Heart Breaking..... (Fuji Astia)

RattyMouse · Mar 28, 2014

For some time I have in the freezer 5 rolls of Astia film, saving the for who knows what. Finally last weekend I decided to shoot one of these rolls. I took my GF670 and my two kids out to the park and in the glorious light of a fading sun, shot their portrait 8 times.

Today I got the results back from the lab and in a word: breathtaking. What a spectacularly beautiful film. Color that simply defies description. I could shoot this film night and day for a decade and not tire of it.

It simply is a crime, a veritable crime that film like this is no longer with us. I almost wish I were a digital shooter, to not have to suffer this injustice.

4 rolls left.....how to use them..................

Examples to appear in this thread later, after they are uploaded to a host.

Dr Croubie · Mar 28, 2014

I got a pack of 20 Astia Quickloads (expired, but allegedly freezer-stored by previous owner) last year (for only $8 plus $42 postage).
My missus turned 30 last year, so we went to a winery for an afternoon.
She actually said to everyone "I want a nice memory of a nice afternoon with my two grandmas while I've still got them, anyone else in the family can come if they want".

Mid afternoon, I set up the Toyo and tried to herd 20ish people for a few photos (props to anyone who was a 4x5 wedding photog, herding drunk people while you focus is an art in itself).
I mangled some shots on APX with my Mod54 (first time i'd used it, was too violent and scratched them).
Some others on Portra were ok, one of me I was blinking.

But the Astia shot of the missus with her grandmas was absolutely stunning. Scanned and inkjetted to an 8x10 for her xmas present, it's now on display in our living room. Maybe I'll make a bigger one out of it, the detail is amazing, and the colours didn't need any digital tweaking. Too bad there's no way to wet-print these without internegs.

Sigh.
Now I'm in the same dilemma as you.
What to do with the remaining 18 frames?

(there's a guy on fleabay keeps trying to sell 20 sheets of Astia quickloads for $140. One day I'll stare at that shot enough, snap, and pay that much for them).

NedL · Mar 28, 2014

I'm all B/W now but if astia was available that would push me back to color.

Slixtiesix · Mar 28, 2014

Same here. Astia was by far my favorite slide film. Second is Provia 400X. The colour accuracy, sharpness and fine grain were unmatched. This film was also the easiest to scan from all I have tried. This was the best slide film for portraiture and general photography, plus it was comparably cheap. I find Provia 400X almost as nice regarding the colours but it is expensive and has more grain. Velvia is nice for flowers and some kind of landscape, but I don´t think it´s an everyday film. I should have stocked some Astia when they discontinued it. Now the prices on Ebay are ridiculous. Only two rolls left now...

BMbikerider · Mar 28, 2014

RattyMouse said:
For some time I have in the freezer 5 rolls of Astia film, saving the for who knows what. Finally last weekend I decided to shoot one of these rolls. I took my GF670 and my two kids out to the park and in the glorious light of a fading sun, shot their portrait 8 times.

Today I got the results back from the lab and in a word: breathtaking. What a spectacularly beautiful film. Color that simply defies description. I could shoot this film night and day for a decade and not tire of it.

It simply is a crime, a veritable crime that film like this is no longer with us. I almost wish I were a digital shooter, to not have to suffer this injustice.

4 rolls left.....how to use them..........................VERY CAREFULLY

Richard S. (rich815) · Mar 28, 2014

NedL said:
I'm all B/W now but if astia was available that would push me back to color.

Yup

Athiril · Mar 28, 2014

I got 1 roll left. Though I'm thinking a first dev modification of slightly lower contrast warmer balance might be worth looking into.

There's still a lot of 400X and E100G available in China.

dorff · Mar 28, 2014

Athiril said:
I got 1 roll left. Though I'm thinking a first dev modification of slightly lower contrast warmer balance might be worth looking into.

There's still a lot of 400X and E100G available in China.

How do you get hold of it from the other side of the globe, though?

gone · Mar 28, 2014

If you were a digital shooter your shots wouldn't have looked like that, so no worries :]

That reminds me, I really miss Agfa Ultra film. I think that was what it was called. A little grainy, but those colors! I discovered it about the time they went out of business. Bad timing, but I have some incredible shots from that film. People always ask what I did to get that color, I tell them I didn't do anything, it just came out that way.

RattyMouse · Mar 28, 2014

As promised, some samples from the Astia film. Shot with my Fujifilm GF670 in Century Park, Shanghai.

RattyMouse · Mar 28, 2014

One more....

Athiril · Mar 28, 2014

dorff said:
How do you get hold of it from the other side of the globe, though?

I use an agent to buy stuff, check it, they take their commission, and post it to me via EMS.

