Eulogies for Kodachrome film pour in

It's not a great time for film manufacturers. First Polaroid shut down all of its instant film production facilities, and now Kodak is following in its footsteps, announcing that Kodachrome, its iconic film brand -- and the first ever color film -- is being discontinued.

Kodachrome has actually been being killed off in stages since at least 2002, but the last round of cuts puts the final nail in the coffin, eliminating the final version of Kodachrome left on the market.

Some of the most famous color photos ever were shot on Kodachrome -- a reversal film format which is used for the creation of slides -- including the striking "Afghan Girl" portrait which appeared on the cover of National Geographic in 1984.

Beloved by professional photographers for many years, the film is regularly described as unique, "rendering colors in a very particular way, although... at the same time very natural." Alas, such results can be obtained by a novice using Photoshop these days, eliminating the need for special analog gear.

Just as with Polaroid, Kodachrome is a victim of the digital age. It's too costly and time-consuming to shoot with film these days, and even those who do still shoot on film rarely want slides as an end-result. Kodachrome needs special processing, which required visiting a lab outfit with the proper chemicals or shipping negatives to Kodak directly for processing.

Kodak has collected numerous memories about the format, which was introduced in 1935 and immortalized by a Paul Simon song in 1973, and published them here on a tribute page. (Scroll down to the bottom for links to additional memories and eulogies.)

Kodachrome supplies, according to Kodak, should last through the fall. The final batch of film is now in production in Mexico, after which the line will shut down for good.