Crazy...the local Wal Mart said they're expecting to keep developing for at least 5 more years...and they do a good job at developing (suck at scanning, though...I really have to get my own scanner).
Not sure about Van shops, I'm in Nanaimo, and it's a rather time-consuming and expensive trip to Vancouver I'm hoping that I might find something in Victoria...
Crazy, indeed. You'd know best if you have anything resembling a pro camera shop nearby but if so, they should have Ektar along with other Kodak and Fuji pro films. With the disappearance of Kodak.ca, prices have trended up and supply has become somewhat spotty. There are some recent threads on mail order Canadian film suppliers.
I've had good results with Kodak Ektar 100 by setting the ASA dial of my AE-1P to 64 or 80. I like the fine grain, contrast and vivid color punch of Ektar. Suggest you try a roll experimenting with various ASA settings if you have time.
Fuji Superia 200 is one of my favorite "cheap" films. Much nicer than anything Kodak makes IMHO...well, general purpose, consumer films that is. Ektar 100 is really in a league of its own! The best thing about Superia is you can pick it up at the local WalMart.
I wholeheartedly agree with you! As of now, this is my only film I use. Everything from Kodak I've used does not compare.....not even Kodachrome! I'm a nature photographer, so color saturation combined with nice contrasts is important to me. Also, when scanned it is very versatile in Photoshop.
Sadly, I don't really have time I'm doing schoolwork as much as my brain will allow and simply don't have time to go shooting...I'll take along the 5 rolls of Superia I got today and hope I can pick up some Ektar along the way
That's OK. You will get great results from well-handled consumer films.
I think I definitely like Ekta for some things, but I personally would not use it for a general-purpose film unless it was the only choice I had. Let me put it this way: It is not a film I would have in my fridge as a go-to emulsion. I would go to the store and buy only as much as I needed when I wanted to use it for something specific. It is very "stylized," as one way of putting it.
I shoot superia 200 all the time. never had a bad experience. always pleased with the result. Tried pro160c. Couldn't honestly tell the difference between that and superia. Tried a roll of ektar recently, which was interesting. Some shots had really *good* colour, to the extent I understand why it is a great film ,but others were *bad* - magenta cast, which I understand is underexposure. bear in mind I was using OM2 on auto, and I think its fair to say if you use Ektar, shoot it at 80 or even 64, or set the exposure compensation up a bit. Superia sure takes some beating as a general purpose forgiving film. check out the colour shots in my gallery.
Thanks so much! For my trip I'll be packing a handful of rolls of Superia and if I find some Ektar along the way I'll give it a shot, if not, then it sounds like I'll still be more than happy