Is anyone else unhappy with today's films?

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Lachlan Young

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George Mann said:
The warmth and realism that only Kodachrome provided.
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This is nonsensical. K-12 (pre-1974) and earlier Kodachrome was warm (especially in flesh tones) - no question about that - I've scanned 1950s K-chrome & you can see how 'wrong' the colour is relative to what might be regarded as normally perceived colour. And that's before we get on to Kodachrome's sometimes odd sense of what 'green' is.

However, K-14 Kodachrome could be downright chilly. Its main selling points seem to have been the immense resolution of KM25 (in the era before 1980s/90s film technology) in 35mm and very high archival stability (again pre-1980s/90s). In both regards there are modern films that equal or exceed it.

Appropriately handled (ie optically printed or properly scanned - not in a second rate minilab machine), Ektar is far better for clean, saturated colour. Portra 160 for accurate, less saturated colour, 400 for warmer & a touch more saturation. 800 if the light is funny & there's not a lot of it.
 

railwayman3

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George Mann said:
If you can't see it for yourself, then I can't help you!
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I think that, in considering the whole question of color rendering of films, and color matching generally, we can completely overlook our individual differences in color vision. I've been told by an optomotrist that it's quite likely (though hard to prove!) we each perceive colors slightly differently, which maybe why some think Kodachrome is an exact match for nature, while others prefer the Velvia-style rendering. Certainly there are recognised tests for color vision, which are used for staff in businesses like fabric dyeing and printing.
 

Sirius Glass

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Photo Engineer said:
Show us examples.

PE
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George Mann said:
If you can't see it for yourself, then I can't help you!
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ROTFLMAOWBMHATW!!!


Please do not confuse the OP with facts. Stick to alternative truths.
 

Photo Engineer

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George Mann said:
If you can't see it for yourself, then I can't help you!
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I've done more than see it, I've measured it! Kodachrome is sharp and low in grain, but the colors are actually quite bad for a "good" color film. If you like it so much, your color perception must be quite far different than the rest of us.

I stand by my comment. Show us, in your own pictures, what you are talking about in your posts.

Thanks.

PE
 

jernejk

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On the contrary, I'm happy that I still can shoot it! There are more BW films out there then realistically I can try and master. I'm very excited to see we get Ektachrome back! I need to get a 6x6 camera while I still have the chance to shoot some of those great slide films.

PS: on the topic of Kodachrome, some people might prefer the artistic expression it gave. Who is to say film has to render reality? I love the pallet of Ektar, for example, and it's far from "true color". Would love to have something similar for slides.
 

Truzi

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George Mann,

Do we know you under a different past name? Your writing style seems very familiar.
 
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George Mann

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Greg Davis said:
Maybe you haven't been around here long enough to know, but "Photo Engineer" is Ron Mowery, one of two people with their names on the patent for K-14 Kodachrome.
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This doesn't prove a thing! There are plenty of engineers who cannot perceive the fine and subtle differences that exists between the products they create!
 
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