Best E6 Slide films

ektachrome · Aug 2, 2014

Hello

I have been lurking here for ages, and thought it might be time to start posting again.

I would like to know some peoples opinions on the best, currently produced slide films.

I personally use AgfaPhoto CT Precisa, as it renders colours nicely, and is cheap, as well as Provia 400X when I need some speed.

Thanks
Ektachrome

TareqPhoto · Aug 2, 2014

For what format you ask?
For me, Velvia 50 and Velvia 100F are my best choice of E6 slide films, then i can go with Provia or Astia, but Velvia 50 is discontinued in large format, available for medium and small formats.

Richard Man · Aug 2, 2014

Why, Ektachrome of course! Ha ha.

For 4x5 and above, we are now only down to Provia 100 and Velvia 100F.

Astia is great for neutral color rendering and Sensia (35mm) is a low cost alternative to Provia. I think the best emulsion was Provia 400X.

madgardener · Aug 2, 2014

Last I knew Sensia and Astia are both discontinued. The only available E6 is Provia 100F, and Velvia 50/100. Agfa also makes one but from what I've read, it needs to be purchased fresh, otherwise there are issues with yellowing when it's developed. My bulk roll is in the deep freezer at -2F so I'm hoping to avoid that fate.

benjiboy · Aug 2, 2014

Sadly the "best E6 slide films" these days are any you can get.

ME Super · Aug 2, 2014

Provia 100F, Velvia 50/100, and Agfa's Aviphot Chrome 200 are the ones that are still manufactured. Film Ferrania is supposed to be making a new E-6 emulsion, however they seem to have fallen behind schedule, as they were supposed to have it ready by end of March 2014. There still seems to be some movement on their end, however so they haven't given up on it.

benjiboy · Aug 2, 2014

ektachrome said:
Hello

I have been lurking here for ages, and thought it might be time to start posting again.

I would like to know some peoples opinions on the best, currently produced slide films.

I personally use AgfaPhoto CT Precisa, as it renders colours nicely, and is cheap, as well as Provia 400X when I need some speed.

Thanks
Ektachrome

Fuji Provia 400X is discontinued in the U.K.
http://www.bjp-online.com/2013/07/fujifilm-confirms-film-discontinuations/

Alan Klein · Aug 2, 2014

What you like depends on what you're shooting. I use Velvia 50 in MF for landscape pictures. Not too good for people shots because of its over-saturation.

Trail Images · Aug 2, 2014

Sadly the "best E6 slide films" these days are any you can get.

This pretty much sizes things up at this point.

I prefer Velvia 50 overall in all sizes, however, I will need to move to Provia in 4x5 eventually once my cache of it is gone.

Jeff Kubach · Aug 2, 2014

benjiboy said:
Sadly the "best E6 slide films" these days are any you can get.

I agree. At least B&W will be around for a long time.

Jeff

ektachrome · Aug 2, 2014

Thanks for all of your replies.
I was asking about mainly 35mm and 120, but any would be appreciated.

Ektachrome, of any description, was amazing film, but it was sadly discontinued.
I have at least one brick of every last-batch Ektachrome 35mm in my freezer, as well as 2 bricks of Kodachrome, and oodles of C41 and B+W, in many formats.

I mainly shoot landscapes and buildings, but sometimes people.

benjiboy; I had no idea that 400X was discontinued! Better buy a brick of that, as it is great for people shots, and low light.

Long live B&W, and thanks again
Ektachrome (The person)

ektachrome · Aug 2, 2014

benjiboy said:
Sadly the "best E6 slide films" these days are any you can get.

Agreed, sadly.

Poisson Du Jour · Aug 2, 2014

Velvia 50 remains the gold standard for printing, but photographers must know what they are doing with it from start to finish. For photographers in Australia who printed to the Ilfochrome Classic media, the two were a match made in heaven (excluding the hyper-enriched trash produced by Ken Duncan).

There is a difference how these high contrast transparency films expose, v.i.z, 35mm with its compressed size squeezing in a lot of contrast and tone compared to 120 where is is spread out, and consequently much easier to meter. This isn't to say RVP isn't hard to meter in 35mm, but it sometimes isn't easy relative to 120 of large format.

Velvia is fine for landscapes (its intended purpose) and architecture, but not people where it will render skin tones too red. For that purpose Provia 100F is a better choice, overexposed 0.3. Plenty of 400X is available as legacy stock.

