Kodak Ektar 100

[Gordon Moat]

http://www.kodak.com/global/en/profe...tarIndex.jhtml

Just announced in 4x5 and 8x10 sizes.

Shame I currently only use E-6 films, though I might try some of this.

Ciao!

Gordon Moat Photography

[ImSoNegative]

i read that today, awsome news, i use it in 120 often, its a great film with very good latitude, cant wait to try it in 4x5. wonder how much it will cost?

[Gordon Moat]

I rarely have used C-41 films, and one issue for me is that my main lab does not do C-41 in 4x5 sizes (only 35mm and rollfilm). I would like to try it, since it might be more available than some E-6 in the future, though I don't see it as a good replacement for E100VS.

[MikeH]

Any thoughts that 4x5, and film, are "dead" or "dying" should be gone with this announcement... obviously someone is placing some $$ into developing new film.

Also, I was in Walgreen's today and they were advertising film processing in the paper as a special. These specials are usually set to drive specific traffic into the store, so there must be some market out there for 35mm...

[Sean Galbraith]

Ektar 100 in 4x5 makes me very, very happy.

[Cornelius]

Too bad Walgreen's won't develop this.

[Thalmees]

Thanks Gordon Moat.
You make my day.
As every one knows EKTAR, I’ll try it, could not resist.
Wondering how photography can continue without the triad: Ektar100, Velvia50 & TMX100 ?

[Ivan J. Eberle]

Gordon, get with the program! Grain this small on print film will be the death knell for E6. It doesn't grain-alias with desktop CCD scanners as does Portra-- which is significant for the smaller formats with higher levels of enlargement.

You might not need Ektar in LF for the other fine grained films that exist, but the strategy could be "One Film to Rule Them All," perhaps?

Note that the re-introduction of Ektar film was pretty much concurrent with the demise of Kodachrome. Ektar 25 was heralded as Kodachrome's replacement back in the 1990 time frame. Have to say from the dozen or so rolls I've shot of it in 120, Ektar 100 has a really nice Kodak-y pallete.

I've also been hedging my bet with Pro 160S, which is pretty sweet stuff itself. Hybrid workflow means saturation isn't as critical as dynamic range and lattitude.

Contemplating whether to even bother with buying a new set of GNDs and whether center-filters are going to be necessary going forward.

Brave new world, after shooting transparency film for the last 33 years.

[MikeH]

I have a question. 4x5 Landscape photography is a hobby for me, so I don't have the experience that many of you have. I shoot 4 sheets of E-6, 2 normal, and 1 each 1/2 stop over/under, then develop one at a time to get the density where I want it.

Ektar sounds like something I'd really like to try, but how does one get the exposure where you want it? Do I have a contact sheet made each time? I know C41 is more forgiving, and I've heard it does NOT react kindly to pushing (is this correct?).

I only shoot about 100 sheets per year, or 25 shots. I use a light meter and polarizer, and I'm usually within 1/2 stop, but every once in a while (usually when I haven't shot for a while) I need to push 1 1/2 or 2...

Any comments would be greatly appreciated, including referrals to existing threads. I'm drawing a blank when I search, but maybe I don't have the correct search terms...

Thanks!

Mike H

[Gordon Moat]

Gordon, get with the program! Grain this small on print film will be the death knell for E6. It doesn't grain-alias with desktop CCD scanners as does Portra-- which is significant for the smaller formats with higher levels of enlargement.

You might not need Ektar in LF for the other fine grained films that exist, but the strategy could be "One Film to Rule Them All," perhaps?

A big maybe on that. First issue for me is a lab in San Diego or Houston that will do 4x5 C-41 processing. I can get E-6 done as fast as 3 hours in San Diego, or at the very most one business day.

My current 4x5 film choices are Kodak E100VS and Fuji Astia 100F. While I have tried out several other films, these are the only two I use. Would I miss that saturation from E100VS? Would I miss the subtle rendering of Astia 100F? Could Ektar 100 be tricked into emulating either?

I did try Ektar 100 in 35mm size when it came out. The results I found were slightly better than Porta 160NC, and not as saturated as Portra 160VC. However, it seems to me that Ektar 100 is more of a skin tones biased film. Some subject matter benefits from more saturation (like with E100VS), while other subjects are better conveyed with subtle tones (Astia 100F).

Ciao!

Gordon Moat Photography