"I want to cut down on my cost of film and want to hear from you guys what
are the top 3 35mm slide films? Is there a kit for developing and mounting
my own slides?
Thanks again
Dan"
Film first. Three faves? How convenient. I have three most used chromes, all
Fuji. (disclosure: I;ve always prefered Fuji daylight chromes). Velvia,
ProviaF, Astia, in decending order of contrast/saturation. Velvia has never
been accused of having "acccurate" colors, nor has it ever promised this,
but it was the first really useful enhanced saturation chromem and remains
the favorite, although EBX isn't bad. It's sharp, too, but for all that
color, you do gain contrast, so exposure is more critical. Use it for
landscapes, flowers, etc.
Provia F has become the most used film for many pros, as it combines
exceptionally fine grain and high sharpness with accurate, if slightly
enhanced colors. Contrast gain is less a problem. A truly great film, if a
bit expensive.
Astia (is sensia the same film in a different box?) is the film for
"accurate" color (remember, your accurate is to garish to someone else, and
flat and drab to another). It has about as little contrast as any chrome,
and saturation is not increased in any way. Think portraits/skin tones. This
has been often used by fashion shooters a lot.
Now processing. This really is one of those "don't try this at home"
situations. Anyone who thinks he is saving money is mistaken, and anyone who
is satisfied with the results doesn't run control strips. (remember, color
is quite unlike B&W, as there is no contrast control in processing, and
pushing is confined to about a stop) There's a reason that labs doing
quality E6 processing run control strips at least once, better twice or
more, a day. E6 processing requires highly accurate temperature control, and
the only way to get consistent, repeatable results (the common failure of
home processing) is with well seasoned replinished chemistry. And, don't
forget the time and expense involved.
I use a local pro lab that is committed to quality processing, and I pay
about 7 USD per roll, three hour service M-F. If I were more budget
conscious, I would consider the A&I mailers from B&H, about 5 USD per roll,
if I remember correctly. I would beware of Fuji processing. Although there
are many that are quite happy with them, there are also many reports on the
web of problems. I would not, under any circumstances, send film to
Kodak/Qualex/whatever they call themselves this week. (I understand that
Kodak in Europe is quite another matter).
Consider these films starting points. Get some rolls, and try for yourself.
Who knows, maybe you're that person for whom Kodachrome 200 is just the
thing!
Bill Pearce
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