Is velvia back?

[QT Luong]

Ted, I am curious about this statement of yours "The original Velvia is ... famous for its ability to hold detail in the shadows". Besides the new Velvia, which are the films that holds *less* detail in shadows than the original Velvia ?

[Wayne]

any sightings in the New World yet?


Wayne

[Dave Jeffery]

"See-see! Another person who would like to know about labs and where to go. I had a person just emailed me looking for a lab in Arkansas."

OK, But if we all use Calypso imagine how fresh their chemicals will be

We're pimping for a reason!

[Dave Jeffery]

"We're pimping for a reason!"

How's that for late night grammar?

[Ted Harris]

QT, my own experience ... experience ... and these tests bore it out was that the Velvia 100 had lest shadow detail than either the new or old Velvia. I dug out some old transparencies from several years ago where I was shooting shooting Velvia, EPP and RSX 100II and the Velvia is a clear winner in shadow detail. I also think you will hear many others attest to the shadow detail in Velvia. It is a subtle and small difference IMO but there. OTOH, I have not really done enough side-by-side testing to strongly affirm its presence. Could be another film myth but I do think it is real.

[Gordon Moat]

A couple months ago I met up with a Fuji rep, and he had several example transparencies (6x7) mounted for viewing on a light table. Unfortunately the newer Velvia 50 was not one of them, though he did give me a roll to try out. Comparing the Velvia 100 and Velvia 100F, it was obvious (to me) to see a difference. I thought both of those were a bit too magenta (purple-ish to some). So upon viewing the examples in View Camera, it does seem that Velvia 50 greatly minimizes (or eliminates) that purple-ish colour cast.

Honestly, I was never a fan of the older Velvia (ISO 50) in any format. Given a choice in saturated films, I still prefer Kodak E100VS. However, I don't shoot landscapes, and I can see how Velvia might be appealing to landscape photographers.

Ciao!

Gordon Moat
A G Studio

[naturephoto1]

quote=Gordon Moat;266145]Honestly, I was never a fan of the older Velvia (ISO 50) in any format. Given a choice in saturated films, I still prefer Kodak E100VS. However, I don't shoot landscapes, and I can see how Velvia might be appealing to landscape photographers.

Ciao!

Gordon Moat
[quote]

I'm wondering what other purposs you'd use Velvia for other than landscapes. It's not really suitable for photography of food, fashion or people. That pretty much leaves architecture, nature/landscapes.

Hi Charles,

I have used the Old Velvia 50 for some Wildlife photography in 35mm. But generally, because of the speed of the long lenses and the need for freezing the animals in the past I would opt for Provia 100 (now I might opt for Velvia 100).

Rich

[JPlomley]

Rich, you may want to try the new Provia 400X. Apparently rivals the 100 speed choices, has improved saturation over the original version, and is more "scanner friendly" (not really sure what Fuji has done to the emulsion to make this claim, but it sure sounds like good marketing)

[Gordon Moat]

The Fuji rep gave me some 400X to try out, mostly as a push process film. Shooting it normally, it is more grain than ISO 100 films, though definitely less than in the past. Somewhat comparable to Kodak E200, though the Provia 400X is more contrasty. In general, I think I have now found a good ISO 400 transparency film, and good performing transparency film in Provia 400X. I never liked any of the older Provia films from Fuji, so maybe they have impressed me now . . . must be different.

In push performance, my feeling is that the 3 stop push could use 1/3 stop more exposure, rather than shooting it straight. In a 2 stops push, I rated it at ISO 1600, and it performed very well. While I don't know if others are interested in using 400X under push conditions, I can state that I feel it outperforms E200 pushed when ISO settings go beyond 1600. One stop push is no perceptible change in contrast, two stops is only slight contrast change, though perhaps compensated with a slight exposure compensation; three stops definitely changes contrast, but no visible increase in apparent grain in larger colour areas, nor in tonal changes.

Ciao!

Gordon Moat
A G Studio