Explain slide film to newbie

MattKing

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No fair adding more questions later!

On the issue of bulbs, I believe the manual for your projector recommends more than one option. That is because some of the options have higher output, but may not last as long, or may be more expensive.

By the way, when it comes to replacement bulbs, prices can vary wildly.
 

Hatchetman

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Bulbs are surely available. You'll have to do some digging. There are several specialty bulb sellers on the internet. I got a few for my Leitz projector for a few bucks each.
 

Roger Cole

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Ilfochrome was not at all difficult for images that were flat enough not to need masking. All didn't, some did. Results were great. But alas it's discontinued though there may be some still offering prints on it. This place was recommended at least once on here. The web site is there and no information that prints are not available so they may have laid in enough to last a bit. Ilfochrome was originally called Cibachrome:

http://www.lab-ciba.com/index.html

The alternative back when Ilfochrome reigned were "tyep R" (for "reversal") prints on papers made by both Kodak and Fuji. Results were fine - I printed a fair amount of this - on a par with RA4 in my experience IF the slide was really good, but alas long since discontinued and no longer available.

Today the alternatives for printing are: 1) a lab that still has some Ilfochrome and will make prints for you. Check out the link above and ask them, if the prices don't scare you off. 2) Make or have made an internegative then print on RA4 type paper. Said not to be all that hard for those already into darkroom work but you'd be left with having someone else do it. I don't know if there are commercial labs making internegatives for a fee anymore or not. I'd like to know myself. I'd find that very useful. and 3) scan and print either digitally or via something like a Lightjet which exposes (negative RA4 type) paper via lasers controlled by a digital file. Results should look quite good. Many labs offer these services. But don't expect any of these to equal the impact of the projected slide.

You can definitely find bulbs but as they said, may have to shop around and prices can vary widely. You might want to lay in a stock of several. In fact I've been meaning to do this for my projector.
 

polyglot

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I think recommending Ilfochrome (expensive when available, discontinued now) to a slide-newbie who certainly has no darkroom is pretty cruel. Especially if they actually see an Ilfochrome and get all sad about it not really being available, though there are a few labs still that will do you a print, probably for a couple hundred dollars. A bit of searching on the forums will show up who's still doing it, e.g. Lighthouse, but it will probably be gone by the end of 2013 considering they've just finished taking orders for The Final Batch Of Ilfochrome Paper Ever. Grumble, I would have loved to use it.

Though this is APUG and we officially don't like it, hybrid (scanning) is pretty much the only reasonable answer for printing chromes these days. Any pro lab will do you a scan for $2 to $100 depending on size/quality and a print from that for a similar price.
 

Roger Cole

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Just to be clear, I'm not recommending it. It was brought up as one of the best ways, until very recently, to get a slide printed. I just explained what it was and where it could probably still be had if you're willing to pay for it. I think the best way for someone without a darkroom is to just have scans made and output via Lightjet. In fact I think that's the best way for someone WITH a darkroom, at least if they want a print now as opposed to learning to make internegatives.

There is a longish thread on here about reversal printing with RA4, which can be done but is apparently both tricky and only suited to some images. So I agree - scanning for either ink jet or light jet output is the most reasonable method. Lightjet prints in particular can look very, very good. (Ok, so can ink jet, but lightjet is at least partly conventional!)
 

Bill Burk

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Several years ago I was working as a form designer downtown SF and the company moved into a new office space. The design team decided to pitch in on a few large prints from my slides. (Sounds glamorous but we were "form designers"). The selection process was humbling because I brought in my best and my friend flipped through page after page too quickly, I had to make trips before I think eventually we looked through every slide I ever took until three were selected.

Pages, by the way, are the best way to store and find slides.

Then I took them to a lab on Turk, picked out the services we wanted and ordered the prints. They were beautiful, obviously well printed great work.

In the bag with my original slides were the internegatives... on 4x5 film!
 

Alan Klein

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The most important question your should ask about slide shows is: How do I keep my guests from leaving before or during the show or never coming in the first place?

