Punchy Film for Overcast Days

[shel_belinkoff2]

Hi,

 

Been thinking about experimenting with a saturated and

contrasty transparency film like Velvia for rainy and

overcast days. I'm gonna try some Velvia today ... however,

I seem to recall having heard that V. doesn't scan well. Is

that really the case, and, if so, what are the problems.

 

Is there another film like Velvia to try ... was thinking

about the Ektachrome E100 saturated version. Any comments

about that film? Maybe too "blue" for such situations and

in need of a warming filter?

 

Thanks!

[feli]

Kodachrome 64.

 

It has nice contrast that adds an extra kick to overcast days. Shot it all over Germany last year. Razor, razor sharp and that Kodachrome look.

Highly archival, too but can be tricky to scan.

 

 

Feli

[wgpinc]

I like EliteChrome Extra (EBX) the consumer version of Ektachrome Very Saturated. Very nice and saturated, more Kodak like colors than Fuji. Maybe slightly more grain than Velvia but it handles underexposure better than Velvia and is a true 100 ISO. Has fairly wide latitude. Inexpensive, as well, imported at Adorama or BH. Try it and also try Astia/Sensia and or Velvia 100 or Provia. All excellent but with slightly different latitude, color palate and saturation. Really gets into personal preferences.

[roger_michel]

kodachrome 64 is a great choice. the problem can be the speed on really overcast days -- especially since i think a small amount of overexposure really helps in flat lighting with trannie film. but if you can deal with the speed issue, then by all means try a roll of kodachrome.

 

i must say that scala has really worked well in the past for me in flat light conditions (again with a judicious amount -- .3 to .5 stop -- of overexposure). but i haven't used it in a while and don't even know if it is still supported. plus, it appears that you want color.

 

as for the general question of "scanability," i really think that is less of an issue with the latest crop of dedicated 35mm scanners. i have yet to find a film that can't be optimized in PS when scanned with my minolta 5400. your results may vary.

[dan_brown4]

Kodak E100SW, if they still make it. Looks great on overcast days and at dawn.

[gary_pinkerton1]

Kodachrome 200 is quite good in overcast, rainy situations also.

[doug herr]

Gary Pinkerton wrote: <I>Kodachrome 200 is quite good in overcast, rainy situations also.</I>

<P>

This one was made on K200 on an overcast morning:

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<CENTER>

<A HREF="http://www.wildlightphoto.com" target="_blank">

<IMG SRC="http://www.wildlightphoto.com/birds/rnph01.jpg">

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<B>Ring-necked Pheasant, hen</B> Sacramento County, California<BR>

<I>Leicaflex SL2, 280mm f/4 APO-Telyt-R, Kodachrome 200</I>

</CENTER>

<P>

I like the stuff. It's granier than I'd like but the colors are good and it holds detail well.

[sal dimarco]

Shel, After you finish your film tests, you might want to try adding a CC10R or 10M filter. Happy Snaps, Sal

[albert knapp md]

Velvia 100 is great in cloudy situations but I warmed it up a tab

with an 81B filter. It is fantastic. Can't help about the scanning

aspect however.

[Rob F.]

If planning on using Kodachrome, buy it and shoot it fast, because it's going away soon! I think of Velvia 50 as a great dull-weather film, worth putting up with its slower speed. After all, there was a time when we thought Kodachrome was fast, when they raised the speed to 12! When it went to 25, we knew we were living in a high-tech age. Why not try Velvia, and see if you think it has scanning problems?

[paulstenquist]

Hi Shel,

I've had trouble scanning Velvia. it feels like a film that wants to be projected.

Just too heavy an emulsion for scanning in my opinion. I agree with the

Kodachrome 64 and Ektachrome SW suggestions. Both are warmer than

Velvia and scan much nicer. Best of all, however, is a negative film like Portra

400UC or 160 VC. Negatives generally scan better and allow for more

adjustment. Of course a digital camera with white balance set to cloudy day

will also serve your purpose quite nicely. I think there was an interesting

review of a digital Pentax posted here a while ago. And if memory serves me

correctly, you do have a few Pentax lenses, don't you :-)

Paul

[shel_belinkoff2]

Hi,

 

Thanks to everyone for their suggestions. There were some films mentioned that I'd completely forgotten about, such as Velvia 100.

 

Doug, where do you get your Kodachrome processed? I might want to try it some day, but a) my recollection is that it takes a week or more to get back from the lab, and b) I've heard many horror tales recently about film being damaged, lost, and poorly processed. Could you comment on that?

 

Paul, I appreciate your suggestions for color neg, but I really want to explore the transparancy films for the time being. The Portra 400UC might be nice to try for another time. You know I'm thinking about a DSLR, but that's an issue for another time and place <LOL>

 

Roger, I've used and LOVE Scala, but you're right, this was in inquiry into color film, which I'm a novice at using compared to B&W.

 

Again, thanks to all ... kind regards,

 

Shel

[Ian Taylor]

I really like Kodak 100VS on overcast days. In fact, that's the only time I'll use it anymore.

[doug herr]

<I>Doug, where do you get your Kodachrome processed? I might want to try it some day, but a) my recollection is that it takes a week or more to get back from the lab, and b) I've heard many horror tales recently about film being damaged, lost, and poorly processed. Could you comment on that?</I>

<P>

The quickest processing I found is dropping it off at the local Target store. Usually a week turnaround, which is aggravating but in practical terms for me it's not much different than 1-day service 'cuz I hardly ever get to re-do anything until the next weekend. Target sends it to the Kodak/Qualex lab in New Jersey.

<P>

I haven't had anything lost since one roll disappeared in 1971 - and that might not have been Kodak's fault. However, you can believe the horror tales. Recently Qualex totally f***ed up one roll when they had an equipment failure and the film sat in the developer for way too long. The lab called me right away to explain and apologize. Recently they also left a green stripe along the top of every frame on two other rolls. When I wrote to complain, they checked the equipment and called to apologize.

<P>

IMHO using Kodachrome is riskier than using an E6 film, for one big reason: the limited number of processing labs. A&I will no longer be processing Kodachrome after this month, leaving Duane's in Parsons Kansas and Qualex as the only North American K14 labs. You don't have many alternatives if the lab develops terminal problems.

<P>

Despite the problems I still use Kodachrome. The E6 films I've used give consistently good results, but I want spectacular results. Used sloppily, Kodachrome can be a waste of time and money. Used well, with optimum technique and with a first-class lens, Kodachrome can be spectacular.

[doug herr]

I should add to my previous post that I try minimize the risk of processing problems by using a couple of different types of film whenever I have an opportunity. The Ring-necked Pheasant above stood still long enough to swap camera bodies so that I have photos on both K200 and a roll of E200, and for the Mountain Bluebird photos a couple years ago in Yellowstone I used 5 rolls of film in 2 hours, some K64 and some Provia 100F.