'Sure Be Nice If Ektachrome Wasn't the Only One Available...

[paddycook]

Ektachrome 100 saturation is fine as it is.

The problem I see time and time again is the lack of applied skill by photographers in modulating a film's saturation to suit their or the scene's requirements. That applies to Velvia, Provia and E100. A polariser in specific circumstances (diffuse/overcast light) is but an easy way to provide additional punch without wishing for the camera to be loaded with RVP60 instead.

Kodak designed E100 to have a much more natural palette than Velvia, so why do you want the unique look of E100 to appear more akin to Velvia?

Velvia 50 & 100 and E100 are used regularly in all of my landscape work.
Regarding availability, we don't have such problems here in Australia sourcing Velvia, Provia or E100 (or even some obscure films); it might be a localised/(USA) supply chain problem. In any case, photographers here by and large purchase film online because of high retail mark-ups — another factor that could be impacting availability in different markets.




Just P2 RDPIII to EI400. Done.

Ain't nothing natural about E100's color palette. Unless you live in Blueworld....

 

[loccdor]

I'm not a "color expert" like some others, so I'm not sure If a scene like this is a good prognosticator of how well your roll of Velvia 100 stood up since its expiration - it simply isn't a colorfull scene to begin with. Do you have any other scenes from that same roll - Fall colors, rainbows, etc.?
So glad to finally use the word "prognosticator"

The picture is intentionally of a scene with relatively neutral/predictable colors on an overcast day, straight out of DSLR digitization with white balance matching the backlight... slide that is heavily expired tends to have a strong reddish or purple tint. This can be easily corrected (unless it's really extreme), but this 2018-expired roll of Velvia 100 did not need correction. The image has a slightly cool tone because overcast weather has that color temperature and Velvia amplifies colors.

Here is an example of more heavily expired slide with a cast (Sensia 100 1996 shot in 2023). For reference, the ground here was pretty close to neutral gray.

 

[MattKing]

Modern E100 in 35mm:

All exposed in light that would tend to favour a shift to the blue.

The following is from an email conversation I had several years ago with an extremely reliable source . It was a response to an enquiry about when and whether we would see the newly re-introduced Ektachrome in 120 and sheet film sizes.

"As you know, based on your past writings, that 120 film uses a different base than 135 film (thickness, etc.). It, and also sheet film, also require a pelloid layer coated on the back and a different under-coat layer to insure that the film remains flatter through various humidity conditions when the film is present in the camera. New layers mean new formulas so that the formula and how we emulsion coat the 135 version can not be utilized as a drop-in for the other formats. As polyester base absorbs less water (moisture) from the emulsion, the coated effects on estar, and how the film dries are also different than 135. With the 135 version, two entire color layer structures (6 emulsion layers) required complete rebuilding because the present chemical companies that could supply us had differences that were not there in the 1999-2012 version of E100G. Once we knew a rebuild was necessary, actual improvements were “fit in” to make the film a wee bit sharper, have more stability in keeping, and for us, improve cold store keeping of the emulsions. We also adjusted the film’s sensitometric position so that the whites were whiter, and the colors more accurate. Coating additional layers and adjusting the layer structures for water & gel levels, and adjusting components to insure same sensitometry isn’t easy like some on Photrio might think."

FWIW, I prefer the current Ektachrome to the Kodachrome 64 I loved in its day. Though some of that may be due to its availability in 120.

It was funny - when I started scrolling through the easily accessed Ektachrome images that I had previously digitized, I realized that images like that are the type that I tend to use Ektachrome with.

FWIW, these were shot on the pre-2012 Ektachrome - probably the GX version, because I too liked it.

 

[DREW WILEY]

People subconsciously skew their idea of "neutral" based upon favorite film characteristics which might not be neutral at all. Ektachrome 100 is definitely more neutral than Provia or Velvia, for example. Controlled objective tests make that fact apparent. If you think it is too bluish for your taste, simply add a mild amber warming filter. It's nowhere near as "blue" as old Ektachrome 64, which many LF pros back in that era thought of as their "neutral", unless Little League 35mm Kodachrome was in play. Nearly all color negs films are significantly artificially warmed for sake of "pleasing skintones" (Ektar 100 would be an exception).

Shaded forest scenes tend to look blue because shade under open sky IS blue; likewise under an overcast sky. If you don't like the result, then use warming filtration. But Ektachrome 100 will still have its own subtle personality, and Provia its own. Then you have the additional fact that film does not always see colors in nature the way our own eyes do. For example, the only film I ever used which could faithfully capture the vibrant hues of certain kinds of fluorescent lichen and algae was the old pre-E6 Agfachrome 50. I don't know why.

By far the most neutral film ever was the Fuji Astia lineup. Their CDU line of duplicating films was essentially the same thing, but tungsten balanced. But general shooters don't seem to want neutral. And today, even the saturated Velvia look often gets fed steroids and hyper-saturated in PS afterwards.

