The Realm of Transparency...

[ellwilson]

Hello,

I have been a strong user of Colour Neg film for the past 2 years, the reasoning behind this motif is I had free C-41 processing at my University which was great. Now that I have left University I wish to experiment with Trani... Could anyone give me some advice on film and film speed to use? I like films that produce bright, strong, vibrant colours? Also I shoot a lot of my work in indoor spaces. Though I am considering starting to shoot outdoors.

Any ideas on some really good films??

Thanks.

[Bruce Watson]

I haven't used any tranny film in the last six or seven years. With color negative films being so good, there's no need. What I loose is the instant gratification on the light table. What I gain is the considerably better dynamic range and the ability to capture high subject brightness ranges (SBR). Not so important with interiors maybe, but with landscape it means I'm not limited to heavy overcast or the golden hours.

To answer your question, the Kodak and Fuji offerings in just about any film category including tranny film are hard to fault. It's just hard to go wrong. Modern color and B&W films are amazing and impose few limits to what we can do photographically.

[Walter Calahan]

I've use a lot of Fujichrome LF film. Great film but usually requires rating the ISOs a 1/3 stop open. Could be simply my light meter. You'll have to test your meter against whatever film you use.

Remember to exposure for the highlights, not the shadow that we do with negative film.

Here's a gallery of LF work (with one medium format image) all shot on Fuji's Provia F100: http://www.walterpcalahan.com/Cheers...gton_DC.html#0

Good luck and have fun.

[ljsegil]

Just to offer a less expert opinion, I too have been very pleased with the color rendition I get from Provia 100F and find it less garish, and capable of greater detail (in my dubious hands), than Velvia 100F (5x7 format). I very much prefer Velvia 50 over the Velvia 100 emulsions for the formats for which it is available. However, I like the color palette, at least through the blues, of Kodak E100VS (unfortunately now only available in 4x5) over any of the Velvia films. I have not gotten good results, for reasons unclear to me, from Kodak E100G; the shadows tend to block up and produce false color where there ought be none. Astia 100F is lovely if you can get it for your camera format, IMHO probably the best and most accurate all around of the transparency films. Experimenting is fun, but expensive, especially if you are shooting bigger than 4x5.
Enjoy,
LJS

[Gordon Moat]

I tend to use quite a bit of Kodak E100VS, which is super saturated colour transparency film. My other main 4x5 film of choice is Fuji Astia 100F, nearly the opposite end of things to E100VS.

I tend to not like Provia at all, and barely tolerate Velvia, but those are personal preferences of mine. I wish Kodak E200 was available in 4x5, though I make do with using 120 size in a rollfilm back on my 4x5.

Ciao!

Gordon Moat Photography

[Clay Turtle]

I've use a lot of Fujichrome LF film. Great film but usually requires rating the ISOs a 1/3 stop open. Could be simply my light meter. You'll have to test your meter against whatever film you use.

Remember to exposure for the highlights, not the shadow that we do with negative film.

Here's a gallery of LF work (with one medium format image) all shot on Fuji's Provia F100: http://www.walterpcalahan.com/Cheers...gton_DC.html#0

Good luck and have fun.

May be yours or mine but I shot a lot of Fuji chrome from time to time including close ups which require bellows factor, they seem to be consistently good at rated film speed?

[al olson]

Those are great pinhole photographs, Walter. Are you using 4x5 or 8x10? It looks like 8x10 to my eye.