The slide film that captured the world's history for 74 years is being "retired" by Eastman Kodak because of a lack of demand.
The company's president of film, Mary Jane Hellyar, has been quoted in international media saying it was a difficult decision.
"However, the majority of today's photographers have voiced their preference to capture images with newer technology, both film and digital."
Aoraki Polytechnic's School of Media head Frank Pawluk said yesterday Kodachrome was "a beautiful film".
"Kodachrome was transparency film and so when you shot with it, it rendered the true coloration or saturation of the scene itself, so it had the vibrance."
Professional photographer Matheson Beaumont considered it was "the iconic colour film" used, at one time, by almost all of the world's photo-journalists.
"It was very sharp and it was well and truly saturated with colour."
Mr Beaumont said the processed slides came in a little yellow box and, at one time, people would arrange slide evenings to share their holiday pictures with friends and family.
Otago Daily Times photographer Gerard O'Brien, who had not shot film for 10 years, was yesterday searching for a film to take "one last look at the world through Kodachrome".
However, major internet suppliers claimed to be out of stock and Mr O'Brien suspected photographers might have begun to hoard what film remained.
The developing process for the film is different from other colour film and there is only one processor left in the world, in Parsons, Kansas.
Prolab owner Angela Haig-McAuliffe said it was some years since the film had been processed in New Zealand and it was probably two years since she had sold any.
Other brands of slide film had also become very expensive - as much as $40 for a roll of 24 - and she expected the film processing part of her business might come to an end in 18 months to two years.
It is 36 years since Paul Simon recorded his thoughts on the Kodak film in his song Kodachrome.
"They give us those nice bright colours. They give us the greens of summers. Makes you think all the world's a sunny day."
