Astia/Sensia as Kodachrome replacement?

[dmr]

If we assume that Kodachrome will be going away in the next several years ... I keep hearing of Astia and/or Sensia as a good Kodachrome replacement.

Has anybody here shot a lot of both Kodachrome and Astia/Sensia who can comment on this?

In particular, how is the grain of Astia (Sensia) compared to say Kodachrome 64?

Also, what's the real difference between Astia and Sensia other than one being in the "pro" line and the other in the "consumer" line? Some seem to swear that it's the same stuff in different packages.

TIA 🙂

 

[Goodyear]

I've recently been discovering Astia. It definitely has a different feel to the Sensia I've shot - calmer.

I don't have any Sensia handy to post, but I;ve got some Astia around:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/marramgrass/152118734/ and http://www.flickr.com/photos/marramgrass/152118731/in/photostream/

http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=26622

http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=26598

/edit: None of which answers your question, I guess 🙂

 

[Socke]

I've only shot Sensia 100, it's so cheap here you can't leave it behind.

Grain is no problem, at least my 2720 dpi scanner doesn't see it. Contrast and sharpness are so good even I can see differences between between a Distagon 35/2.8 on a SLR and a Planar 35/2 on a RF.

I like the colours for my travel pictures, IMHO they are acurate. It seems to be a bit more forgiving to overexposure than Elitechrome 100 which I shot in April.

Since one roll Kodakchrome 64 costs more than five rolls Sensia 100, both incl. development, I haven't shot Kodachrome and I see no reason to do it at this price.

 

[tomw]

Astia is a very fine grain (finer than KR) and scans very well. It's almost as sharp, but no E6 film will likely be quite as sharp as Kodachrome. I also like E100G or GX for a lot of things. Both are worth a try, too. The GX version is warmer.

I have some Astia shots http://www.flickr.com/photos/tom_westbrook/tags/astia/

Some E100G shots http://www.flickr.com/photos/tom_westbrook/tags/e100g/

And a few http://www.flickr.com/photos/tom_westbrook/tags/kodachrome/ (the last two from the Badlands are the late great PKR 120).

 

[wtl]

i shoot both and never thought one is a replacement of the other. nothing beats kodachorme. just had that certain look no other e-6 can reproduce. not just the shaprness but the color is realistic yet punchy. astia and sensia are a lot finer grained, i think.

sorry i am at work so can't post any sample to demonstrate. i will see if i can get online tonight for a couple of samples.

 

[Graham Line]

FWIW, I switched from K64 and K200 to Provia 100f when I started getting some latitude and processing problems about 10 years ago.
I like the neutral color palette, decent range and the fact that it pushes one or two stops with only a minimal build-up in grain and contrast. Since then, I've added Provia 400f and find it exception for a 400-speed reversal film.

 

[scottgee1]

Old fart laments . . .

Old fart laments . . .

I shot a lot of K25/64 20+ years ago when I used Nikons. Those slides still have a special, almost 3D look to them. I realize now that, with Contax or Leica glass, they could have been even better. Paul Simon notwithstanding . . . 😉

Stan Malinowski relates his experience with Kodachrome on the equipment page of his Website:

www.modelpix.com/home.html

Of course none of the newer films are considered as Stan has health problems that keep him from shooting -- a sad story.

Actually, I read that Kodak tinkered with the Kodachrome formula a number of years ago. Pros who standardized on it and had shot it for years went ballistic and many burned up phone lines buying cases of any old stock they could find.

All of this reminds me of the expression, "Too soon old, too late smart." Now that I have glass that could maximize the qualities of Kodachrome it is going away. And from what I read, sooner than "the next several years". If they've announced a longer life, I'd be delighted to hear it.

So, in answer to your question, I don't think any other film has 'K' qualities. To my eye, each film has its own unique qualities and palette. I know the Photoshop wizards talk about being able to emulate the 'look' of various films, but somehow it just ain't the same as the real thing, IMO.

ScottGee1