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Two23
10-Apr-2017, 20:29
In a few weeks I'm going to photo some drugstore antiques in a museum--still lifes. I'm thinking of using my 4x5 with older lenses; maybe WW1 vintage Dagor/Tessar, maybe an 1850s Petzval. I'm wanting a soft, low contrast look here. I haven't used color film in nearly 15 years now, and am thinking that's what I need here. I definitely don't want a saturated color, so something like Velvia is out. I used to use Portra 160 in 120 rolls for weddings, and I'm thinking that's my best choice here. I can tone down the saturation even more after I scan the negs and use software. Any thoughts?



Kent in SD

JMO
10-Apr-2017, 22:48
If you might be willing to use an E6 slide film, Fuji's Provia could be a good choice - pretty neutral and not highly saturated like Velvia. Also, like their Acros B&W film, it needs no reciprocity adjustment out to 2 minutes shutter speed. ....

koraks
11-Apr-2017, 00:55
Kent, if you're going to digitally post process anyway, the choice of film stock is a little less significant. Ektar can be desaturated like any other film. But a film like portra will probably give results that are closer to what you're looking for out of the box. I personally would not recommend E6 film due to its limited tonal range and its tendency to blow out highlights, but it depends a lot on what kind of scenes you're planning to shoot. If the scenes fit comfortably in a 5-6 stop range, E6 can be gorgeous.

MultiFormat Shooter
11-Apr-2017, 10:04
If you might be willing to use an E6 slide film, Fuji's Provia could be a good choice - pretty neutral and not highly saturated like Velvia. Also, like their Acros B&W film, it needs no reciprocity adjustment out to 2 minutes shutter speed.

I love these two films; they're what I would recommend in large format. Do you know if Adorama still carries Acros 100 in 4x5?

ben_hutcherson
11-Apr-2017, 11:11
IMO, Provia is still quite "punchy" compared to the now long gone Astia(which was a beautiful film in the right scenario, but not something I ever shot more than a couple of rolls of).

I've never shot Provia in 4x5(or in 35mm, come to think of it) but I've burned miles of it in medium format. It's a great film, although I've mostly phased it out in favor of Velvia. With that said, Kent, PM me and I'd be happy to mail you a couple of rolls of 120 if you want to try it(you may not recognize me, but I remember you from way back on the O Gauge Railroading forum).

I'd second going with Portra 160. It's not a film I have much use for in general, but I think it would be ideal. Back when we had a couple of choices, I'd have used Portra 160NC, but plain old Portra 160 is what it is now.

chassis
13-Apr-2017, 14:10
Consider also Portra 400. It has something of a muted palette to my eye.

JMO
13-Apr-2017, 18:02
I haven't seen Acros in 4x5 from US suppliers lately, but BS Kumar on this forum will ship you some from Japan (and there are other sellers from Japan on-line). I purchased some from Kumar back in January, and it came through fine at a fair price.

ben_hutcherson
14-Apr-2017, 06:15
I haven't seen Acros in 4x5 from US suppliers lately, but BS Kumar on this forum will ship you some from Japan (and there are other sellers from Japan on-line). I purchased some from Kumar back in January, and it came through fine at a fair price.

Interesting, and thanks. I need to put together an order from him, as I want some 4x5 Velvia 50 also. I can't count on my stock of the original stuff(now about 40 sheets) to last forever. I have an in-date box of Velvia 100 that I haven't cracked open yet, although I know from MF that I don't like it as well as I do the 50 version. None the less, I did just buy 5 rolls of RVP100 in 120 to re-familiarize myself with the film before using the $4/sheet stuff.

Everything I could find was that it had been discontinued in 2010, but maybe they just stopped importing it to the US. It's not my favorite film, but definitely has its place. The times I shot it, I felt like it was a better behaved version of Kodachrome 64-I found the color palette to be similar, but without the extreme contrast of K64.

It's a shame that Fuji has axed all 220. I had planned order some 160NS also. I have a bit of a love-hate relationship with 220, as one of the attractions for me to medium format is that a roll is done after 12 exposures rather than 24 or 36(at least in my chose 6x6 format). Even so, when I want to shoot MF and I'm doing something like chasing around a bunch of kids at my mother's easter egg hunt last weekend the higher capacity is definitely advantageous(I gave up on MF for all but the posed photos and went back to 35mm). There's also the fact that for my system(Bronica SQ) 220 backs are 1/2 to 1/3 the cost of 120 backs and 220 inserts are virtually give-away items now. KEH has a bunch for $3 and under. Granted the insert is what makes a back 120 or 220, and Bronica 120 inserts(both when they were new and now used) are nearly as expensive as a complete back. My other MF system, a Bronica S2a, Bronica C, and associated accessories only requires flipping a switch to go from 120 to 220.