Kodak Ektar 100 - To buy or not to buy ...

igmolinav · Jan 29, 2013

Hi,

My local dealer is selling what he has left of Kodak Ektar 100 in 35 mm. film
It is selling for about $2.89 USD a 36 exposure roll.

Have you tried the film? Is it really cool? Is it more suitable for portraits or
landscapes?

I was thinking about trying out a roll of this film, but it is a bit cloudy around
here. So, I think it will be good to form myself an opinion based on your
direct or indirect experience with this film!

Thank you in advance, kind regards,

igmolinav : ) !!!

bvy · Jan 29, 2013

I'd be buying and not typing. That's cheap. Make sure it's not expired. (Even if it is...)

Matthew Wagg · Jan 29, 2013

Ektar is a great landscape film, I find it does weird things to people's skin but that's just me. That is a damn good price for it as well. Snap his hand off

Toffle · Jan 29, 2013

Buy.
Wrap.
Send it to me.

wilfbiffherb · Jan 29, 2013

buy it. buy it all.

fotch · Jan 29, 2013

Or, if you don't want it all, post the sellers contact info here, others will be glad to help him out.

philosli · Jan 29, 2013

Ektar at $2.89...I'll buy it all!! Ektar is a superb film!!

tkamiya · Jan 29, 2013

Buy one and try it for yourself.... I did and didn't care for it.

Chan Tran · Jan 29, 2013

Not very good for portrait because it's hard to get good skin tone with Ektar. I found it's very sensitive to the color of the light so in shade and in the open need different white balance. However I like it because it's very fine grain.

EASmithV · Jan 29, 2013

holy shit thats a good price... buy it and sell it to me!

cjbecker · Jan 29, 2013

I know a lot of people who love it but i dont care for it. Buy it all and if you dont like it sell it on here.

igmolinav · Jan 29, 2013

Hi,

Thank you for your comments : ) !!!

I am on my way to the store !!!

I am in Europe at the moment. The
conversion was from €uros to USD.
It is a small store. It has some twenty
five to thirty rolls of film left! I may
buy ten. I am a student and for me
buying more than ten perhaps is a lot.

I understand that the film acts great
as a landscape film. Would it also act
well for portraiture under studio lights.
I'll be taking a course with studio lights.

I just hope the film has not expired!

Kind regards,

igmolinav : ) !!!

Jeff L · Jan 29, 2013

bvy said:
I'd be buying and not typing.

+1

ndrs · Jan 29, 2013

It's seems to be the DM chain in Germany that has recently been selling fresh (05.2014) Ektar for €2.15. Rumors are they want to get rid of their stock.

pbromaghin · Jan 29, 2013

Run, don't walk. Buy them all.

RPC · Jan 29, 2013

igmolinav said:
I understand that the film acts great as a landscape film. Would it also act well for portraiture under studio lights.

The film's color palette, contrast and saturation level is generally not suitable for portraits. It is not designed to reproduce skin tones accurately like the Portra films are. Yes, it is good for landscapes.

igmolinav · Jan 29, 2013

Hi,

It's seems to be the DM chain in Germany that has recently been selling fresh (05.2014) Ektar for €2.15. Rumors are they want to get rid of their stock.

I haven't gone to the photo store yet, but do you think there is something wrong with the film, as to have two different stores selling it for the same price?

Not very good for portrait because it's hard to get good skin tone with Ektar. I found it's very sensitive to the color of the light so in shade and in the open need different white balance. However I like it because it's very fine grain.

And with studio lighting?

Kind regards,

igmolinav : ) !!!

pdeeh · Jan 29, 2013

I expect that it's because they have decided they don't want to or can't sell film any more. There's unlikely to be anything wrong with it so long as it's in date.

I would grab as much as I could afford. You can always sell it here or on eBay if you don;t like it or don;t want to use it. I'd certainly take 10 rolls at that price, even with postage to the UK (which can;t be more than 5 or 10 EUR) it would be a bargain

igmolinav · Jan 29, 2013

**Sorry, the post was delayed and I repeated myself with the studio lighting question

I'll keep you guys posted!

Felinik · Jan 29, 2013

At that price, get all you can, keep the rolls you can afford, sell the rest!

DREW WILEY · Jan 29, 2013

It's a very nice landscape film, and would be OK for portraiture in subdued light. The contrast and saturation are relatively high compared to most color neg films. In overcast situations it's important to
use a warming filter like an 81A. It's not artificially warmed like traditional color neg portrait films.
Shadows under a deep blue sky will actually look blue (because they are!) - so you would need to filter
for this kind of situation too. You need to do this when the film is exposed. There is only so much post-
correction you can do (don't believe everything the Fauxtoshop geeks tell you!).

ndrs · Jan 29, 2013

igmolinav said:
I haven't gone to the photo store yet, but do you think there is something wrong with the film, as to have two different stores selling it for the same price?

Nothing is wrong with it. Grab what you can, they will likely not restock Ektar.
I don't shoot much 35 mm myself but at that price I felt an obligation to liberate the shelves of two shops here.

Robert Liebermann · Jan 29, 2013

The real story here for me is just how 'last chance' photography is becoming... reminds me of shopping in the USSR: if you see it buy it, even if you don't need it, because you may never see it again and at least can sell it.

I myself in the US am now trying to shoot as much Ektar as I can, around my E6 and B/W, since I assume it'll be a few months or maybe a year or so when we find /that/ discontinued too (As I did with Kodachrome 10 years ago, and E6 a few years ago, and finally MP 100D last year - but the lead time seems to be shortening). At the very least I'd guess it'll get more expensive soon.

It's sad and a little frightening to be on this sinking ship of color photography, but I'm going down with the ship (so to speak).

DREW WILEY · Jan 29, 2013

I don't think Ektar is any trouble whatsoever. It's a very popular film at the moment, and I have no trouble getting it in every size from 35mm to 8x10. Even the local camera store carries it up to 4x5
sheets. Gotta load some 4x5 holders with it tonite.

Roger Cole · Jan 29, 2013

Agree it's not the best for portraits but it's a great, vivid film. Buy all you can. Try a roll. If you don't like it you can sell it for a little more to pay for the aggravation and pass the deal on to someone.

Kodak Ektar 100 - To buy or not to buy ...

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