Elite Chrome 200 compared to E200 for low-light wildlife?

[lance_krueger]

I photograph wildlife for a number of the national magazines and am always looking for cheaper alternatives to the pro films. Has anyone had any experience photographing wildlife with the Elite Chrome 200 (supposedly the amatuer version of E200)? How is it at 200 ISO, and pushed 1, 2, and 3 stops? What does it do color wise before the sun rises or after it goes down? Does it go blue? How does the contrast behave at these pushed ISO's? Does it get contrastier? Any help is appreciated.

[altaf]

U photograph for major mags and are worried about film? why doesnt this compute? If you make your living off this stuff, i would stick with a proven winner. IMO

[lance_krueger]

Al, Because I make my living at this as a freelance photographer, I look for ways to save money if it doesn't compromise quality. I average 2,000 rolls of 36 exposure film per year. At a savings of $2 per roll by going with an equivelent amatuer version over a pro model, that's a $4,000 per year raise. And some of this pro film has a 3 to 4 dollar markup over the amatuer version. If I only shot a couple hundred rolls a year, then I could go with the more expensive stuff just because it says professional on the box. If there is a reason for me to get the professional version, then I will pay the extra. But it will have to be a measurable difference. When Provia and Sensia came out, I shot Provia exclusively, but tested Sensia side by side. I saw no difference on the light table, so I changed over totally to Sensia and am now saving about $2 per roll. If Provia was even somewhat better, I would still be shooting it. That is why I am trying to do some investigation to find out if there are some differences. If I hear that E200 is even somewhat better than the amatuer version, then E200 it is! Thanks for your question. Now how about some info from people that have actually put the stuff side by side?

[ShunCheung]

Unfortunately, this isn't an answer to Lance's original question either. I have tried one roll of E200 but haven't been able to find Elite Chrome 200 yet. (I am going to B&H this weekend, so I might be able to find it there.) My first experience with the E200 is very good though, slightly grainier than E100S but still very reasonable.

 

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I have been to photo trips with professional photographers. They try to save on film and processing just like everybody else, mainly because of the volume they are dealing with. This photographer couple shoot something like 1000 rolls during a month-long trip, so they use grey-market Elite II instead of E100S/SW and use Fuji mailers, which are $1 cheaper than Kodak mailers. If they can save $3 per roll of film and then another $1 in processing, that is $4000 savings in a month. The real issue is whether there is any significant difference between the "pro" film and their amateur equivalent, which is Lance's question.

[altaf]

Hi,

Ok sorry for the misinterpretation of your question, the main point i was trying to bring across is the "stated" variability in the amatuer films, I was simply wondering if the cost savings on the film was worth the difference, since i don't make my living via photography it's much easier for me to buy the pro film which i only use about 4 bricks a month if im feeling especially photographic that month. Usually only use 2 bricks of slide film per month. I have used both films, I found that they are pretty much identical, but i did see a difference on one roll (color shift) I attributed that to the film since they were all shot and developed at the same time by the same person. That is not to say perhaps a pro film is any less variable, but that is "marketing hype" most probably. Im in the process of studying marketing so im learning all the crap they use. If i pointed it out it would take an entire book.

 

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Hope you find the answer you are seeking. Sorry about the terse answer before. The best and probably worst answer would be to compare it over a month and see what happens, since everyones experiences are different.

 

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Good luck

[lance_krueger]

Al, Thanks for your return response and updated info on the films. I just graduated from college with a degree in Marketing. So that is why I don't necessarily listen to the hype of pro films. But I still check things out, since sometimes the difference is definitely worth it. That is why I use a lab in Colorado for my processing and pay $2 a roll more over mailers. I feel the quality and consistency of this lab is worth even more than the $2 bucks per roll extra I pay considering the damage that has been done to my film in the past with other labs.

But still, I am waiting for some info from someone that has tested these two films side by side. I guess I will have to do it myself, but I was wondering if anyone out there has already done this. If not, then I will post my findings here in the future. Any info would be appreciated.

[bob_royse]

I'd also like to know the answer to this, but B&H is not yet selling Elite Chrome 200 for some reason. When it came time to order a lot of film for an upcoming photo trip, I just bought the E200 for my fast film. My local camera store is stocking the EliteChrome200, but at a significantly higher price than B&H sells E200.

