velvia 100f

[ronsine]

I HAVE HEARD THAT VELVIA 100F IS LESS SATURATED THAN VELVIA 50. MOST REVIEWS TELL ME TO STAY AWAY FROM 100F. ONE REVIEW SAID NEVER TO SHOOT "RED ROCK" WITH VELVIA 50. I AM GOING TO THE GRAND CANYON IN MARCH. DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY EXPERIENCE WITH VELVIA 100F THAT COULD ENLIGHTEN ME A LITTLE?

 

[PHOTOTONE]

I truly have to laugh that some people are so opinionated that they will not use perfectly good products. Both Velvias produce exaggerated color saturation. The 50 a bit moreso than the 100f. If extremely color saturated color is what you want then use either.

 

[sbelyaev]

People wright a lot of nonsense. Don't listen to anyone. Use 100f. The film is very nice. It will produce beautiful slides as long as it is developed properly.
I used to use it a lot when I lived in New Mexico.

 

[Pinholemaster]

I've used Velvia 100F for various commercial assignments for years. Beautiful film when you need that extra f/stop. Velvia 50 is fantastic too. Both are excellent tools. But like all tools they are not perfect for ever situation and every photographer.

You should test both side by side to see for yourself. Don't believe what others write as gospel. Only your eye will know what's correct for you.

Most importantly use a very good E-6 lab.

All I can say about my experience is that I've used Velvia 100F for my last National Geographic Explorer magazine assignment. The quality was superb, and my client loved the color, saturation and quality.

 

[copake_ham]

Velvia 100F is a very nice 'chrome. I still have a bunch of rolls in the deep freeze.

That said, I bought them during the "drought" when the old Velvia 50 was discontinued and before the new Veliva 50 was introduced.

I like the 100F very much. But, now that you can get the 50 again, if you have the light/right conditions - I'd opt for the 50.

But it does demand good light.

In March you might have enough good light for 50 at the Grand Canyon - but the sun angle will still be such that you'll probably be best to shoot it only from mid-morning to mid-afternoon - particulary if you are on the south rim (i.e. with the sun at your back).

Overall, the 100 will be more versatile during a March GC visit.

Also, I think the 100 is better with reds than the "old" 50 - so keep that in mind. I don't know about the "new" 50 in this regard.

Of course, if you really want to "pop" the reds - pick up some recent past date Kodachrome 64 on eBay. If you can find it, Dwayne's still develops it.

 

[ronsine]

thanks

thanks to all that replied. i appreciate the info

 

[mahler]

Don't forget that there is also plain Velvia 100 (non-F). Nice film, and probably closer to the 50 than the 100F is. I can't say for certain though, since I've never personally used the 100F. I'm sure others around here can tell you more.

I HAVE HEARD THAT VELVIA 100F IS LESS SATURATED THAN VELVIA 50. MOST REVIEWS TELL ME TO STAY AWAY FROM 100F. ONE REVIEW SAID NEVER TO SHOOT "RED ROCK" WITH VELVIA 50. I AM GOING TO THE GRAND CANYON IN MARCH. DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY EXPERIENCE WITH VELVIA 100F THAT COULD ENLIGHTEN ME A LITTLE?

 

[RH Designs]

I have to disagree with the majority here I'm afraid - I don't like 100F at all. I found it too contrasty and with rather weird colour casts which are difficult to describe but just looked "wrong". I much prefer the standard Velvia 100 (called "100DL" at http://www.fujilab.co.uk where I get all my E6 processing done) which to my eyes at least is closer to the original Velvia 50. I've yet to try the new 50.

If you're going on an important trip, I recommend you get a sample of each film and try them before you go. Only you can decide which is best for you .

 

[Terence]

I recently used the new 50 100-non-F and 100F in Red Rock Country (Zion, Bryce, Canyonlands, Arches, etc) and would say I prefer the 100F to the others for redrock, especially in reflected light conditions. Absolutely beautiful. I'm mostly a B&W guy, but was very happy with my results.

Be sure to catch the sunsets every day from a good location. The South Rim looking east into the canyon at sunset is absolutely amazing. The light sweeps over the rock so quickly that the lighting changes constantly, second to second.

