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Thread: Suggestions for Color Film

  1. #1

    Join Date
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    Suggestions for Color Film

    I''ve used b&w film exclusively for many years. I've decided to try some 4x5 color slide and negative film on a trip to Oregon next month to see how I like it. I know next to nothing about color films especially slide films. Could someone suggest a good general purpose (mainly landscape) slide film and a good general purpose negative film along with a suggested EI for each? Film speed isn't critical but I'd prefer something in the 100 ASA range or faster. The intended use is scans and prints of about 11x14 inches if that matters. I'm not a big fan of that super-saturated look I see so much of, I tend to like more muted colors but that isn't critical for this experiment.
    Brian Ellis
    Before you criticize someone, walk a mile in their shoes. That way when you do criticize them you'll be
    a mile away and you'll have their shoes.

  2. #2

    Join Date
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    Suggestions for Color Film

    Dear Brian,

    Your Choices are: Portra 160 NC and VC. Portra 400 NC. Fuji NPS. They're all good.

  3. #3

    Join Date
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    Suggestions for Color Film

    For neg film, I really like Kodak Portra VC 160 - I usually rate it around 140. The NC is fairly nice and less saturated as well, I typically rate this at 125.

    For landscape work, I personally have never been a fan of shooting transparencies. Not enough local control of the contrast range.

  4. #4

    Suggestions for Color Film

    Brian, I can echo the NPS (or the new Pro 160) from Fuji for neg films. For slide, the latest Astia is neutral in color and a grain RMS of 7. I expose NPS @ iso 125 on sunny days and 100 on cloudy days. Astia I find works well at rated speed of 100. If the contrast of the scene is low, then it's safe to rate @ iso 80.

    Enjoy!

  5. #5
    Ted Harris's Avatar
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    Suggestions for Color Film

    Brian,

    To a large extent film is a matter of personal choice. If you don't want the saturated look then you will want to start with either Astia or Provia in the Fuji films and E100G or maybe EPP from Kodak. These are all transparency films, I seldom shoot color negative film. I have used all of these anf generally gravitate toward the Fuji emulsions with a general preference for Astia as the most natural and neutral (I do prefer the saturated look a lot as well but not discussing it here per your preferences) which I find works well for most landscapes, especially coastal. Provia, OTOH, gives you the widest exposure latitude of any of the transparency films and I find it works well when I want some warmth in the scene, especially with fall foliage if I am not using Velvia. Kerry did a good article for View Camera on all the current color transparency films ... think it was about a year ago ... and well worth looking at although I don't recall if it covered the current new Velvia and Astia 100F.

  6. #6

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    Apr 2002
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    Suggestions for Color Film

    Brian, I find myself oscillating between several films for landscapes. Each has its own areas of strength and its own shortcomings. For this reason I find myself with some of each of the films in
    Quickload and Readyload formats in my backpack, plus the two holders of course.

    In slide film, I use Fuji Astia 100F, Kodak E100G, and a little Fuji Velvia 50 or 100 (not Velvia 100F, which is best left at the shop). Overall, I find that Astia 100F fits my style the best. It's rich enough but subtle too. Kodak E100G I find generally too warm, although there is an even warmer variety too (GX), but it works nicely just after dawn, say the first ten minutes, when the light is very weak. In predawn or twilight, I find E100G has a schizophrenic magenta tendency that swings wildly with half-stop exposure variations. I don't E100G's greens either. Contrary to many, I only use Velvia in extremely low contrast situations, where I find that, perversely, so long as you don't underexpose, it can produce transparencies of considerable delicacy. I have also used Provia 100F in the past, but found it tends towards a steely blue in some subdued lighting situations.

    In colour negative film, I use Fuji NPS simply because it's available in Quickload. I find it quite similar to Kodak Portra NC, which I would otherwise happily use except Portra is only available in the VC version in Readyload. That brings me to the other consideration with neg films. As someone who scans and prints digitally, I see no advantage in using the higher contrast versions of the neg films, such as Portra VC or Fuji Reala. I use neg film when the latitude is just too great for slide film + grad ND filters, so I'm looking for a low contrast rendering.

    Others will have different opinions of course, as Ted has already illustrated with Provia :-)

    If you want to see some examples of each of these, I can email you some links to photographs on my website illustrating what I've described.
    Leigh Perry
    www.leighperry.com

  7. #7

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    Suggestions for Color Film

    Brian,

    I like Fuji NPS for neg and Provia for transparency... Velvia is nice but it seems better fitted for studio shooting where you can control the contrast.

    I've also used Portra 160 shot at 125... very nice as well!

    Generally, I shoot Provia at 80 and NPS at what it's rated at.

    I think the true film speed will be dependent on your own gear... largely the shutter speed settings and meter.

    Overall, IMHO, there's a lot of choice out there and they all do the job very well...

    Cheers
    Life in the fast lane!

  8. #8

    Suggestions for Color Film

    If you are used to shooting B&W then you are in for a shock with colour film, especially transparencies. I suggest you invest in some graduated filters to try and bring some control over your images - if you are used to using the zone system you are going to have to work with a 3 stop range.

  9. #9

    Join Date
    Dec 1997
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    Suggestions for Color Film

    Thanks for all the suggestions. I can see that it's going to take more than 1 10 sheet box of slide film and 1 of negative to figure out what I like best, assuming I stick with this strange stuff, but this gives me a place to start.
    Brian Ellis
    Before you criticize someone, walk a mile in their shoes. That way when you do criticize them you'll be
    a mile away and you'll have their shoes.

  10. #10

    Join Date
    Jun 2005
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    Suggestions for Color Film

    I'm surprised there was just one vote for the Provia F 100. A very forgiving slide film with the finest grain of them all! The latest generation too.

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