Advice on Colour Film

[slightlytriangle]

I'm looking to buy some colour film for my OM1, I've been using the free stuff that I get when I take a film to be processed which is Kodak Colour Plus, and some older film that was given to me which also came free with processing, though I forget the name of that now I'm looking to try something different I like the idea of trying slide film but I know very little about the processing of that. Any advice appreciated please

 

[Knikki]

Ok print film that is developed at mini labs will probable be scanned and then printed. Which is why sometimes you may find images looking a little "over saturated"

Slide film is an E6 process (most are) which has a limited lattitude, roughly 1/2 stop. So for instance print films like say a iso200 you could rate it at 400 or 800 and still get a resonable print from them.

Slide film is not so forgiving. Normally if I am using 100iso film then I will rate it at 125iso just to give the colour and extra boost, which is something I prefer.

Fuji Velvia is still a favorite amongst the Lanscape togs, check the ones ekimeno has just put in the "Show us your film shots" thread. But you can get nice slide film from Kodak as well.

The best way to see slide film is either projector or on a light box, a well exposed slide film is a joy to behold.

 

[raathistle]

there are basically 2 types of colour film, slide and negative. Negative tneds to have an orange mask and is a negative image (hence the name)

Slide film essentially is the finished article, ie you get a little picture the size of the negative which is the positive image. normally it would be projected but you can also have them printed (and they look very very nice)

The basic differences are:

Negative film:

• Wide exposure lattitude, so you can get the exposure wrong and still get a good picture
• range of ISOs available from 100ish to high (800 or so), plus you can push it further ( up to 1600 or higher)
• harder (relatively) to scan

Slide Film

• Very narrow exposure lattitude, get it wrong by half a stop and its in the bin
• easier (relatively) to scan

Print film is a lot easier to use, but when slides are right they are awesome (lliterally).

If you are fed up of Kodak gold, why not try a fuji film? The 2 companies have a different colour pallette, with fuji definitely showing more oompf in the blue (generally).

If you move to the "pro" films you also get to choose your prefered saturation level with the film, from Astia (fuji, very low saturationslide film) or Portra NC (low contrast and saturation kodak print film) to Velvia (very high saturation slide film from fuji) or 160N (fuji high saturation print film)

My advice would be to go the silverprint website, look through the list of films and then search for examples on flickr.

For what its worth my personal preference is Fuji, I like 160S negative film and Velvia 50 slide, with provia 100 slide also nice

Hope thats not too much info

chris