Velvia/Provia Soft compared to BW?

[l2oBiN]

Being new to LF, I have shot some 4x5 velvia and provia slides and had them professionally developed. I have rand a few through the scanner and I am quite disappointed at just how soft they seem to come out compared to BW film (eg acros or fomapan 100 developed in xtol 1:1). Is this common or am I doing something wrong? Is it potentially the development? I was expecting very sharp slides!?

[Ed Kelsey]

I think the potential for being very sharp is there but it could be your technique, maybe they just weren't well focused.

[Greg Blank]

Three color layers. Three different nodal points.

Being new to LF, I have shot some 4x5 velvia and provia slides and had them professionally developed. I have rand a few through the scanner and I am quite disappointed at just how soft they seem to come out compared to BW film (eg acros or fomapan 100 developed in xtol 1:1). Is this common or am I doing something wrong? Is it potentially the development? I was expecting very sharp slides!?

[Ed Kelsey]

Three color layers. Three different nodal points.

What the hell does that mean? Did you just make that up?

[Daniel Stone]

Softness shouldn't be affected by development(at least with E-6).

Being slightly OOF might cause this, I've never heard of what Greg said(nodal points). I've shot color shots(with E-6 and c-41) and then shot b/w(Tmax 100 in D-76 1:1) RIGHT AFTER(other side of holder). Both were super sharp to me after getting drum scans(even scans w/ my flatbed scanner, an old Epson 1680 were "sharp") done.

My money's on focus shift, or the film bowing in the film holder(ususally caused by a sudden change in humidity)

-Dan

[mrkauffman]

the nodal points does in theory work but in practice is hard to see. that it why APO lenses exist, they are corrected for all 3 colors so they are sharp at any aperture.

although, i dont think thats the case here, just some food for thought.

[Greg Blank]

sure I did.

Three color layers. Three different nodal points.

What the hell does that mean? Did you just make that up?

[Greg Blank]

How about difference in substrate thickness in relation to film makers? Probably never heard of that either, my guess.

Softness shouldn't be affected by development(at least with E-6).

Being slightly OOF might cause this, I've never heard of what Greg said(nodal points). I've shot color shots(with E-6 and c-41) and then shot b/w(Tmax 100 in D-76 1:1) RIGHT AFTER(other side of holder). Both were super sharp to me after getting drum scans(even scans w/ my flatbed scanner, an old Epson 1680 were "sharp") done.

My money's on focus shift, or the film bowing in the film holder(ususally caused by a sudden change in humidity)

-Dan

[Greg Blank]

Does he have one? I do, which is why; I will never get rid of it, I calibrated it in 1/3 stops....it's the one lens that has actually gone up in value in my LF len inventory. I bought it in 1996.

I am simply stating that:

A three color layer film can not currently be as sharp at the same thickness and all other same criteria, as a single emulsion mono chromatic image, simplistic physics dictate this.

the nodal points does in theory work but in practice is hard to see. that it why APO lenses exist, they are corrected for all 3 colors so they are sharp at any aperture.

although, i dont think thats the case here, just some food for thought.

[timparkin]

Being new to LF, I have shot some 4x5 velvia and provia slides and had them professionally developed. I have rand a few through the scanner and I am quite disappointed at just how soft they seem to come out compared to BW film (eg acros or fomapan 100 developed in xtol 1:1). Is this common or am I doing something wrong? Is it potentially the development? I was expecting very sharp slides!?

Hi - it would be really useful if you could post a 100% crop of your velvia provia scans (something with fine detail) and tell us the dpi. Then we can compare it with our own scans to tell you how you are doing.

If you could include which lens you used and at what aperture, that would help also.

Tim