[john_song]

I shot a couple rolls of Elite Chrome 200 recently and reported what I thought about it on Original Q&A section. if you like to read them click <a href="http://db.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg.tcl?msg_id=000BcK">

here</a>(I am too lazy to report the experience again here ;) )

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I've never shot a E200 before, so I can't compare the result, but I would say they are pretty much the same as I can't see how this film could be any better.

[ShunCheung]

I went to B&H earlier today (Sunday, June 7, 1998) and they still didn't have Elite Chrome 200 in stock, so I got a couple more E200 instead. The salesperson didn't know when Elite Chrome 200 will be available there.

[ron_burkhardt]

FWIW, Elite Chrome 200 is available at both Wal-Mart andTtarget stores at considerable savings over E200 in the local camera store. In testing one roll each of E200 and Elite Chrome 200, no differences in grain or resolution were observed. The 'Chrome was slightly warmer than the E200, with nice skin tones. I did not push-test to 320 or higher.

Regards,

Ron

[paulo_bizarro]

Hi Lance,

 

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Why don't you follow the same method as before? Meaning if you have compared Provia to Sensia, why don't you compare E200 with Elite Chrome 200? In the end you will have to do it, unless you have blind faith in other people's opinions:-)

 

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Just recently I have compared the new Elite Chrome 100 to E100SW, and I was disapointed with the results. So no savings here, I am afraid:-)

[keith_douglas]

About three weeks ago, I did a grizzly bear shoot here in BC. I took my normal complement of Provia and Sensia, but also took two rolls of Select Series 200 ( is this Elite?). Anyway, I can't beleive how poor this film was. It's horrible, not even sharp on static subjects. Maybe it is because the coast here is so full of greens, that Fujichromes outperform the Kodak, but I was not impressed by the ruddy colors and especially the grain structure.

The experience just reinforced why I shoot Fujichromes all the time.

[dan_sapper]

I work for Kodak and would like to state some of the differences between "professional" and "consumer" or amateur films.

- Professional film is manufactured with tighter tolerances in color balance and contrast.

- Professional films which state features such as "good push processing results" are quality assured for those features. This is not just marketing hype. The manufacturer has a responsibility to deliver what is claimed.

- Professional films are manufactured to a neutral (or warm if stated "warm balance") color balance position and then stored at a lower temperautre to keep it properly color balanced. On the other hand, Consumer films are manufactured knowing that the color will change with room temperature storage. So a very fresh emulsion of consumer film may be off color until the film ages for 6 months or so. Storage conditions play a huge role in color balance and contrast, so if you have been disappointed by some consumer film, think about how you or your retailer, or the shipper may have handled the film during its life. Professional films state on the box to refrigerate them, so that's what your retailer and you should do with the film.

[siegfried_boes]

I am also not able to offer a direct comparsion between these

2 films. However, I can forward what I have read in a German

photography magazine (Slide film is quite popular in Germany,

therefore is Elite Chrome is nearly everywhere available).

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I think the Elite Chrome 200 is just the consumer version of the

E200 (actually Kodak offered some testing of their new film the E200,

but what I actually got was the Elite Chrome). They are the same

emulsion as the Sensia/Provia couple. In the test done by

Color Photo there was no difference between these 2

(they also never found a difference between Kodakchrome and

its prof version). How the film is stored mentioned in the last

posting could be interesting for you.

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This does not apply to Elite chrome 100 and the E100S or SW,

this 2 emulsions are not the same. Unfortunately !!! Also Color

Photo rated the new E100 higher than the Elite chrome 100.

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It is probaly still worth to try a direct comparison by yourself.

[david_julian1]

I have run a few personal tests on Elite 100, and 200 versus the E100s, E100sw and E200.

If your intention is to submit to stock, and intend on drum scanning the slides for offset reproduction, and can keep your film cool, then get the Pro films. If none of the above, then you will find little difference unless pushing past 1.5 stops.

The Elite Chrome is wildly saturated and not as good as the pro films for accurate skintones in natural light.

it is, however an excellent general travel/nature film suited for pix that pop and general desktop computer uses.

Hope this helps a bit. I will be taking a bunch of it down to the jungle as soon as I can to see how it fares in humid, hot climates which force the stability issues quite a bit.