Here are some recommendations:
1.Don't tell them you're going to show them your slides when you invite them over.
2. Set up the projector before they come and hide it under a blanket. Don't let them peak under the blanket until you surprise them while they're finishing their mashed potatoes and start the show.
3. Don't serve dessert until after the show.
4. Keep the show under 5 minutes or your guests will feign illness and go home, skipping the dessert.

Finally, you should keep in mind that you can only do this once because they will never visit you again.
 
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yohimbe2

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I got a good hard laugh out of this....Very funny
 

MattKing

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Somehow I think that Alan's experience with slide shows in the past wasn't positive.

The best slide show I ever saw? It was put on by a Canadian. You may have heard of him - Yousuf Karsh
 

choppastyle

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I just laughed for about five minutes.
 
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yohimbe2

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damonff said:
L'Imagerie in Bethesda does E6. They are great and the turn around is very quick.
Click to expand...


Bethesda is too far into traffic hell. Thanks for the tip though. Do you know of any reason I shouldnt use Dodge-Chrome in Mclean?
 

choppastyle

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135 and 120 Velvia 50, 100, and 100F are still good. It's just large format sheet film that's discontinued.
 

RPC

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yohimbe2

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RPC said:
How ironic--the reason it is happening is because you and too many others decided to shoot digital instead of film to begin with.
Click to expand...

Yeah, thats it. Why shoot for basically free (digital) when you can pay to buy and process film.

I thought I was being open minded coming BACK to film. ( I am open minded) Do You want to learn what thats all about? Open your mind and come forward to digital. Its all good.
 

RPC

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Free? I am aware of many photographers who have $1000-2000 high-end digital cameras that give nothing but Photoshop ($600) headaches that will eventually require expensive repairs or become obsolete and for highest quality must be processed by an expensive lab. I spent $150 on an old Mamiya C22 120 camera with a good 80mm lens from ebay and comparable enlarger that gives me consistantly good pics I develop and print myself at reasonable cost with full control and high quality. That's why I use film. Come forward to film.
 
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Bill Burk

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yohimbe2,

I used to primarily alternate between 35mm slides & black and white. For example on a backpack trip I'd shoot a couple rolls of slides, switch to black & white for a day, shoot a couple more rolls of slides, etc. In the winter, I'd make slide shows like I described, and spend time in the darkroom making prints.


Colin Sorting Slides - Digital Photograph, 1999

You got a taste for slides and I am sure seeing the film projected on the wall did "something" for you. I doubt you felt like "is that all there is?"

Whenever I felt it cost a lot, (like if I was unemployed), I'd switch to black and white because I could do everything myself. Color slides were cheaper than prints, and I always made sure I had a few "mailers" on hand in case I couldn't scratch up the change for processing. I think everybody shot lots of black and white back in the old days because it was something you could do "on the cheap".
 

Poisson Du Jour

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The cut and thrust of APUG is discourse relating to analogue (film) methodology, not digital. If you want to discuss digital, the sister site DPUG is the forum to do it.
 

Roger Cole

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choppastyle said:
135 and 120 Velvia 50, 100, and 100F are still good. It's just large format sheet film that's discontinued.
Click to expand...

And that only in the 50 and 100F. The 100 continues in sheets, which would be my choice anyway for Velvia, if I wanted to shoot that. What I want to shoot in 4x5 E6 is Astia or E100G, both discontinued, but both somewhat available, Astia much more readily and much less expensively than E100G (odd, considering it was discontinued longer back.)
 

Diapositivo

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In 1980 when I begun photography with an SLR there was probably less real choice of slide film than there is today, and there was no digital. The real choice was limited by circumstances as, in fact, one would buy what the shop offered, most shops didn't carry slide film at all, those who did had a couple choices. There was no digital, there was no internet shopping, and I don't remember anybody complain. Film was also more expensive as compared to today.

Film is cheap and is very cheap if you develop yourself.
 
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