Tag: sample images
Ektachrome E100 v. Ektar 100
Film lovers have been pretty excited with the re-release of Kodak’s Ektachrome, and have been anxiously awaiting their shipments to give it a try. I placed an order as soon as the FIND lab started taking orders and received five rolls in the first shipment. The day job delayed shooting a bit, but work took me to Manitowoc, Wisconsin, and I finished my roll of Ektar which was in the camera and then shot a roll of Ektachrome. Here are the results.
Let me preface this by saying that there is no science or technical expertise in this comparison. I am not in any way an expert in comparing cameras, lenses, or film stocks. I like to try different things, and if I like it, I keep shooting it. For both rolls, I shot my Canon EOS 1v with the Canon 50mm f/1.2 lens, with both rolls shot at box speed. Both rolls were processed and scanned by Richard Photo Lab.
Ektachrome There are no direct comparison shots, although there is some overlap in time and place. My first impression is that I unintentionally underexposed most of the Ektachrome shots by up to one stop. The negatives are on their way back from the lab, so for now, I’m looking at the scans for the comparisons. The Ektachrome shots were richer in color than the Ektar. In the comparison shots below, the Ektachrome is on the left or top, and the Ektar is on the right or bottom.
Ektachrome left, Ektar right 
Ektachrome top, Ektar bottom 
Ektachrome left, Ektar right When shooting at the marina, the sun was very bright, so there was a lot of contrast in the scene making proper exposure difficult. However, I noticed that I underexposed again when shooting under cloudy skies, as seen in the coffee shop scenes below. I err on the side of underexposure with slide film, but on the next roll, I’m going to try to overexpose a bit.
Ektachrome Overall, the Ektachrome shots are extremely saturated and heavy in blues and greens.
Ektachrome The Ektar strikes me as more representative of what I was seeing when I shot the scene.
Ektar I shot a bit of fall color with the Ektachrome as well.
I have plenty more rolls on hand to get used to shooting it, but my first impression is that I will be bringing Ektachrome to the Caribbean when we travel there in January. I think the ocean will look amazing on Ektachrome.
I’ll post again with a few more trials. Are you enjoying the new Ektachrome?
One Moose, Four Films
You’re in Black River Falls, Wisconsin, home to the famous Orange Moose, and you have a few cameras and different film stocks with you. What would you do? Shoot the moose on four different films, of course.
Located just off Interstate 94, the Orange Moose stands approximately 15 feet tall, near a restaurant conveniently called the “Orange Moose Bar and Grill,” although it’s not entirely clear which came first, the restaurant or the moose. The story goes that the great moose was won in a dice game, and was originally brown in color. After the owner’s death, the moose made its way to the highway oasis and acquired its orange paint.
Armed with a Mamiya 645 ProTL and Mamiya 6, I set out to capture the moose on four film stocks, Kodak Ektar 100, Kodak Portra 160, Fuji Pro 400H, and Lomography X-Pro 200 (processed C-41). All film was processed by Richard Photo Lab. Take a look at the results:
The two square images were taken on the Mamiya 6 with the Mamiya 50mm f/4 lens. The remaining two were shot on the Mamiya 645 Pro TL with the Mamiya 80mm f/1.9 lens. To add a twist, one of the rolls shot on the Mamiya 645 Pro TL with a roll of 35mm, shot using the Mamiya 135 insert. Have you made your guesses? Let’s see how you did.
Let’s start with the easiest, the Lomography X-Pro 200, shot on the Mamiya 6. This can be processed with E-6 or C-41 per the label. This roll was processed C-41, and certainly produced the citrusy tones promised by the folks at Lomography.
The other image shot on the Mamiya 6 was shot on Kodak Ektar 100. It brought vibrant colors and was closest to the color of the moose as I remembered it.
The next two were shot on the Mamiya 645 Pro TL. The image in the upper right hand corner above was shot on the Mamiya 645 Pro TL using the Mamiya 135 insert with a 35mm roll of Kodak Portra 160. Great for skin tones. Not so great for an orange moose.
The last shot on the Mamiya 645 Pro TL was a 120 roll of Fuji Pro 400H. This film loves greens and blues, but doesn’t embrace orange like the Ektar, although the sky looks great.
The road takes us to more stops around Wisconsin and Minnesota this month, so stay tuned.
Favorite Film Stocks
A few years back, I returned to film photography, and now shoot both digital and film while traveling. With a lot of hits and misses, I’ve come to find that several film stocks have emerged as my favorites, reliable from trip to trip, and perfect for the way I shoot. Although I will continue to experiment, these film stocks have proven their worth and will be in my bag on every trip, or as long as the manufacturers continue to produce them!
Kodak Portra 400
Portra 400 is clearly my favorite of all film stocks. I used to shoot Portra NC and VC back in my pre-digital days, but the new Portra is so much better than it was before. It handles skin tones well, and accurately captures colors, with a wide latitude for exposure variances. I tend to shoot it at 320, and love the bright, colorful look. Some have commented that the colors are a bit warm, but I find it suits what I shoot well.
Mamiya Pro TL, Mamiya 80mm f/1.9, Portra 400 
Canon 1v, Portra 400 
Mamiya 6, Mamiya 75mm f/3.5, Fuji 400H Fuji 400H
When I am shooting scenes with loads of greens and blues, I love Fuji 400H. The greens and blues are a bit cooler than on Portra 400. For images of mountains and trees, or where those colors are prominent, it is perfection. It’s also flattering to skin tones, making it a favorite of wedding and portrait photographers.
Mamiya 6, Mamiya 75mm f/3.5, Fuji 400H 
Canon 1v, Canon 24-70mm f/2.8, Fuji 400H 
Canon 1v, Canon 135mm f/2, Fuji 400H Ektar 100
I love Ektar’s ability to capture the vivid colors of the Caribbean. It is super saturated with a fine grain, and I use it at box speed. The only down side is that skin tones on caucasians look a bit ruddy, so I avoid using it for portraits. However, when it comes to landscapes, it’s stunning.
Mamiya 645 Pro TL, Kodak Ektar 100 
Canon 1v, Ektar 100 
Canon 1v, Canon 135mm f/2, Ektar 100 Other Stocks
I just started experimenting with Fuji Velvia 100 on our trip to Nevis in June of 2017. Velvia 100 is slide film, meaning it is a “positive” rather than a “negative.” The colors are vivid and the grain is super fine. The only down side is that I have to pretty much nail my exposures, and the scene has to be consistently lit, not too contrasty. You can see a side-by-side comparison of shots on Ektar 100 and Velvia 100 here. It does not have the room for error I have with Ektar 100, but the color from Velvia is amazing. I still need more experimentation to see if it will work for me. The trouble is that with all the beautiful sunshine in the Caribbean, you tend to get a lot of contrast in scenes.
Mamiya 645 Pro TL, Velvia 100 On our next trip to Kentucky, I will be shooting some Kodak Portra 800 for the first time. Stay tuned!
All processing and scanning by Richard Photo Lab
NOTE: Originally published on February 4, 2018 on our sister site, My Irie Time
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