You can do the same with Japan, and get stuff from Yodobashi, Bic and others that only sell nationally within Japan.

Last shipment arrived last week:

RattyMouse · Mar 28, 2014

Wouldnt film shipped from Japan get seriously X-Ray'ed by the airline?

Athiril · Mar 28, 2014

I haven't tried getting any from Japan yet.

The above lot came from China by EMS, it's the second lot, I've tested a roll from each lot, and there's no Xray damage. The same as group orders from B&H U.S. we get from time to time.. never had an issue. Not sure why Japan would be different to any other country I've gotten film from? (which is a fair few).

mweintraub · Mar 28, 2014

I shot what I thought was my last roll of 120. Then, I found another. WOOT.

darkroom_rookie · Mar 29, 2014

What's the main difference between Astia 100 and 100F? I developed a lot of 4x5 sheets in a Jobo drum and FujiHunt Chrome6X kit and Astia 100 was curved, whereas 100F flattened instantly. Basically, Astia 100 sheets retained the semi-circular shape of the Jobo 3010 drum. All expired film, but otherwise no colour cast or any other defects. Anyone else experience this with Astia 100 sheet film?

craygc · Mar 29, 2014

Just to add a bit more to the overall general sadness...

pentaxuser · Mar 29, 2014

RattyMouse said:
One more....

These are all great shots but I suppose we'd need to see, say, prints of the same scene from Portra or maybe Ektar to see if there is a definable or even indefinable difference

pentaxuser

Sirius Glass · Mar 29, 2014

I am very careful with my uses of the Kodak Ultra Color 35mm film, Kodak Vivid Color 160 4"x5" film stashes in my freezer for the same reasons.

Zathras · Mar 29, 2014

craygc said:
Just to add a bit more to the overall general sadness...

View attachment 85266

I really like this. Where is it?

mhcfires · Mar 29, 2014

Dr Croubie said:
I got a pack of 20 Astia Quickloads (expired, but allegedly freezer-stored by previous owner) last year (for only $8 plus $42 postage).
My missus turned 30 last year, so we went to a winery for an afternoon.
She actually said to everyone "I want a nice memory of a nice afternoon with my two grandmas while I've still got them, anyone else in the family can come if they want".

Mid afternoon, I set up the Toyo and tried to herd 20ish people for a few photos (props to anyone who was a 4x5 wedding photog, herding drunk people while you focus is an art in itself).
I mangled some shots on APX with my Mod54 (first time i'd used it, was too violent and scratched them).
Some others on Portra were ok, one of me I was blinking.

But the Astia shot of the missus with her grandmas was absolutely stunning. Scanned and inkjetted to an 8x10 for her xmas present, it's now on display in our living room. Maybe I'll make a bigger one out of it, the detail is amazing, and the colours didn't need any digital tweaking. Too bad there's no way to wet-print these without internegs.

Sigh.
Now I'm in the same dilemma as you.
What to do with the remaining 18 frames?

(there's a guy on fleabay keeps trying to sell 20 sheets of Astia quickloads for $140. One day I'll stare at that shot enough, snap, and pay that much for them).

Hah! I have a box of Velvia50 QL in the fridge. I'm considering parting with it, but I don't have the chutzpah to screw someone for it. I'm thinking seriously about selling it, have made a few little squeaks, but nothing solid. I also have three boxes of Ektachrome E100VS Readyloads, but I'll use those, so I'm not is such a hurry to part with them. I'm sure you will find something fitting to do with those eighteen shots.

m

StoneNYC · Mar 29, 2014

RattyMouse said:
One more....

This is my favorite!

StoneNYC · Mar 29, 2014

craygc said:
Just to add a bit more to the overall general sadness...

View attachment 85266

Holy crap!!!!!

LF? Were movements involved?

craygc · Mar 29, 2014

StoneNYC said:
Holy crap!!!!!

LF? Were movements involved?

This is 5.30am East Java in Indonesia and is typically referred to as Bromo. The area is the Tengger Caldera with the front central volcano being Batok, the broken one off to the left smoking is Bromo and the large one in the distance is Semeru (highest point in Indonesia). This was shot with a Mamiya 7II and the 65mm

StoneNYC · Mar 29, 2014

craygc said:
This is 5.30am East Java in Indonesia and is typically referred to as Bromo. The area is the Tengger Caldera with the front central volcano being Batok, the broken one off to the left smoking is Bromo and the large one in the distance is Semeru (highest point in Indonesia). This was shot with a Mamiya 7II and the 65mm

Ahh! I knew I recognized that signature sharpness!

Thanks, and again, what a gorgeous shot!

Heart Breaking..... (Fuji Astia)

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