With Astia gone in 35mm, E100G?

[ssloansjca]

I am not all that excited about the high contrast look of Provia on sunny days. With Astia gone in this format is E100G the closest I can get to this look? I like Astia's ability to hold at least some shadow and highlight detail on sunny day shots; but I am down to nine rolls. I need to order more film. Any suggestions besides E100G. Is EPP dead and gone too?

 

[Roger Cole]

Probably. I only got to shoot one roll of 35mm Astia. I've been shooting a fair amount of E100G and I really like it, maybe more than Astia but I didn't really get to do a fair evaluation of that.

 

[bishy]

I always considered that Astia 100F,Sensia 100,Agfa Precisa 100 and Ektachrome 100G/Elitechrome 100 to be the best options for a lower contrast slide film

 

[Diapositivo]

Besides hoarding what is left of Astia 135 (there are rolls on market with expiry date 02/2012) I would try Fujichrome Sensia, as it is supposed to have a response similar to Astia. That is rumoured to be out of production as well, but, just like with Astia and probably more, one can hoard and refrigerate them while they last.

 

[bishy]

Yes Fujichrome Sensia has ceased production, but still available while stocks last. If you can't find anymore Astia 100F/Sensia 100 to freeze and hoard, then Agfa Precisa is rumoured to be Sensia repackaged. The two Kodak offerings are still in production,and i hope all the other transparency films remain that way for many years.

 

[nworth]

Probably a decent choice. E100G has a harder look and is more blue than Astia, but is usually quite acceptable. Grain is about the same - extremely fine. Astia was a fine film; I'm sorry to see it go.

 

[benjiboy]

Fuji Provia 100F is about as close as you can get now.

 

[Thingy]

If you are willing to go medium/large format, Astia is still available....

http://www.macodirect.de/fujifilm-fuji-astia-100f-c-416_417_418_497.html

 

[Roger Cole]

With the idea that a picture is worth a thousand words, here are a few shots on 35mm E100G. The building is the contrastiest scene I could find among my E100G photos. It has detail from the shadowed trees to the brightest highlights. The portrait is my fiance who has red/auburn hair and complexion to match.

I threw in the close up of the flower as a "punchy color photo." Not E100VS or Velvia, but for sunny days I prefer this sort of rendition. In dull or overcast lighting I might prefer something more saturated for subject matter like this.

Both these are from Kodak Photo CD, nothing special, and no manipulation done other than shrinking the resolution.

It CAN look blue in open shade. So can any film as open shade IS blue. Our eyes compensate for it, and we print it out from negatives, and can just as easily print it out of transparencies if we make Ilfochrome or inkjet prints, but don't seem to accept it as readily when we see it on the positive original.

 

[ssloansjca]

Roger and everybody else:

Thanks. I did order 10 rolls of E100G and am going to give it a shot, or rather 360 shots

Provia was just too contrasty for me. If I exposed for the highlights the shadows blocked up. Astia didn't do this; but it's gone. The first and third photos here are very typical of the kind of lighting I get on my train photography. So, thanks to you I am sold!

~Steve

 

[Roger Cole]

Hope it works out for you Steve! I'd hate to be responsible for someone dropping a hundred bucks or so on film they don't like when they try it. But it is probably closest to Astia and I find it an excellent film overall.

 

[DREW WILEY]

E100G is about midway in contast between Astia and Provia 100F. The color pallete is distinctly Kodak rather than Fuji, with a tad more cyan in the green. Very nice stuff, but needs a different kind of UV filtration at high altitude.