Elite Chrome 100 Extra Color for trip to Colorado in August

[alexander_gisoldi]

In the last few months I've picked up 11 rolls of Elite Chrome 100

Extra Color at CVS--the first few marked down to $2.75 and most of

them down to $1.87--all rolls of 24. 4 rolls are expired--8/04 and

10/04, and the others are good till 5/06 and 9/06. As it is

consumer film I take it that I can be reasonably sure the non-

expired stuff should give me good results. All of it's refrigerated

so I'm hoping for the best. Back to my initial question, in regard

to Colorado in August I'm hoping to get the saturation and vivid

colors the film can render. I've read different viewpoints on it

here in the forum. Has anyone shot this film extensively so as to

give me a clear answer? I also picked up Elite Chrome 200 at

Walgreens very cheap and plan on using that. Any feedback would be

appreciated. Thanks.

[edgar_njari]

It does have a lot of saturation. Some say even more saturated than velvia, but it gives a different kind of image than Velvia.

 

EBX has glowing reds, oranges, blue skies etc, while Velvia has unique quality of its greens.

 

I find that EBX looks best in scenes where there is a lot of strong primary color. This where it really shows its saturation.

 

When it comes to overcast, it gives some additional life to flat scenes.

 

Skintones will look a bit "burned" (contrasty, brownish-reddish), which makes it not so good for people but great film for scenics. EB is much better with skintones.

 

I believe I have a few EBX images in my portfolio, they are lousy scans (low dynamic range), but I have matched color tones and saturation to originals.

[dan_sapper]

I have shot same film (EBX)in Colorado on several trips. My only mistake was using too much polarizer, causing the colors to become too saturated. But I did like the film very much for the subject matter. Rocks remained neutral, greens of aspen trees and pine trees were lush, red rocks of "Garden of the Gods" were spectacular. Using it for wildlife was also fine (birds, moose, elk).

 

I also recommend the 200 speed Elite Chrome (or E200) for taming the contrast in harsh mid-day sun & shadows. It has decent saturation with lower contrast than EBX.

 

Nice choices of film for your trip, in my opinion. Same ones I would have used!

[rich815]

Any slide film if old can be subject to color shifts and problems, more so, in my experience, than color neg film and especially B&W film. If these images are of exterme importance I would not take a chance---at least test a roll before you go. However, with that said, I have never been overly enamored with EliteChrome Extra Color or any of the EliteChrome line, especially for landscapes that include sky. I just found way too often little defects in the emulsion that show up quite easily in open expansive areas like skies. I guess one could clean them up with PS and the clone tool but it just pissed me off when Velvia, Sensia or Astia, or even the E100G Kodak slide films never gave me that trouble. As for the Elite 200, I hope you like grain----and it's not nearly as saturated as the other.

[bill_pearce1]

I've also shot EBX in Colorado, and I generally liked it. Especially as altitude increases, the haze gets worse (remember those days before things like gas guzzlers and the Four Corners power plant?), and it really helps. Also, things can have a bit of a flat look anyway, especially in times of low rainfall.

 

In general, after a lifetime of trips there, I prefer a film with more snap.

 

Bill Pearce