What are your preferred materials and why:
> A. color negative film
I think Kodak Portra 160NC. I've been experimenting lately, but it
strikes me that was the one I've most liked of the many I've tried. I'm
coming to the conclusion, however, that it doesn't much matter with C-41
process film. They all seem to come out much alike. The 160 gives me a
little more leeway in exposure than ASA 100 emulsions, yet seems more
like a 100 emulsion as far as grain than it does the 200 speed types
it's closer to. Kind of a moot point, however, since I still tend to
shoot slides much more than negs.
> B. Color Slide film
Lately, Fuji Astia. Nicely balanced color and never seems too garish to
me. I figure if it's designed to get skin tones right, the rest can't be
too far off, and experience with it has left me quite satisfied with
that theory. :-) Before that it was Kodak Ektachrome E100S, which, of
course, Kodak promptly stopped producing once I had discovered I really
liked it. :-( Compared to the E100VS it was much more "real" to my eye.
> C. Black and White negative film
Shot a roll of Kodak PX 125 Plus-X Pan recently, the first B&W I've shot
in probably 30 years. We'll see what I got/how I like it when pick it up
on Tuesday.
D. And I know it's anathema here, but if I'm just noodling around, I
shoot good ol' Eastman 5246 (ASA 100), Eastman 5248 (ASA 200) or Eastman
5279 (ASA 400) from RGB (or whatever other ECN-2 filmstock they're
peddling at the time). Yep. Movie film. I can see the shudders already.
:-) Why do I use it?
1. It's very cheap. (works out to about a buck a roll of 36 when I get a
new one with processing of the old)
2. It's very consistent. I would think the reasons it is should be
obvious--cinematography demands proper, repeatable color balance.
3. I've *not* experienced the serious fade/color shift problems that
many have seen with movie stock, even with slides 20+ years old. Some
color shift? Yep, but not too much, and the slides are "recoverable" if
scanned. I've got some Ektachromes with as much. And I mostly have *not*
archivally stored any of my stuff (too much moving around the country
for many years). All of my slides have been in (usually) dark storage
that has ranged anywhere from cool to downright hot.
4. I get an uncut strip of negatives back (the actual film) as well, and
that is easily cut up and scanned.
Anyway, it works for me, so far... It's not for "serious work" but it
does fill the bill for experimenting and general shooting. Much less
expensive than using rolls of Astia (or the like) when trying out new
things.
---
Scott
The olympus mailinglist olympus@xxxxxxxxxx
To unsubscribe: mailto:olympus-request@xxxxxxxxxx?subject=unsubscribe
To contact the list admins: mailto:olympusadmin@xxxxxxxxxx?subject="Olympus
List Problem"
|