Switching to Slide Film...

DNG

DNG

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Well, after a few months of using negative film, and getting good results. I think Slide film will be an easier film to archive. What I mean is that I don't need contact sheets anymore, so, that is a step in my work-flow I can eliminate. I have an 12x18 light-box, so I just put my slide sheet on that. I never was any good looking at negatives on a light-box with or without a loop.

Maybe finding Fuji Sensia 36x on clearance for $2.39 may have influenced me a bit, and thinking of my storage options, I realized that I would need contact prints. I have been going to several locals of this store to buy out their floor stock.

Anyone else go to slide film for similar reasons, or different reasons?
 
Whenever I shoot in colour it is always in slide film. It's not for workflow reasons, as Juan mentioned too - but for projection. The beautiful saturated colours from Velvia or Provia are just stunning. It is also easier to pick out the best photos for scanning if needed.

Others might comment on the tonal range of negative vs positive film; I seem to remember comments that slide film has a more limited range, but to my eye scanned slides are just fine.

Steve
 
I don't do any projection (I get my e-6 film returned uncut for scanning), but I love slide film because of the sharpness and color rendition. I remember the first time I looked at a 4000 dpi scan of Provia 100F. I was using a Canon Rebel XTi as my main camera at the time. I thought that the Provia absolutely blew the Canon DSLR away in image quality.
 
Another upside to slide film is that when you scan it, it scans what the picture. You don't have potential errors in the computer program that reverses the colour.
 
chris00nj said:
Another upside to slide film is that when you scan it, it scans what the picture. You don't have potential errors in the computer program that reverses the colour.
Click to expand...

I really think this is its greatest strength. I don't do a ton of projection, although I've enjoyed it when I have. I primarily scan my photos and post them online for others to see. I'm pretty OCD about getting the colors as accurate as possible, and the guessing game that happens with negative film can really frustrate me at times. I've gotten OK at getting Ektar 100 to look pretty good, but I find it's so much easier to do with slide film. I can scan the image and then keep it on the lightbox next to me. I get an image I'm happy with much quicker, and the colors just look "deeper", for lack of a better term.
 
Projecting sure is fun but those cardboard mounts one gets today are pure evil. Loss of image area, gain of lint.

Heck, at $2.39/36 I'd be jumping back into slides in a moment. I spent my formative years with nothing but Fujichrome 100 and to this day I find 200 is where fast films begin 😀
 
Nobody has mentioned the potential downsides: a more limited dynamic range, and slide film's lack of tolerance for correct exposure.

Beautiful on the light table though. 🙂
 
Juan Valdenebro said:
My projector is Leica, and when I bought it new in the 90's it was surprisingly affordable... I guess now they must be really cheap... Projecting a wonderful slide is amazing.

Cheers,

Juan
Click to expand...
Yes, I have seen a few Leica projectors on eBay...seems $150 is a starting bid on most... but, in the 70/80s they where under $500.00 new

maclaine said:
I really think this is its greatest strength. I don't do a ton of projection, although I've enjoyed it when I have. I primarily scan my photos and post them online for others to see. I'm pretty OCD about getting the colors as accurate as possible, and the guessing game that happens with negative film can really frustrate me at times. I've gotten OK at getting Ektar 100 to look pretty good, but I find it's so much easier to do with slide film. I can scan the image and then keep it on the lightbox next to me. I get an image I'm happy with much quicker, and the colors just look "deeper", for lack of a better term.
Click to expand...

Good Point. I do have a color corrected light-box to 5500k

batterytypehah! said:
Projecting sure is fun but those cardboard mounts one gets today are pure evil. Loss of image area, gain of lint.

Heck, at $2.39/36 I'd be jumping back into slides in a moment. I spent my formative years with nothing but Fujichrome 100 and to this day I find 200 is where fast films begin 😀
Click to expand...

Fujichrome 100 is what am stocking up on.
I am looking forward to seeing how I do. I am sure, my 1st few rolls will all over the place, but, I will get to learn where to meter to get nice exposures.
 
ChrisN said:
Nobody has mentioned the potential downsides: a more limited dynamic range, and slide film's lack of tolerance for correct exposure.

Beautiful on the light table though. 🙂
Click to expand...

This is true....
But A DSLR of DRF produce a "Positive" also, and the exposure with JPGs are also about 1/3 - 1/2 stop of Tolerance. So it's just a mater of knowing what to meter, once you know how the film reacts to the cameras metering. The M5 has a semi-spot meter, so I can "aim" the area where I need it.
 
ChrisN said:
Nobody has mentioned the potential downsides: a more limited dynamic range, and slide film's lack of tolerance for correct exposure.

Beautiful on the light table though. 🙂
Click to expand...

I find its more limited dynamic range a positive, because that's what on slide film converts reality to an abstraction or a representation with more punch: the slide character... Maybe you refer to the fact that slide film requires more precise exposure... That's a positive too, because that makes us better photographers and teaches us how to visualize light and contrast before composing and hitting the shutter, and that's useful and positive for other kinds of film too...

Who wants HDR trying to be closer ad closer to reality, if what we enjoy in photography is another vision...? That's precisely why B&W is King, because it's so different from what we see...

Cheers,

Juan
 
When I shoot medium format I often use slide film. Don't know exactly why but that just how the binders show when I look through them. There's just something with looking at 6x6 or 6x7 slides that keep me glued to the light table.
My darkroom is set up to print 35mm and I just don't feel like constantly switching back and fourth between lenses and readjusting the easel. That could be a flimsy excuse to pick up a second enlarger...
 
Juan Valdenebro said:
Pradovit something, I don't remember the exact number...

Cheers,

Juan
Click to expand...

I bought a Pradovit 600 a couple of years ago.
It`s always set up and I`ve fixed some matt white foamboard to the study wall so it`s ready to go.
I always found the set up the biggest downside to projecting slides.
Ffordes in the UK often carry a number of used Leica projectors.
 
ChrisN said:
Nobody has mentioned the potential downsides: a more limited dynamic range, and slide film's lack of tolerance for correct exposure.

Beautiful on the light table though. 🙂
Click to expand...

Not to mention the fact that many photo labs are doing away with their E-6 machines. As well, slide film has a limited tolerance for over exposure. You can over expose colour neg film as much as two stops and still get a decent image.
 
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One other drawback is that you soon end up with a LOT of hanging files and filing cabinets (I have four). Filing sheets are quite bulky and increasngy hard to find. Then you have to be pretty rigorous about restoring mounted slides to their correct places, after they've been pulled for use.

In other words, they're easier to find/see than negs, but they're also harder to keep track of and put back.

In many places, E6 is a matter of mail order or doing it yourself. I go for the latter with Tetenal in a CPE-2.

Cheers,

R.
 
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