Ektar or Portra this winter?

George Mann

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OK, I decided to give a few developers a chance with processing and scanning my negatives.

So would you choose Ektar or Portra this winter?
 

JWMster

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Golly. Been thinking some of the same.. only that winter's emphasis on dark might complement B&W better than color. As to color, the strong contrasts, deep shadows of winter might need more dynamic range? Portra! But I'm sure that's too simplistic. Subject matter makes a difference.
 

RPC

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I prefer Portra for snow scenes. I don't need the high contrast or saturation of Ektar for snow scenes, especially in the sun.
 
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George Mann

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I don't think I am going to see much if any snow around town this year, but you never know.

I generally prefer low speed film. Is there any reason to pick 400?
 

1kgcoffee

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George, slightly warmer colours without the use of a filter. I think Portra 160 might be better for snow though.

For those who can still get it Fuji 160ns has beautiful whites and curve. Punchy greens for those spruce and pine evergreens. I think I prefer it to Portra 160.
 

BrianShaw

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I prefer 160 to 400 for pictures of human people. Just a bit more neutral and better opportunity to use larger aperture to blur out the backgrounds.
 

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Depends entirely on what you plan to shoot and how you'd like it to turn out. I couldn't begin to answer the question for that reason. It's so personal and not even really bound to a particular season either.

Why start with the material if you can work backwards from the image you intend to make?
 

warden

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George Mann said:
OK, I decided to give a few developers a chance with processing and scanning my negatives.

So would you choose Ektar or Portra this winter?
Click to expand...

Portra 160. It's an all around great film. Ektar is also excellent but more demanding in my opinion, and I've had issues with the blue sky looking unnatural. For me Ektar can look kinda' digital, and Portra looks kinda' filmy.
 

WilmarcoImaging

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With shorter days during winter, blue hour images are more conveniently achieved. For this application I would use a slower film, preferring Ektar over Portra 160 for palette and grain reasons. Both films are nice to use.
 

Rudeofus

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+1000
 
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George Mann

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I got a roll of Portra 160 this time around. The subjects I shoot include scenics, landscapes, architecture, and generally places of interest.

I don't currently have a warming filter ( unless you guys know of a way to fix a scratched B&W).
 

BrianShaw

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Tiffen 812 works well with Portra when more warm is desired.... and can be found rather affordabley.
 
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George Mann

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BrianShaw said:
Tiffen 812 works well with Portra when more warm is desired.... and can be found rather affordabley.
Click to expand...

Well, I have its equivalent if only I could buff out its defects. Besides, I plan to shoot in the middle of the day tomorrow. How bad could it be?
 

BrianShaw

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How bad are the scratches? It takes an awful lot to affect the images, especially if using a lens shade.
 
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George Mann

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I just reexamined it. A B&W KR1.5 with noticeable cleaning marks (under bright light).
 

BrianShaw

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If I’m not mistaken that is a skylight filter. Mild, but better than nothing. The 812 is more warming than that.
 
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George Mann

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So what is the chance of the image being effected by this filters cleaning marks when using a lens-hood? Should I even bother using it given the time of day I plan to shoot?
 
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koraks

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I wouldn't bother with the filter to be honest. A correction of some 3 to 4cc yellow will achieve just about the same.

The choice between the films basically boils down to whether you want more contrast and saturation (Ektar) or less of both (Portra). What you choose is up to you; like I said, it's personal. Speaking for myself, I could swing either way depending on what mood I would want to put in the images. Hence, I could not (and would not) pick one film to suit a season; such an approach simply wouldn't make sense to me.
 
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George Mann

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koraks said:
I wouldn't bother with the filter to be honest. A correction of some 3 to 4cc yellow will achieve just about the same.
Click to expand...

Do you think that using this filter would be a liability?

koraks said:
The choice between the films basically boils down to whether you want more contrast and saturation (Ektar) or less of both (Portra).
Click to expand...

I prefer a bit more from Portra, and less from Ektar.
 

koraks

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I dint think the filter will degrade image quality to any perceivable degree.

If you want more contrast and saturation from portra, print it on Kodak endura paper. If you want less contrast and saturation from Ektar, print it on Crystal Archive (Supreme). The fuji paper is more toned down than the Kodak.
 
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