Slide film recommendations?

htmlguru4242 · Sep 28, 2012

I've been holding off on shooting slide since Kodachrome bit the dust, but I've decided to try it again.

Going to be shooting outside this fall on 35mm, so slower film is okay.

What have people found to work well?

BradS · Sep 28, 2012

You don't have a lot of options anymore...Fuji Provia and Velvia are pretty much it.
Fall color? I'd go with Velvia.

Hey, what is the significance of the '4242' ?

Slixtiesix · Sep 28, 2012

I can recommend Velvia 100 (without F) and Provia 400X from personal experience. If you intend to shoot autumnal trees, Velvia 100 is hard to beat. Provia 400X has a very rich but more natural saturation than Velvia. I like it for its sharpness and the speed. Grain is a bit more of an issue, though it is comparably fine for an 400 ISO slide film from what I´ve read (Have not tried any other).

htmlguru4242 · Sep 28, 2012

I've had such bad luck with Fuji ... the *moment* I start liking any one if their films, they discontinue it, lol ...

I'll take a look at Velvia, though. Anyone have any experience with Rollei Digibase CR200? I love their C41 stuff.

BradS - The 4242 was from my original AOL screen name from 10 or so years ago. It's from The Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy books, where 42 is "the answer to life, the universe and everything" ... what can I say? I was 10 or 12 years old at the time.

Hatchetman · Sep 28, 2012

If you are projecting it, I would grab some Elite Chrome on line somewhere. Fabulous stuff. For scanning, stick with the Fuji. I have no idea why it scans so much easier.

htmlguru4242 · Sep 28, 2012

I have a sh*t ton of expired elite chrome that I bought at a local photo store for around $2 a roll. Up until now I've been running it through C41, but I'll send it through E6 and see what happens.

batwister · Sep 28, 2012

A single roll of Velvia 50 in 35mm is £9, while a 5 pack of 120 is £26? Am I missing something here?

Ektagraphic · Sep 28, 2012

I would give Rollei Digibase CR200 a try. I have found it to be a really great film that has colors that are not over saturated.

Klainmeister · Sep 28, 2012

Velvia 100 is hard to beat. But since everytime you start using a Fuji film, they discontinue it, let me recommend Velvia 100f instead

Diapositivo · Sep 28, 2012

AgfaPhoto CT Precisa 100 is manufactured by Fujifilm, it's cheaper than the "flag" Fujifilm names and I suggest to try it. I have never tried it personally (yet). This film is rumoured to be Fujifilm Sensia by another name and Juliet seems to have said it smells the same.

Rollei CR200 is also certainly a film to try. It is also available in 100ft bulk rolls and is quite inexpensive compared to the competition, so if you like the results why not. Beware it has a polyester base which means you have to be very careful when loading the camera. Also, polyester-base film is not well fit to motorized film transport as it could damage it. Acetate-base film breaks, polyester-base film is very, very tough to brake and the camera can break first.

Alan W · Sep 28, 2012

htmlguru4242 said:
I've had such bad luck with Fuji ... the *moment* I start liking any one if their films, they discontinue it, lol ...

I'll take a look at Velvia, though. Anyone have any experience with Rollei Digibase CR200? I love their C41 stuff.

BradS - The 4242 was from my original AOL screen name from 10 or so years ago. It's from The Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy books, where 42 is "the answer to life, the universe and everything" ... what can I say? I was 10 or 12 years old at the time.

"How many roads must a man walk down...?"

htmlguru4242 · Sep 28, 2012

i guess the answer is no longer blowing in the wind ...

Though, according to the last book in the series, the original question was "What do you get when you multiply six by nine".

Poisson Du Jour · Sep 28, 2012

Velvia 50 delivers for fall (autumn to us here in Australia!) richness of palette but requires knowledge of its specific lighting: it is a bloody awful film to use in bright sun. Also, in 35mm format, the tonal range is compressed which means it requires considered metering and, very often, gentle over-exposure to avoid blocking (e.g. EI40). I have used it for 20 years in 35mm with excellent results (printed to Ilfochrome Classic media) but find the results are greatly better in MF. It is easier to expose with a manual meter (spot metering especially).

Provia 100 for lower contrast but at the same time less of a Vaudeville palette. I don't think it's very punchy for fall colours. By the same token, C41 is pale in comparison to Velvia. But it's all a matter of personal taste and what you will be doing with the end result. For me, it is printing, framing and exhibiting.

lacavol · Sep 29, 2012

There are only 10 types of people in the world, those who understand binary and those who don't.

The Mayan calendar is base 13. So is 6X9=42, coincidence? JK

ME Super · Sep 29, 2012

I second the Provia 100F and Velvia 100 (no F). If you're looking for good skin tones, the Velvia 100 is debatable, but the Provia will give you good skin tones. Having said that, I do have 2 rolls of the Agfa/Rollei CR200 in the fridge waiting to be used. And if the Agfa Prescia CT is indeed the film formerly known as Fuji Sensia, it is a good film as well with colors that are good for people shots and lower contrast than Provia. I haven't seen the Prescia for sale Stateside yet though.

htmlguru4242 · Sep 29, 2012

Maybe I'll grab a roll of provia and see what happens.

I'd love to try the digibaae CR200, but freestyle says they're not going to have it until November. Anybody know where it's in stock?

wogster · Sep 29, 2012

htmlguru4242 said:
i guess the answer is no longer blowing in the wind ...

Though, according to the last book in the series, the original question was "What do you get when you multiply six by nine".

Which would be 54, not 42.

ME Super · Sep 29, 2012

@htmlguru: B&H is showing it ships in 7-14 days. But when I ordered it 2 weeks ago with a 5-pack of Provia 100F, I received both within 2 business days. (I usually order a 5-pack of the Provia because it costs the same for ground shipping whether I order 1 roll or 10, so it spreads the shipping cost out over several rolls.)

@wogster: six times nine is forty-two if you use base 13 .

htmlguru4242 · Sep 29, 2012

Wogster, that is true, but you'd understand if you had read the books. They are ... unique.

ME Super · Sep 29, 2012

Yes they are. So don't forget your towel when you go out shooting; that way your friends will think you're one Hoopy Frood and be more inclined to loan you that lens that you forgot at home.

wogster · Sep 29, 2012

htmlguru4242 said:
Wogster, that is true, but you'd understand if you had read the books. They are ... unique.

I read the first one, and although I love science fiction, I was not impressed... Saw the movie, was even less impressed....

htmlguru4242 · Sep 29, 2012

Why can't Kodak just make this easy for me and bring back Kodachrome? I had a set of my slides out yesterday ... oh lord those colors!

The last roll that I shot is almost entirely close-ups of flowers ... and I nailed the exposure on *every* damn shot.

Anyways, I have a couple rolls of fuji and some Digibase CR200 on their way from B&H. I'll let you guys know how it comes out.

Anyone have comments regarding hand-processing of E-6?

ME Super · Sep 30, 2012

Kodachrome's colors were definitely unique. My parents have bunches of slides shot on Kodachrome. And most of those were shot with a Kodak Instamatic camera. Oh those colors.

Having said that, I think you'll like Provia's colors. They're not the same as Kodachrome but they're pretty neutral and less saturated than Velvia.

Slide film recommendations?

Privacy & Transparency

Privacy & Transparency