Best transparency film for artwork

[janet_mootz]

I am trying to perfect my slide taking skills in the studio. I am

using some Smith Victor strobes (since that is all I have at the

moment). Just wondering if any of you have a favorite slide film to

use. I just shot some Fujichrome Sensia 100. I thought it was pretty

good, but my first client would prefer more contrast and vivid color.

Any thoughts? I have been doing alot of research, but any tips for

photographing artwork would be great.

[robbiebedell]

Janet, I have been quite happy with Fuji Provia RDP III. I have been using it to copy paintings since it was RDP I and it has always been very pleasing with my Photogenic Powerlite 600 strobes and Eclipse umbrellas. I've done lots and lots of paintings in 35, 6x9 and 4x5 with this combination with many happy clients.. I would avoid Velvia for paintings because it is much too rich in color...Hope this helps..Robbie

[jtk]

Kodak has always been more committed to accuracy than has Fuji. Kodak's honest to a fault, Fuji's big on creating visual effects.

[gan_esh]

I agree with Robbie. Fuji Provia RDP III is your best bet. If you want more neutral results, try Astia or E 100G.

 

Cheers!

[janet_mootz]

Thank you for your comments.

[discpad]

Janet, I would recommend Ektachrome EPP, as **under strobe lights** it's as dead neutral.

 

I would avoid the Fuji films for dead-to-nuts color accuracy, as there are processing issues unless they are run in a separate line dedicated to Fuji: See http://www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=00CCgF

 

...And then the update at: http://www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=00CuMr

 

Cheers!

[kelly_flanigan1]

Here we use the Kodak films for transparencies for artwork; and sometimes the Fuji when one wants pumped up colors from a dead original. Today we mostly use a digital scan with a 4x5 back. Sometimes the Fuji transarency materials dont work well with blues and purples; and the Kodak works better. I would try both brands; for "artwork" can mean anything today; and be made from many types of pesky artist colors that any film can be a challenge; or a digital capture too. Get a color blind picky artist with artwork with weird dayglow colors; and you will be busy :)

[ellis_vener_photography]

The most neutral films are Kodak EPN and Fuji Astia 100F. While both are neutral, these

days I generally prefer Fuji Astia 100F becasue of the finer grain. On the other hand if The

photo is being taken for reproduction purposes I would go with Kodak EPN. Make sure that

you include a Kodak color bar in the iamge as a color reference for the printer to use.

 

 

Are you cross poalrizing your lights and camera? If not you might be seeing some veiling

of the real color cause by glare off the surface you are photographing.

[g._armour_van_horn]

I shoot art in my studio, mostly textiles. I've used Astia for 4x5, which is incredibly accurate, but for 35mm I use Sensia. It's perhaps not quite as true as Astia, but the exaggeration hasn't been objectionable to any of my clients, in fact it's barely been discernable. It also helps that it's dirt cheap, I'm paying about $2.65 a roll including postage.

 

I'm not sure I buy the bit about needing different lines for Fuji and Kodak films, but the excessively red effluent from the Kodak I've processed for others makes me a little leery. On the other hand, I'm using a Jopo and dumping the developers after one use, and as Fuji needs an extra 30 seconds in the first developer I'm not mixing them. But I've had nothing but good results from Sensia.

 

Van