Please recommend a C41 film

[AgentX]

Hi--

Been a b/w guy my whole photo life until digital came along. Shot the occasional roll of slide, but never very much. Stuck with Kodachrome or Velvia depending on the subject.

Now I've been shooting b/w flim again, and will want to try some color work when I move to India in a few months. Looking to find a print film that will give me saturated, rich color without looking too "clinical" or modern. I'm thinking "Eggleston-ian."

Any suggestions? Ektar doesn't seem to fit the bill from the descriptions I've read...was thinking Porta 160, perhaps. (NC or VC is up in the air...)

Thanks for sharing the knowledge...I'm totally out of my element here.

 

[Tim Gray]

I love the Portras. If you want saturated, definitely go for the VC. It can be a somewhat subtle saturated boost compared to NC - so don't worry that it's going to get out of control. 400 is very nice too.

Maybe try some of the Kodak Golds too.

 

[thegman]

Try Ektar if you've not already, not sure what you've read, but I find it to be a great colourful film, very much like slide film. 100 ISO only of course, which may not suit.

 

[brachal]

I would also recommend trying Ektar before deciding you won't like it. I love the stuff. Roger Hicks has a great review of Ektar on his site here:
http://rogerandfrances.com/subscription/reviews kodak ektar 100.html

 

[hans voralberg]

Portra VC, more saturated than NC and very close to Ektar

 

[gb hill]

Check through the Portra pool here on flickr. See if you find what your looking for. You can read what film was used in the tags most of the time. I think the VC is what your looking for.

 

[Juan Valdenebro]

From what you write, 8 rolls of Ektar and 2 of Portra400VC, and expose them at +1.

Cheers,

Juan

 

[gb hill]

I would also recommend trying Ektar before deciding you won't like it. I love the stuff. Roger Hicks has a great review of Ektar on his site here:
http://rogerandfrances.com/subscription/reviews%20kodak%20ektar%20100.html

I'm with you! I love this stuff! I just shot my 1st roll & kodak has hit on something almost magical here! The OP should try some for himself before deciding he doesn't like it! It's much like shooting kodachrome, has to be spot on. Lot's of folks are rating it @ 80 instead of 100 & claiming better results.

 

[IgalSc]

i love the Kodak E100G
you can see some here
http://www.flickr.com/photos/igalsc/tags/e100g/

 

[not_in_good_order]

Portra 400nc is excellent and delivers very realistic color. If you want more punch, go for the vc. I don't like 160nc as much since it is a bit too low contrast for my taste.

 

[lorenzo1910]

Another vote for Portra (160VC) one of the best film ever made...I don't like Ektar colours...

 

[AgentX]

Thanks for the replies! Looks like I was thinking in the right direction. I'll get some Portra VC 160 and some Ektar and give it a shot... Really, it was silly of me to ask the question; just buying a few rolls and shooting them is the best way, right?

Maybe I can even get some ordered to arrive in my waning months here in Africa, then have it developed when I'm back in the States.

 

[Roger Hicks]

The review on my site -- thanks for the plug, Brachal -- is heartfelt. I've shot VERY little slide since. But as I say in the review, latitude is very modest compared with most neg films, and generous exposure does not give the sort of results I like. Rate it ISO 100 at least, and 125 may be better (depends on your camera & metering technique).

Cheers,

R.

 

[dmr]

Uh, is nobody gonna suggest any of the Fuji color negative films?

 

[Fujitsu]

Uh, is nobody gonna suggest any of the Fuji color negative films?

The vote was pretty balanced here

http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/poll.php?do=showresults&pollid=585

Portra VC can look awesome, then sometimes you get a pack of rolls thats just so so.

 

[Al Patterson]

My favorite C41 film is Ilford XP2. It is B&W film with C41 processing...

 

[bwcolor]

My favorite is Ektar. I like most subjects at EI: 80, but then again, I like the colors. Desaturate the colors using EI: 125. You can dial in the look that you want based on the subject and your taste.

 

[Spyro]

Superia, then add some contrast in photoshop. Yep, that amateur film.
I've seen beautiful 1m prints from this thing selling at $2,500 and I couldnt believe it.

 

[AgentX]

My favorite C41 film is Ilford XP2. It is B&W film with C41 processing...

Dunno; might be a little garish for what I'm looking for...

 

[David_Manning]

To tell you the truth, I really liked the results I got from shooting basic Kodak Gold 100 and 200. It seems like any minilab on the planet is profiled for it, which translates to consistency. The bit of grain it shows also gives it a unique feel...not too clinical, but way different from digitally amplified noise. Another great plus...Gold is SO inexpensive.

I found Ektar to be too garish...it looked just like the prints from my wife's digicam. It's not bad...just too "modern" for me.

Here's a Kodak Gold image straight from the minilab scanner, via Leica M6 and Zeiss Biogon 35/2: