Ektar 100 Opinions

[george_mazzetti1]

<p>Users of this film please give me your opinions of this film. I will be using it with my T90 and a FD 20 2.8, 135 3.5 etc. Should I rated it at ISO 100? Is the color good?</p>

<p>Thanks in advance,</p>

<p>gmazz</p>

[JDMvW]

<p>Grain is great, but it has a tendency to accentuate the very real blue in sky lit areas.<br>

Can be pretty easily repaired in post processing.</p><div></div>

[george_mazzetti1]

<p>A UV/Skylight filter should reduce the blue. thanks for your input JDM.</p>

<p>gmazz</p>

[DWScott]

I've found two things that will accentuate the "blue shadows." Under exposure, and a lab that isn't used to scanning or printing Ektar.

 

To help, I do the following:

- use a lab I trust

- meter extremely carefully, sometimes setting ISO to 80 if I'm relying on the in-camera meter

- put an 81B filter on the lens (about 1/3 CTO)

[mark_pierlot]

<p>Ektar 100 is by far the best colour print film I've ever used. It's resolution and dynamic range are astounding. And, contrary to popular opinion, it does a good job with skin tones, too (with the appropriate processing).</p>

[scott_murphy5]

<p>I use Ektar 100 about 80% of the time with 35mm when I am shooting color. The other 20% I shoot Portra.</p>

<p>It is outstanding film; it is sharp, has great color saturation and contrast. I have tried Fuji films but always come back to Kodak</p>

[mwmcbroom]

<p>I've used Ektar 100 some and have found its colors to be accurate and its grain to be very well controlled. About the only problem I can report with it -- well a couple, actually -- they both have to do with scanning the negatives. If I use my Epson scanner, it doesn't get medium brown tones right without adjustments. They tend to come out a purple sort of color, but it's easily corrected with one click. This next comment won't matter to most others, but I duplicate many of my negatives using my DSLR with a slide duplicator rig that has a roll-film adapter. I find that, when I dupe most any fuji or kodak neg, except Ektar, it's very easy to convert the color to positive using built-in commands with both Photoshop and Paint Shop Pro, but it is virtually impossible to do the same with Ektar. The problem I run into is there is just way too much cyan in the converted image. I hope to find a work-around to this someday because using my dupe rig is the best means I have of maintaining maximum resolution of the Ektar images, short of sending the negatives out to be professionally scanned at considerable expense. The following image was scanned on my Epson 4990 using Epson Scan software, and the color correction to restore medium browns was done within Epson Scan before converting the image to a file. The resulting image is a bit oversaturated, but not by an objectionable amount.</p>

<p><img src="http://michaelmcbroom.com/images/caboose2.jpg" alt="" width="1000" height="660" /><br>

<em>Canon F-1n, FD 24mm f/2.8 SSC, Ektar 100, 1/125 @ f/8.<br /></em><br>

I've a question for other Ektar users: do you shoot at rated ISO or do you overexpose by a fraction to improve saturation? I've found that most print emulsions respond very well to a reduction in ISO by about 33% in yielding up improved, more deeply saturated colors. I've never tried this with Ektar, though.</p>

[Jeffrey L.T. von Glück]

<p>Michael,</p>

<p>Ah, the old 'Katey'. Are you a railfan?</p>

[mwmcbroom]

<p>Hi Jeffrey,<br /> No, can't really say that I am -- least not like some folks. I had driven out to Katy, hoping to find something halfway photogenic to shoot one day, and the old caboose was just about all I could find. I don't know Old Town Katy well at all.</p>

<p><img src="http://michaelmcbroom.com/images/caboose1a.jpg" alt="" width="683" height="1024" /><br /> <em>Canon F-1, FD 24mm f/2.8 SSC, Ektar 100, 1/125 @ f/11.</em></p>

[robbz_fotoz]

<p>ok, only a rank amateur asks this but where do y'all get your film developed ... do you do it yourselves ? I'm not set up for that, yet.</p>

[dr._karl_hoppe]

Costco, but a lot depends on the individual minilab and whether the techs take care of things.

[Jeffrey L.T. von Glück]

<p>Michael,<br>

Could have fooled me, classic composition.</p>

[mwmcbroom]

<p>Thanks, Jeffrey. Yeah, basic rules of composition I guess I'm okay at.</p>

<p>I too get my C41 film developed at Costco. The store closest to where I live still develops film and they do a good job. Never had a problem with them in the twelve years I've been taking my C41 to them. Usually I just have them develop the negatives and print an index print only. Then I scan the images I want with my scanner so I can deal with them electronically. If I want prints, I just take the negs back to Costco for prints or enlargements. Very cheap.</p>

[robbz_fotoz]

<p>well, I'm in the greater Philadelphia area and we have two Costco locations, not close but near Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square, a photographer's mecca so it should be worth the trip. I'll have to ask questions before leaving my film to get an idea. Thank you all for your comments.</p>

[Jeffrey L.T. von Glück]

<p>I use Costco also. The location I frequent prints on nice Fuji Crystal Archive paper. The digital workflow gets wet printed too, no crappy inkjet prints (like you get at Target). How long it will last is anyone's guess as they do less than 20 rolls of C-41 a week, and mostly from one-time throw-away party cameras.</p>

[psul_aul]

<p>I'll add another vote for Costco film processing. Very affordable, and they do a decent job. I think its $1.59 for develop only. 10 cents per print for 4x6 prints. Works out to $3.99 for a roll of 24 exp. They also scan to dvd for $2.99 a roll. For me, its justified the Costco membership.</p>

