Best cheap color neg film for hybrid digital workflow

[stompyq]

I've been shooting with Fuji Superia 400 (that i can get very cheaply at my local walmart) for a while now and find it very difficult to scan. I scan 100% of my work (no wet darkroom prints) using a Nikon coolscan 4000ED (using nikon scan). Contrary to this Kodaks BW400CN is wonderful. Fabulous scans with wonderful depth and great tight grain. Sadly when i want color pictures it's no good. I'd like to standadize on a film for color neg work both for 400 ASA and 100 ASA. Any suggestions??

I've shot a little ektar 100 (which is great) but it costs $5.00 a roll (i can get 3 superia rolls for that price). Here are the films that i've been looking at

1) superia 100 - cheapest film but i'am wondering if it's like the 400 ASA sibling
2) portra 160 NC/VC - no idea what the difference is
3) portra 400 VC/NC

I'd like to try all these but i have a trip coming up and don't have the time to carefully test all these.

 

[jbrubaker]

The Portra films scan nicely - Kodak developed them specifically to be scanned rather than optically printed. The "VC" stands for vivid color, while the "NC" version stands for natural color. I prefer the NC versions, since you can always boost saturation later if you want to, using software. I have a 100 ft. roll of Portra 160 and load rolls of 36 using a bulk loader - that way it's cheap. Regards ---john.

 

[Dave Wilkinson]

Here's a Kodak 'Gold 200' scan, or I'll happily use cheap supermarket 200! 🙂
Dave

 

[Dave Wilkinson]

.....and from the same roll
Dave.

 

[Rayt]

Kodak Gold 100 is a cheap but underrated film.

 

[Lilserenity]

I too would recommend Kodak Gold 100 or 200. 100 can be a bit trickier to find in the UK, but overall, it's a great film and cheap and easily available.

If I could buy it in 120 I would use it in my Autocord as well, it's just a good general purpose print film. A search on Flickr for Kodak Gold 200 will enlighten you with some stunning photos.

 

[Tim Gray]

Portra is great film but I didn't think it was really any cheaper than $4-5/roll. I'd shoot that if I were you.

I've had good experience with the other Kodak films, Gold 100, etc.

 

[Dave Wilkinson]

Portra is great film but I didn't think it was really any cheaper than $4-5/roll. I'd shoot that if I were you.

I've had good experience with the other Kodak films, Gold 100, etc.

....so they are worh a try....yes? 😉

 

[stompyq]

....so they are worh a try....yes? 😉

I don't know dave. Your shots have a color cast. How easy is it to get rid of?? I had actually forgotten about Gold 100. It's a little more expensive than superia but still waaay cheaper than ektar. I can buy porta off ebay but as expired film. Don't know how wise that is.

 

[jbielikowski]

Last year I was using Kodak Profoto 100, nearly equal to Gold but sold in 5-packs. Cheap (2$ vs. 6$ for Ektar) and nice for portraits, give bit warm and nice saturated colors.

 

[Dave Wilkinson]

I don't know dave. Your shots have a color cast. How easy is it to get rid of?? I had actually forgotten about Gold 100. It's a little more expensive than superia but still waaay cheaper than ektar. I can buy porta off ebay but as expired film. Don't know how wise that is.

Yes - they were a little on the warm side, shot in early morning sunlight - easily corrected, and I have had good results from straight scans....just as well really - as I don't like playing around in PS very much! 🙂

 

[not_in_good_order]

As much as I like Gold 100 in certain situations, I find it prone to color casts. The current version, edge code 7, seems worse in this regard to the earlier, slightly grainier, edge code 6 Gold 100. The best films for scanning tend to be a bit on the expensive side. I think Portra 400NC has wonderful color and scans very easily, but it is certainly not a cheap film.

 

[Bruin]

Try some Superia 200--probably the lowest contrast and saturation of the Superia line. I shoot it at 100-160. Per one test on APUG, it's sharper than Ektar 100 but has larger grain. You can find 24 exp. rolls for under $1.25 each.

 

[RayPA]

Hmm. I use a hybrid workflow exclusively, too. I use a Minolta Dimage 5400 with Vuescan and the one film I have the least problem with is Fuji Superia 400. It's my standard 35mm color film at this point, because it was so readily available. The toughest 35mm film to scan for me so far is Ektar 100. Most of the consumer-grade Fuji and Kodak films seem to scan effortlessly.


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[charjohncarter]

Kodak Gold 100 is a cheap but underrated film.

This is true, you can find good deals on this film sometimes at Walgreen's (I find the 200 fine too but with 35mm you start to see grain). I also get it a B&H or Freestyle. As far as the underrated goes, this is Kodak Gold 200:

and this was done with a digital hybrid method. But only with auto levels in PSE (at that time) 3.