 

[George Mann]

Who is going to set up such a lab for this?

Kodak.

... If there is only to be a single Ektachrome, surely the present "neutral" version is vastly preferable to a saturated version?

I would prefer to have the most saturated version back.

 

[George Mann]

"...so why do you want the unique look of E100 to appear more akin to Velvia?
Because there is no Velvia...

The most saturated version was superior to Velvia.

 

[George Mann]

Ain't nothing natural about E100's color palette. Unless you live in Blueworld....

The blue world doesn't exist with the proper warming filter.

 

[MattKing]

Neither Eastman Kodak nor Kodak Alaris have any business capacity to provide film developing resources to anyone.
All of the people and infrastructure for that have gone long ago - in most cases 40 years ago, when the market for home movies on film dried up.
Eastman Kodak still provides some of the resources needed by the large motion picture film processors, but none of their equipment or knowledge is appropriate for Kodachrome. In most cases, they aren't even setup for photographers using still film at all.

 

[thinkbrown]

My issue is that I'm curious about shooting slide film, but I'm not going to pay $20 a roll. I'd love a "pro image" slide film to the "portra" E100.

 

[benderscameracorner]

Recently picked up a 5-pack of 'fresh' Velvia 50 (exp. 11/2026) in 120 here in Australia for AU$130, at a local bricks and mortar retailer no less... AU$26 a roll is mighty good given Porta 400 is generally AU$30+ and E100 pushing AU$40, for reference.

Had it on backorder for a few months, honestly didn't think it would ever show up and certainly not at that price, but lo and behold. Definitely does seem like Fujifilm are just drip feeding out stored film as per the rumours.

Now I just need to sort out my RB67's light leaks... :-/

 

[DREW WILEY]

George - there never was a significantly more saturated Ektachrome than the current version. There was a warmed 100 "GX" version, with a bit more boost to the warm hues, but nothing equivalent to the overall saturation of Fuji's Velvia lineup. Adding an 81A filter to the current E100, or the preceding E100G, or the E100S prior to that would approximate the same look.

Once Fujichrome 50 caught on back in the mid-80's, Kodak realized that they needed something a little more punchy than Ektachrome 64 if they were going to compete in the same boxing ring. Fuji 50 was the predecessor to both Provia and Velvia, but more akin to Provia.

 

[Alan Edward Klein]

Here's a comparison I did between 4x5 Provia 100 and Ektachrome 100. Provia is warmer with orangy reds. Ektachrome has greener greens and redder reds.

The first is irignal film taken with a Galazy cellphone. The second is after adjustments in Lightroom after scanning with a Epson V850.

 

[Alan Edward Klein]

Modern E100 in 35mm:


All exposed in light that would tend to favour a shift to the blue.

The following is from an email conversation I had several years ago with an extremely reliable source . It was a response to an enquiry about when and whether we would see the newly re-introduced Ektachrome in 120 and sheet film sizes.

"As you know, based on your past writings, that 120 film uses a different base than 135 film (thickness, etc.). It, and also sheet film, also require a pelloid layer coated on the back and a different under-coat layer to insure that the film remains flatter through various humidity conditions when the film is present in the camera. New layers mean new formulas so that the formula and how we emulsion coat the 135 version can not be utilized as a drop-in for the other formats. As polyester base absorbs less water (moisture) from the emulsion, the coated effects on estar, and how the film dries are also different than 135. With the 135 version, two entire color layer structures (6 emulsion layers) required complete rebuilding because the present chemical companies that could supply us had differences that were not there in the 1999-2012 version of E100G. Once we knew a rebuild was necessary, actual improvements were “fit in” to make the film a wee bit sharper, have more stability in keeping, and for us, improve cold store keeping of the emulsions. We also adjusted the film’s sensitometric position so that the whites were whiter, and the colors more accurate. Coating additional layers and adjusting the layer structures for water & gel levels, and adjusting components to insure same sensitometry isn’t easy like some on Photrio might think."

FWIW, I prefer the current Ektachrome to the Kodachrome 64 I loved in its day. Though some of that may be due to its availability in 120.

It was funny - when I started scrolling through the easily accessed Ektachrome images that I had previously digitized, I realized that images like that are the type that I tend to use Ektachrome with.

FWIW, these were shot on the pre-2012 Ektachrome - probably the GX version, because I too liked it.

These are very nice Matt.

 

[DREW WILEY]

One technical distinction between Kodak and Fuji in general : Kodak daylight films are balanced to their own official daylight standard of 5500K, which is somewhat cooler than Fuji's apparent standard of 5200K. But I've encountered light in high altitude deep shade that was more like 6500K, which in the case of either brand film, would needs something like an 81C or KR3 warming filter to reasonably tame.