[amir_aziz]

<p>I'm a fan of Ektar 100,it's a great film especially if you're shooting something with some red blue or yellow. I must confess I leave it on the box speed.</p><div></div>

[mark_littrell]

<p>I gradually was becoming more and more jaded with development options here in Denver. Walgreens had really screwed up my prints AND negatives more than once. I worked there one summer and ran the photo machine, so I know not everyone takes the same care I took when I ran it. King Soopers phased out their photo machine, but before that I got some sketchy results and was very unhappy with it. I tried even sending it out via the drop-off at Safeway, but this took longer and longer, to the point I was waiting 2 months for 2 rolls to return.</p>

<p>Totally unacceptable!</p>

<p>I lucked out and stumbled upon a photo studio that also developed and printed their own photos. They have their equipment in-house and they print optically. They actually knew what they were doing! You can push, pull, request what you like, and they have the gear to scan onto CDs or print any number of glossy or matt prints you like.</p>

<p>I've been with them for well over a year now and will continue to pay them for services in perpetuity.</p>

<p>When you get fed up with the crappy quality of service with generic places, do a google search for an actual photo processing place. I even stopped in and asked them some questions before deciding to use them. Google/search your locale and see what's near. Some (many) allow you to mail in rolls of film and will mail them back to you. I lucked out that this one place is less than 5 miles away from where I live. Heck, I've even biked there and back!</p>

<p>As for Ektar, it's my new favorite film these days. I really need to get a corrective filter for indoors, but otherwise I love it. Shoot it at box speeds. I've done a bit of testing and I found the color saturation goes wonky above and below rated ISO rather quickly. I think most folks over-expose it is to hedge their bets rather than risk under-exposing it by accident. IMO I try to get the right exposure -- doesn't always work out -- and that way I don't look TOO saturated if I'm right.</p>

[User_1577653]

<p>Mark, I am in the Denver area also and have gone through pretty much the same process over the last several years. I began using the camera chain stores figuring they just <em>had</em> to be better than drug stores, grocery stores, etc. I soon discoverd, however that they tended to be just as spotty, and have all the same problems as the others; even the smaller one which I mistakenly thought of at the time as a "pro" shop. Eventually I discovered that we are lucky to have a couple of very good development/print labs in the area, and I have used them ever since. I am curious, which one is it that you have started using? I'm going to guess Reed's or The Slideprinter, as those are the ones I am most familiar with; but I know there may be one or two others.</p>

[mark_littrell]

<p>Jeff,</p>

<p>It seems we share the same distaste for local developing in Denver. The people I went with are actually more North. Shutter Priority is the name. There is also a photo studio associated with them (for portraits and whatnot) but they share the same building, staff, etc. I believe that's called Heritage Studios, but I just mentally refer to it as Shutter Priority.</p>

<p>Their webpage is fairly basic but provides location, hours, development order forms for mailing in, etc... It could be better but it gets the job done. It can be found here:<br>

<a href="http://www.shutterpriority.com">http://www.shutterpriority.com</a></p>

<p>If you take Federal up to 120th then turn East for about 2 blocks it will be visible on the North side of the street. Right after the first small street light, it's the commercial building lot just past that.</p>

<p>Here's the mapquest location for their address:<br>

<a href="http://mapq.st/ZzM662">http://mapq.st/ZzM662</a></p>

 

[Tony-S]

<p>Yeah, I love Ektar (under the right circumstances).<br>

<img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7105/7175351209_094be32c90_b.jpg" alt="" /></p>

[User_1577653]

<p>Mark, thanks for the links - I had not heard of Shutter Priority before. I am in Superior, so it is good to know of another option nearby. Speaking of nearby, are you familiar with Victory Camera, the new camera shop in Lafayette? They are worth checking out if you have not done so already. In addtion to a selection of old cameras and other used equipment, they also carry film at surprisingly reasonable prices. But most interesting is that they also have a drop off service for development at Reed Photo. There is no additional cost, so it is a good way to try out Reed Photo's processing services wihout having to make the long drive downtown. </p>

<p>...now back to the Ektar discussion. :)<br>

</p>

[mark_littrell]

<p>Jeff, thanks for the tip!</p>

<p>Tony, what are we looking at there? I don't deny that looks freakin awesome! ... but... What is that? Ektar is a negative, and that doesn't look like you used the film in the traditional way (exposure over the teeth, etc...). Care to let us in on the trick?</p>

<p>:)</p>

[Tony-S]

<p>Mark, I made an adapter for my Bronica GS-1's 6x7 220 back so I could run a roll of 135 film through it. This one was taken at Grand Teton National Park last June. I took a few shots with my Canon 5Dii but the highlights were blown because it just doesn't have the dynamic range of Ektar. The biggest issues with using 135 film in a medium format back are that you need a paper leader and at the end of the roll you have to unload it from the back in a changing bag or dark room, then respool it. Not difficult, but one more thing to do. Below is what the film looks like in the back.<br>

<img src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6185/6063679585_0de48949ed_z.jpg" alt="" width="640" height="480" /><br>

And the film looks like this when processed (69mm wide).<br>

<img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8309/7891137234_5408e18168_z.jpg" alt="" width="592" height="640" /></p>

 

[mark_littrell]

<p>Ahhh, I see! Very clever! I thought it was the actual negative with the way it looked. I didn't realize you'd flipped the colors during scanning.</p>