 

[Simon E]

I found Guy Tal's review of Velvia 100F for NPN useful.

 

[MMfoto]

To me Velvia 100F has more natural color and contrast than either the 50 or 100 versions. I like RVP, but I don't trust it in many situation, and I don't shoot landscapes often, therefore 100f is better suited for me, even it it doesn't have the full impact of RVP 50.

 

[David Henderson]

Whilst I like Velvia 50 (old and new) and Velvia 100 (no F) I am not a fan of Velvia 100F. I think it shares the issue of exaggerating colour in low light situations with all the other Velvias but additionally has a number of characteristics I find unattractive in brighter light. These appear to me to be related to a bias towards red or magenta in the films make-up. As well as exaggerating reds, it has the effect of adding magenta to skies (Velvia 50 can hold a cyan, Velvia 100F can't). Bright yellows lose their purity and drift towards orange; oranges drift to brown/copper. Pale grey rocks can look pinkish. Distant vegetation, naturally a dullish olive, is rendered brownish. I don't see a major loss in saturation per se, but I can see how some of the colour shifts I have noted might give that impression.

Now these aren't casual comments- I use hundreds of rolls of Velvias in a year, and since I originally thought that Velvia 100F was going to replace RVP I viewed it very seriously and used quite a lot of it. I think you also have to ask yourself why Fuji launched another 100ISO version a couple of years after this film- it was plainly not going to be possible for them to discontinue RVP -which they intended at the time- and leave the future of the Velvia brand in the hands of 100F alone. The film resellers I've talked to indicate that 100F is not a terribly popular film and doesn't sell quickly through them.

A film for the Grand Canyon? Well if you want the brightest reds in absolute terms and in full sun then this could be for you. It might not seem quite so bright as it is though because the skies will seem a touch less blue. The brightest at the ends of the day?- well I'd choose Velia 100 over the 100F and the 50 for maximum colour at dawn and dusk. If you want the classic orange/red rock and strong cyan/blue sky then the new 50 will be best for that in my view. And if you want a more natural but still strong rendition then try Provia 100F and get an extra half stop (or so) dynamic range whilst you're about it.

Velvia 100F is not a horrid film- its just the worst of the Velvia options available and as such I can't find a use for it in my portfolio that one of the other Fuji slide films won't deliver better.

 

[thuggins]

I would not take any Velvia to the Grand Canyon. VS is a much better choice for the colors you will be finding. VS has a very warm, natural color palette. All the formulations of Velvia are cold and have a oversaturated primaries. VS is especially good with iron reds, coppers, oranges, browns, amber, gold and the like. Velvia will render these colors very dull and grey.

You should really get a roll of each and evaluate them before you go. The Grand Canyon is a breathtaking place. I was there years ago, when I was young and foolish, and it breaks my heart to look at beautifully composed shots - on Kodak print film. :-(

 

[keithwms]

I don't think there is any credible argument that any single film is the do-all for this kind of work. I have many different films in the bag when I go out; I assume everybody does.

It so happens that I do shoot a lot of velvia 100. I had a situation when it did something very nice for me: I was in monument valley and there was an unusual late spring storm that had the whole valley under very heavy cloud. The range in the scene was very small: the light would have been dead flat to anything but velvia 50 or 100.

But I have also had situations when I felt that either astia or provia 400x was more suited to the task than velvia, or when it was clear that a good print film made a lot more sense because of the range in the scene. If I had to pick one film for the grand canyon then... well, forget it, that's just not a realistic constraint. Take a velvia and one of the new ISO 160 print films and be happy.

I didn't have a good time with 100F, but it's not even worth telling you what my impression was, it's something one has to try for onesself.

Regarding "exaggerated saturation" in velvia: well, when I look at a colour scene, if I think strong colouration is inherent in a scene and plays an important role then I reach for a film that will deliver that message. Obviously I don't take pictures of grey walls with velvia. People sometimes intone that velvia is somehow lying about what's there. Look, every photographic film imposes a particular personality on a scene. We like that and that's why we have different films and not just one digital sensor with "optimal colour fidelity," whatever that means. We just have to learn how to use the personalities of the films as a tool rather than a gimmick.