Looking for the world's grainest color film

[donbga]

Hi Folks,

I would like to do a project with very grainy color film in 35 mm format, negative or slide film.

Does anyone have a recommendation?

I'm looking for something like the old GAF 500 film if that's still possible.

Thanks,

Don Bryant

 

[Jeremy]

Any 200 speed film pushed two stops to 800 will be very grainy, but I don't know what GAF is to make a similar suggestion.

Another option for slides is finding some older Kodak 400 ektachrome--the only time I shot this the grain looked big and you can always push it a stop.

 

[Nick Zentena]

I seem to get more grain when cross processing slide film. OTOH Unless I enlarge it alot the grain doesn't show in the print. The diffusion enlarger seems to hide the grain. Does that make sense?

 

[Soeren]

Hi Don
A friend of mine made some very interesting pics with Fuji Provia 400 ISO @ 1600 EI. Very grainy and nice colors. They where done with a 50mm and PK11a @ f/1.4, We really have to help him through that crisis
Regards Søren

 

[jd callow]

kodak epj 1600 crossed or straight. any 800 speed film pulled 2 stops seems to get more grain than then shot as rated or pushed -- just my non scientific observation.

 

[Ed Sukach]

Ralph Gibson did *beautiful* figure study work with Agfachrome 1000 (a transparency film) pushed two and three stops - for the very purpose of obtaining coarse grain.

Now - I would try the fastest color negative film I could find and, push the same way - two to three stops. A danger here (as it probably was with Gibson's Agfachrome) is color fidelity/ crossover.

That wouldn't prevent me from trying it, though.

 

[David A. Goldfarb]

I met a fashion photographer once who got nice grain effects with Provia 400F, probably pushed two stops.

Check the clearance section of http://www.freestylephoto.biz/ and you might find some cold stored Fuji films (and maybe others) that are older and grainier. They had 100-foot rolls of RMS really cheap not long ago, and probably still have some. I bought 100 rolls of RMS in 120 from them, and it's been fine. It's designed for pushing, but was discontinued with the introduction of Provia 400F. RMS has sharper, bigger grain than Provia 400F. For really big grain, push RMS 4 stops and rate it at EI 1000.

 

[Neal]

Dear Don,

Find some badly outdated 800 or 1600 on ebay.

Neal Wydra

 

[Roger Krueger]

All the really good stuff is long gone (Konica 3200, Kodak RF1000, Agfachrome 1000). Pushing Fuji 1600 would be my first choice. You also don't need to use the full frame--shoot loose, crop hard.

 

[donbga]

All the really good stuff is long gone (Konica 3200, Kodak RF1000, Agfachrome 1000). Pushing Fuji 1600 would be my first choice. You also don't need to use the full frame--shoot loose, crop hard.

Roger,

Indeed you are correct, all of the good grainy films are gone. I've used Fuji 1600 and was disappointed with the grain (lack of). I prefer to shoot full frame though, I'll try pushing some E-6s like F 1600.

Kodak Max may be a good candidate as it seems quite grainy from what I've seen and perhaps cheeap too.

Thanks,

Don

 

[donbga]

Any 200 speed film pushed two stops to 800 will be very grainy, but I don't know what GAF is to make a similar suggestion.

Another option for slides is finding some older Kodak 400 ektachrome--the only time I shot this the grain looked big and you can always push it a stop.

Jeremy,

GAF 500 was introduced perhaps about 30 years ago. It tended to have lower contrast with somewhat muted colors and very grainy. It could easily be puched to 1000 although at that rating exposure was very critical. It also had good reciprocity. I made some spectacular night photographs of a great oil tank fire (one that lasted for many days) in my home town of Doraville, Georgia. The time exposures gave the flames an etheral effect.

More notably, Sarah Moon shot a Pirelli Calendar with it (1972 Dead Link Removed ) and it really blew my socks off. I shot a lot of the film when it was available.

I now want to work with a grainy color film and make tri-color gums. I could shoot digital and add the grain but I would prefer a film camera in this case.

Don