simple: if you loved Kodachrome, buy the remaining rolls while stocks lasted and get them developed before the deadline. Dwayne’s kept processing Kodachrome until the end of December 2010, and after that the process was retired.

Can you still develop Kodachrome?

Not in colour. The chemistry for the Kodachrome process is no longer made and no lab offers it. Some specialist labs may develop old rolls as black and white negatives, but you will not get the famous Kodachrome colours. If you have unprocessed rolls from before 2011, treat them as collector’s items or experiments, not as usable film.

What to shoot instead in 2026

• Kodak Ektachrome E100: a current colour slide (reversal) film from Kodak, reintroduced in 2018. It is the closest thing to shooting Kodak slides today and is developed with the standard E-6 process, which many labs still offer. You can find Kodak Ektachrome E100 film on Amazon.
• Fujifilm slide films: Fujifilm still makes colour reversal film such as Velvia, known for very saturated colours.
• Digital film looks: many photo apps and camera makers offer presets inspired by classic slide films. They are not the real thing, but they are the cheapest way to get a warm, contrasty “Kodachrome-style” look.

Love photography experiments? See how people made giant images with gigapixel photography, or the fun camera toss photography trend from the early Flickr days.

FAQ

When was Kodachrome discontinued?

Kodak announced the end of Kodachrome film in June 2009. The last processing at Dwayne’s Photo ended in December 2010.

Is Kodachrome film still made?

No. Kodachrome is not made any more and there is no lab that can develop it in colour.

What film is closest to Kodachrome today?

Kodak Ektachrome E100 is the main Kodak colour slide film you can buy today. It looks different from Kodachrome, but it gives you real projected or scanned slides.

Why was Kodachrome so famous?

Its accurate colours, fine detail and long-lasting slides made it the choice of many magazine and travel photographers for decades, including Steve McCurry’s “Afghan Girl” portrait.

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