Ektar 100 v. Ektachrome 100VS in 120

[Michel Hardy-Vallée]

I made an informal comparison between these two films, given that Ektar is poised as a replacement for slide films.

The pictures were taken with my Mamiya C330, 105mm f/3.5 DS lens in Gaspésie. The sun was starting to set, so the light was a bit warm. I might have used a Skylight filter, but I'm not sure.

Both photos are lab scans, and I slightly adjusted the curves to remove a colour cast on the Ektachrome.

Here's the Ektachrome E100VS:

And here's the Ektar 100:

Here is a 100% detail from the Ektachrome:

And one from the Ektar:

Overall, I can't say that the Ektar is a straight replacement for E100VS, but it has significant advantages in terms of grain, resistance to colour casts, contrast, and printability. On the other hand, E100VS has a much more painterly look, and has a well-defined palette.

 

[Chazzy]

I think that the decision to use Ektar 100 will depend primarily on how one feels about the saturated reds and blues. The images here don't give us much opportunity to evaluate whether the colors are more realistic in one or the other.

 

[Uncle Bill]

Michel,

Thanks for the comparison. I have a roll of Ektar 100 in at the lab right now, I can't wait to see the results.

 

[tim elder]

Thank you, Michel.

I don't shoot slide film anymore, but it's interesting to see this comparison and I appreciate you taking the time to post your results.

 

[Ektagraphic]

They both look pretty nice. I am more of a transparency guy so I personally would stick with Ektachrome.

 

[PhotoJim]

I still project sometimes, so Ektar won't be an option. Unquestionably, though, it's a gorgeous print film.

 

[Michel Hardy-Vallée]

Yes, Ektar is a very, very nice C41 film. It's grainless, which I usually consider an advantage for colour, super sharp, nicely saturated (I would be glad to post other examples if someone wanted to see more primary colours), much cheaper than E6 (in Canada, at any rate), easily printable the analog way (I'm too cheap to invest in Ilfochrome), and can render decent skin tones if needed.

In the Kodak line, Portra remains the king of detail and accuracy; Ektar is for expressive, more intense shots. I think it's the C41 film that many of us were waiting for. It's perfect for both enthusiasts and pros, is a great way to make high-impact pictures that don't look garish.

I haven't tried Ektar for portraits, but given that E100VS does a very nice job of giving decent, if not pitch-perfect skin tones, I'm not afraid that Ektar will handle skin well.