Is anyone else unhappy with today's films?

[Les Sarile]

I see today's color films as being like a bad acid trip at an over-the-top amusement park.

Portra = the film version of a Canon digital camera.

Canon digital - or any other for that matter, cannot even come close to the latitude of Kodak Portra 400.

Now try a real-world, hi contrast scene with the proper highlights!

With all that latitude, you can recover dark and bright areas in a single frame of exposure - with a lot of room to spare.

BTW, this applies to all color negatives.

I'm not playing your games. You like Portra, I don't. Simple as that.

Color negatives go through a lot of interpretation along the way and on top of that our brains also interpret colors differently. It's our money and time and we spend it as we see fit.

 

[Patrick Robert James]

once in a while i think about $6 shipping across the country for 10 100 sheet boxes of "made in england" 11x14 FB paper ...
and 24$ 100 sheet boxes of iso 400/125 "made in england" b/w film ... it bums me out so much that ...

I have a box of 8x10 Arista rebranded Forte VC paper, which was one of the best papers ever, that I bought around 10-12 years ago but can't bring myself to use. The price sticker on it- $42!

 

[Wayne]

that's what i was getting at in a round-about sort of way.
some of the images there, while lovely, are so overly PS'd
that they look like fauvist photography

Haha I wondered but it was a bit too roundabout to be sure. I'll just say it: The color photographers posting and participating at Large Format Photography Forum are almost all working in digital post-processing. Other than Drew I can't even think of another one off the top of my head that is printing RA-4. I'm sure there are a small number but that's how rare they are.

 

[Ko.Fe.]

Color is cheaper to print than B&W and not hard to learn

Lets see...
I have to find chemicals somewhere. BW chemicals are sold locally, color is not, maybe Argentix.ca, if not, BH might not send it here anymore. Color paper? Not sold locally at all. Just some old one which was stored in garage.

Maybe it is cheaper and not hard to deal with in USA. But ordering something from USA rather than BH doesn't make it cheap at all here. It makes it expensive.

 

[RalphLambrecht]

I currently shoot Delta 100 and Acros in MF and Foma 100, Delta 100, and Tri-X in LF, and I'm very happy with all. For 35mm, I have a boatload of EFKE 25 in cold storage. Not a current film, but I do so enjoy it.

That means, you won't need to order for awhile. But will it be around when you want it again or will the lack of orders until then signal to the manufacturer a dropping interest?

 

[George Mann]

What many of you don't understand is that I care a lot less about the technical achievements of a particular film than I do about the image that it renders. It goes far beyond any single criteria, such as color rendering.

Everyone see's things a bit differently, so all opinions are valid.

 

[Alan9940]

That means, you won't need to order for awhile. But will it be around when you want it again or will the lack of orders until then signal to the manufacturer a dropping interest?

As for EFKE 25, no chance of the manufacturer receiving any "signals." This film was discontinued quite some time ago. That's why I bought all that I thought I'd ever use and stuck it in cold storage.

 

[Sirius Glass]

As for EFKE 25, no chance of the manufacturer receiving any "signals." This film was discontinued quite some time ago. That's why I bought all that I thought I'd ever use and stuck it in cold storage.

Good! Keep it from the hoarders!

 

[Alan9940]

What many of you don't understand is that I care a lot less about the technical achievements of a particular film than I do about the image that it renders. It goes far beyond any single criteria, such as color rendering.

Everyone see's things a bit differently, so all opinions are valid.

I, too, care less about pure technical capability of any given film stock. I'm always more interested in tonal rendition and how the built-in curve characteristics of a particular film respond to light. You asked if anyone else is unhappy with today's films...I'm very happy with those films I listed.

 

[warden]

They took away our Kodachrome, our Astia, and even our original Velvia, not to mention our Pan-X!

I really cannot say that I am happy with today's selection of films.

I'm quite happy. No problems.

 

[George Mann]

Modern = soulless technical perfection, with predictably cold, clinical results!

 

[BrianShaw]

Modern = soulless technical perfection, with predictably cold, clinical results!

Yawn

 

[Wayne]

Lets see...
I have to find chemicals somewhere. BW chemicals are sold locally, color is not, maybe Argentix.ca, if not, BH might not send it here anymore. Color paper? Not sold locally at all. Just some old one which was stored in garage.

Maybe it is cheaper and not hard to deal with in USA. But ordering something from USA rather than BH doesn't make it cheap at all here. It makes it expensive.

Yes my comment was based on USA. But can't you find anything in Toronto even?

 

[removed account4]

Yawn

Yup ! +1

 

[Ko.Fe.]

Yes my comment was based on USA. But can't you find anything in Toronto even?

I'm in the Greater Toronto Area. No. Just some old expired color paper and color heads enlargers. This is it.

 

[Ai Print]

They took away our Kodachrome, our Astia, and even our original Velvia, not to mention our Pan-X!

I really cannot say that I am happy with today's selection of films.

And what we are left with any masterful photographer could create outstanding images with. I think what we have now is among the best I have used in my entire career.

 

[George Mann]

And what we are left with any masterful photographer could create outstanding images with. I think what we have now is among the best I have used in my entire career.

But are you really happy?

 

[Ai Print]

But are you really happy?

Very, I do well with all that I shoot, never let the tool or material become the excuse.

 

[ME Super]

I'm happy with HP5+, Portra 400 and 800, Ektar, Velvia 50 and Provia 100F. I'd love to see a high speed transparency film again! About the only thing I'm not happy with is the prices for Portra 800 and the transparency films.

 

[George Mann]

Very, I do well with all that I shoot, never let the tool or material become the excuse.

You seem to be confused over what this thread is about.

 

[Ai Print]

You seem to be confused over what this thread is about.

Not at all, you posted a headline question of "Is anyone else unhappy with today's films?" and that "I really cannot say that I am happy with today's selection of films."

I am not at all unhappy with them, if they ever fall short, I am to blame. Seems to me that if you master the films you use, then you might be happy again?

 

[BrianShaw]

Very, I do well with all that I shoot, never let the tool or material become the excuse.

Amen. (And I'm using different emulsions than in the past and quite happy).

 

[BrianShaw]

You seem to be confused over what this thread is about.

Ha ha ha. You don't want to know what I think this thread is all about. Ha ha ha.

 

[MattKing]

Not at all, you posted a headline question of "Is anyone else unhappy with today's films?" and that "I really cannot say that I am happy with today's selection of films."

I am not at all unhappy with them, if they ever fall short, I am to blame. Seems to me that if you master the films you use, then you might be happy again?

Ai Print does really good work with film.
Just like he did with his Kodachrome Project

 

[Ai Print]

Just like he did with his Kodachrome Project

I met my wife because of that project...if I do not come out with a nice book in a few years, there will be hell to pay...

To that end, I *finally* have the space to properly edit, storyboard and sequence it all, now own a large home.

 

[George Mann]

I am not at all unhappy with them, if they ever fall short, I am to blame. Seems to me that if you master the films you use, then you might be happy again?

If this is your slick way of saying that I am at fault, then I am here to tell you that my only fault is in being to picky to so easily accept average, even mediocre products!

Give me back my Kodachrome!