I haven't seen any Afga transparency film for years — possibly a couple of decades, though I used a 50ISO version in the 1990s. Of Kodak, well, very poor quality control and inconsistency was an unfortunate blight on Kodak's E100 series transparency films, especially the VS100 version. We transparency film users have drawn the short straw heralding a future loss, but I don't know when. For now, I'm happy with the present availability of transparency film but as I will be leaving photography at the end of 2014 what happens with any film after that does not worry me much.

Dr Croubie · Aug 2, 2014

TareqPhoto said:
For what format you ask?
For me, Velvia 50 and Velvia 100F are my best choice of E6 slide films, then i can go with Provia or Astia, but Velvia 50 is discontinued in large format, available for medium and small formats.

I think you mistyped there. It's Astia that's discontinued (in every format), Velvia 50 and 100 and Provia 100F are all that's left, all in 135, 130, and 4x5. Plus some Agfa/Rollei something, otherwise it's whatever else is left on shelves and in freezers until Ferrania get going.

Poisson Du Jour said:
I haven't seen any Afga transparency film for years possibly a couple of decades, though I used a 50ISO version in the 1990s.
For now, I'm happy with the present availability of transparency film but as I will be leaving photography at the end of 2014 what happens with any film after that does not worry me much.

The youngest Agfa I've got is some RSX100 9x12s that expired in 2006 and some 120s from 2003, not sure when they stopped making it but it was at least around then.
Meanwhile, what? Quitting altogether? I hope I didn't just read that...

RattyMouse · Aug 2, 2014

Poisson Du Jour said:
For now, I'm happy with the present availability of transparency film but as I will be leaving photography at the end of 2014 what happens with any film after that does not worry me much.

3500 posts and it all ends in 5 months? What's the occasion?

lxdude · Aug 3, 2014

Yeah Poisson, sounds fishy...

benjiboy · Aug 3, 2014

ektachrome said:
Thanks for all of your replies.
I was asking about mainly 35mm and 120, but any would be appreciated.

Ektachrome, of any description, was amazing film, but it was sadly discontinued.
I have at least one brick of every last-batch Ektachrome 35mm in my freezer, as well as 2 bricks of Kodachrome, and oodles of C41 and B+W, in many formats.

I mainly shoot landscapes and buildings, but sometimes people.

benjiboy; I had no idea that 400X was discontinued! Better buy a brick of that, as it is great for people shots, and low light.

Long live B&W, and thanks again
Ektachrome (The person) [/QUOTE

A "brick" is going to cost a lot of money http://www.amazon.co.uk/Fuji-Provia...d=1407078071&sr=8-1&keywords=fuji+provia+400x I paid £14 a roll for the last 10 rolls of 135 400x I bought

RattyMouse · Aug 3, 2014

I paid about $42 for 5 rolls of Provia 400X yesterday.

Dr Croubie · Aug 3, 2014

RattyMouse said:
I paid about $42 for 5 rolls of Provia 400X yesterday.

Bargain, that's what 1 roll costs here with the Australia Tax (tm) included.

damonff · Aug 3, 2014

Velvia RVP

RattyMouse · Aug 3, 2014

Dr Croubie said:
Bargain, that's what 1 roll costs here with the Australia Tax (tm) included.

Good god! :eek:

Dr Croubie · Aug 3, 2014

RattyMouse said:
Good god! :eek:

Sadly true!

Of course, you don't have to shop at Vanbar, but that's what most bricks'n'mortar cost around here. Another shop I talked to said the Fuji distributor started charging him $25 a roll, so he just ordered from OS, buys for $10 and sells for $17.

Ilford films are an exception, my local shop has 25x 8x10 FP4 for $109, including the exchange rate and ignoring postage that's still cheaper than B+H.

Nuff · Aug 3, 2014

Hmmm... those prices make me want to sell my 20 rolls of 400X in my freezer, but I think I will hold on to it for a while.

For 35mm I have to say, I was surprised with Agfa Precisa CT 100, most people say that it's relabelled Provia 100f, but it's only for sale in 35mm.
It's been more than 10 years since I used Provia, but I think I will order more of it. I really like the contrast and the colour saturation is just right. Bit cold for my liking, but nothing that a warming filter can't fix.

Velvia is really hard to shoot, even with spot meter I found it to be hit and miss and I like E100VS better. But good luck getting some, I still have E100VS and E100G in my freezer, but now with Provia 100f + warming filter, my stock of ektachrome should last longer.

NJH · Aug 4, 2014

So how close is the Agfa stuff to Velvia 100f for those that have shot both? I can buy the Agfa here for 1/2 the price of the Fuji packaged films so if its even only 90% as good I will be shooting it.

AgX · Aug 4, 2014

"AgfaPhoto", not Agfa

Best E6 Slide films

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