I have been asked by a friend to go to Tennessee and shoot some images for her cabin in a couple of weeks, and she wants mostly color. I realize it comes down to preference, but I have not shot color 4x5 so, so want something (transparency) that is a little more forgiving. Thanks for any suggestions.
The most forgiving color is color negative film, not transparency film. Fuji S160 Pro is fabulous. But if you insist on transparency film, I prefer Fuji Provia 100F. Don't use any of the Velvia 'cause they are not forgiving. At least in my experience.
Since you are traveling to take the shots, I would go with a negative film for its greater latitude and forgivingness...a 1-stop error won't mean a wasted trip!
IMHO, whatever you shoot, you should bracket every shot +/- 1 stop. You might decide to initially only process the shots you think were on the money wrt exposure but having those other sheets of film might save your bacon. I like velvia 100 for its saturated colors but the range is pretty limited in comparison to BW or color negative film.
Another vote for negative, such as Fuji 160 Pro. Current neg films don't have obtrusive grain, have good resolution, color is good and they scan well.
In transparency, Astia has reasonable exposure latitude.
And another vote for Fuji 160 Pro S. I've shot a lot of Astia 100F and agree with Ron's assessment. Astia also scans pretty easily.
-Preston
Preston-Columbia CA
"If you want nice fresh oats, you have to pay a fair price. If you can be satisfied with oats that have already been through the horse; that comes a little cheaper."
I, also, would agree with Ron. Negative is the best option for latitude but, if you really want chromes, then rely on Astia, which will give you around 6 stops from shadows to highlights.
Thanks for the suggestions.I forgot to add that I recently aquired a Fuji instant film holder ( 4x5) and was going to purchase some film to use for confirming exposure. Still sounds the negative film is the way to go though.
If you confirm exposure with Fuji Instant Film, then you can shoot transparency film with confidence and do not need to bracket, unless you "bumped" the camera, etc. I have shot transparency film for 30 years (using Instant film testing for each shot) and have never bracketed exposure. I do shoot 2 sheets of 4x5 on each shot, to protect myself from scratches and other processing flaws.
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