Pushing c41 film

[msbarnes]

What are your experiences?

Which films push well @1600 and how do they "look"?

I figured that I would get more grain and higher contrast like b&w but I am unsure how the colors would be effected. I'm thinking less saturation but maybe a color shift.

Any samples? I'll probably browse through flickr but the look might be deceiving since things can be altered in Photoshop.

 

[btgc]

I use to push Superia 800 one stop (and going to try two stops). Just how do you imagine them printed without editing, are you doing optical color printing? Scanning and minilab printing route considers some editing, explicit or implicit, anyway.


Your blue room by mm35exp36, on Flickr

 

[msbarnes]

I will probably not print them, but scan. I am interested in learning the characteristics of what goes on when you push.

 

[Photo_Smith]

Generally you get higher contrast and a little more saturation. I use Portra 400 as it pushes very well:


statue by Photo Utopia, on Flickr
At 1600 it remains fairly well balanced,


Buddha @ EI 3200 by Photo Utopia, on Flickr
At 3200 it's become a little more blocked in the shadows; grainy, and higher in contrast with a little colour cast.

 

[andrewnelles]

I recently pushed some Portra 400 out to 1600 and 3200, the results were totally useable.

 

[HHPhoto]

Hi,

What are your experiences?

Which films push well @1600 and how do they "look"?

I figured that I would get more grain and higher contrast like b&w but I am unsure how the colors would be effected. I'm thinking less saturation but maybe a color shift.

I am using Fuji Provia 400X on a regular basis, and often do a 1 or 2 stop push.
No color shifts (or lower saturation) with this film!
Grain is only minimal more at push 1 (honestly, in projection on a 1,5m screen from 35mm film it is even barely visible from standard viewing distances). So grain is excellent at push 1 ISO 800 (not so surprising, because Provia 400X is the finest grain ISO 400 color film on the market, with even a bit finer grain than Pro 400H and Portra 400).
At ISO 1600 grain is a bit more visible, but still very fine for such a high speed.

Any samples?

Not from me, but the results confirm my own experiences:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/lcy/4131188644/in/photostream/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/lcy/4131150316/in/photostream/

And even photographers, who normally use digital for high ISO color, are talking with great respect about Provia 400X pushed, and recommend it:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZc7VskvGnY

Cheers, Jan

 

[seblock]

A while ago, i shot some Pro 400H and pushed it to 1600, souping in a Tetenal Colortec Kit for 4.15mins. Results came out quite nice but indeed very contrasty. Kinda like the look though.


K88_ARS_PRO400_1600_TET_OH-5 von sebastianlock auf Flickr


K88_ARS_PRO400_1600_TET_OH-10 von sebastianlock auf Flickr

 

[msbarnes]

I recently pushed Provia 400x 2 stops, I know it's good:


lolo088 by Michael_Sergio_Barnes, on Flickr

But since I do not usually shoot color I'm still fiddling around with my preferences for when to use C41 and when to use Slides. So I just wanted to know the general behavior. It seems to be a bit warm but since I don't shoot much color I haven't figured out if it is a color shift or not...and I know nothing about color balance as I'm sure the lighting source makes a difference.

 

[thegman]

Also, you could look for Superia 1600, Natura 1600, or whatever it might be called in your part of the world.

 

[anjoca76]

Provia 400 and Portra 400 both push well--or pretty well, all things considered. But in general, I personally don't think color film looks good pushed. People cherry-pick one or two examples and post them as good examples--and usually those are--but I'm willing to bet that the majority of shots on those same rolls are grainy and not too impressive.

 

[N.delaRua]

I could imagine using pushed C-41 in an artistic manner... Grain and high contrast have an appeal I think.

I am sending some pushed Portra 400 out this week. I can't wait for the results. I hope are imperfect since I was shooting a band in essentially darkness.

 

[HHPhoto]

I recently pushed Provia 400x 2 stops, I know it's good:


lolo088 by Michael_Sergio_Barnes, on Flickr

But since I do not usually shoot color I'm still fiddling around with my preferences for when to use C41 and when to use Slides. So I just wanted to know the general behavior. It seems to be a bit warm but since I don't shoot much color I haven't figured out if it is a color shift or not...and I know nothing about color balance as I'm sure the lighting source makes a difference.

Hi Michael,

all color films, negative and slide films, are designed to give correct colors at daylight color temperature of 5500° Kelvin.
If you now have a light source with a lower = 'warmer' color temperature (like tungsten light), then your shots will tend to more yellow-red. Because the light with its lower color temperature has more light in the yellow-red wavelenght.

If you shoot at a light with higher color temperature, e.g. 8,000° Kelvin, then your shots will tend to blue, because there is more blue wavelength in the light.

Color film is recording color always correctly in a physical sense.
What is sometimes fooling us is our brain, which did a certain re-balancing to normal daylight color temperature even if the real light is different.

Nevertheless there are differences between films: The Portras e.g. are quite extrem in going to yellow at tungsten light / low color temperature. The Fuji color films are all better in this respect, giving more natural looking colors.

One special thing is fluorescent light sources, which are emitting light in the green spectrum.
With normal color films you therefore get a green color cast under fluorescent light.
Exception: Some Fuji films with the 4th layer technology, which is especially designed for that giving much more natural colors with fluorescent light.
Films with 4th layer technology are e.g. Fuji Pro 400H and Superia 1600.

Cheers, Jan

 

[HHPhoto]

Provia 400 and Portra 400 both push well--or pretty well, all things considered. But in general, I personally don't think color film looks good pushed. People cherry-pick one or two examples and post them as good examples--and usually those are--but I'm willing to bet that the majority of shots on those same rolls are grainy and not too impressive.

Sorry, but from my experience with pushing color films I have to completely disagree.
With pushing Provia 400X I get always the same, excellent results.
Same for Pro 400H, Superia 800.
Pushing Portra 400 and 800 also give me consistent results. But I don't like their colors so much compared to the (more natural looking) Fuji films.

Cheers, Jan

 

[luuca]

and what about pushing slow speed films?
can I push a kodak ektar 100 to 400 using tetenal colortec?
have anyone already tried this?

 

[anjoca76]

Sorry, but from my experience with pushing color films I have to completely disagree.
With pushing Provia 400X I get always the same, excellent results.
Same for Pro 400H, Superia 800.
Pushing Portra 400 and 800 also give me consistent results. But I don't like their colors so much compared to the (more natural looking) Fuji films.

Cheers, Jan

What are you disagreeing with? I said that Porta 400 and Provia 400 both push well. So we agree on most of what you just listed above. But, in general, shooting color film at box speed (or very near box speed) is always going to look better than pushed. Provia 400 looks better at 400 than it does 800. To me, acceptable results is not the same thing as optimal results.