Decent high speed color films?

K

kzphoto

Well-known
Local time
5:03 AM
Joined
Oct 20, 2009
Messages
1,174
Hello gang! I've been shooting this new SA 21 3.4, and I find myself wandering indoors quite a bit. Problem is, my regular films velvia 100 & ektar are horrible for low light hand held shooting. Any good recommendations for a hi speed color film? Can be transparency or color neg, I'm not too picky. Thanks!
 
i ADORE Fuji 800 pro Z....
3854043046_5f541dc0a5_o.jpg
 
Helen, I found Fuji 400H to be markedly better than Fuji 400 X-tra. The difference in price is considerable, though, and I must say that the less good film certainly cannot be called bad. Would you say that there is the same sort of difference between 800Z and 800 X-tra?
 
How fast of film do you want? A good, easy to find starting point would be Fuji Superia 800. You can buy four packs of it at Walmart quite cheaply. Kodak's Portra 800 is more expensive, though I like its color rendition better. Here are a couple of Portra 800 examples (click an image if you want to see a larger version):




 
Last edited:
These samples are great! Thank you.
Please keep them coming.
I'm getting inspired to try some films that I have always been skeptical of.
 
It depends how fast you need, I like Fuji 400 H and 800 Z. 400 H in my view I have liked more than Superia 400 as it's more consistent, sometimes I get good results with Superia 400, other times it has been disappointing.

800Z is also great; the main thing with it though is expose it right and don't underexpose or you could end up with disappointing results.

If I can shoot 400H, I will do over 800Z as I would prefer to get the extra stop of speed from a slower shutter speed than from the film.
 
If 400 ISO is OK, and a slide film is alright, then you could try Provia 400 X, I have read that the grain is *approaching* ISO 100, I am ordering a couple of rolls to try out.
 
Fuji 800 speed film is indeed a lot nicer than their 1600, which gets a bit garish. I kinda wonder who decided to call it "natura."
 
Fuji Superia 800 has long been a staple for my concert photography. I was told (probably here :D) that it is the same emulsion as their Press film.

BUT, my last brick of Superia 800 simply wasn't really ISO800 fast. More like 500-640.
 
ah! for me it's an easy answer: Fuji Provia 400X, especially if you already like slide fiilms. 400X is quite happily pushed anywhere from 1 to 3 stops. Essentially all I've ever shot over the last couple of years is 400X +2 stops to 1600 iso.

Some +2 examples (no postprocessing):















cheers!
papasnap
 
I'm kind of a fan of Kodak UltraMax 400 and 800. Every so often they change the manes, but basically it's the same 100, 200, 400, and 800 under various names like "Gold," Max" or UltraMax." I expect a new name in a bit.

The HD 400 I thought was not much different than the Max 400, but I bet it's going for less grain, not that grain is an issue in the other 400.

I don't have any scans to show right here, but compared to say Fuji Superia, reds are red, not pink. Superia always seems to have a green cast to it to my eye, but the Kodak 100, 200, and 400 always seemed to catch the brilliance in a scene rather than muting the colors.

I'd think it depends on what you prefer for "look." I like them both, but I shoot the Kodak films myself.

I found the Portra films to be "wrong" for outdoor photography. They work, but nothing looks right. I'm pretty sure the reason is the Portra line is designed for studio use with controlled lighting, not an overcast day with pockets of sunshine. The NC was like Superia but without the charm, if that makes sense. And the VC was just odd, not dull but not hypervivid or anything either. I prefer Gold 100 or the UltraMax 400.

And again, it's personal taste. I judge films by the pictures *I* take with them. I really like what other people do with films I don't like to use.

Kodak and Fuji seem to have a consumer line and pro line of films. I don't know about Fuji, but Kodak's consumer line seem to be better for outdoor and candid shooting than the pro line, which seems to me to be geared towards controlled lighting.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom