Walgreens 800 speed film report ... :(

[dmr]

While I was shooting the night scenes of Las Vegas a couple nights ago, I ran short of film. I stopped in a Walgreens on the Strip to see if they had any 800. Yes. they did, two choices. Fuji for $8 and change per roll, and the store brand Agfa for $3.99.

I figured what the heck and got a couple rolls. I resumed shooting and took all rolls to Wally World in the morning. The difference between Fuji (what I usually shoot) and the Walgreens was like night and day, and I was very disappointed with the Walgreens film.

In short, quite grainy and contrasty, with green spotted "dirt" in the dark solids. 🙁

The left shot below was typical of the Walgreens ones, and the right one is what I usually get from Fuji. Notice the difference? Yeah, I thought you could.

You get what ya pay for! (For those following the other thread, I shoulda left it with the leader stuck in the cartridge.)

Oh well ...

 

[siverta]

Looks like a film from a cheap single-use camera. I´ve seen many single-use cameras with "German film inside" or "italian film inside". They are all the same: Horrible colours, old, brittle, and made in China (and probably with illegal child labour). And the film housing (don´t know a better English word for it) is from Fuji.

Sivert

 

[Flow]

I hope at least you had a good casino trip though... 😛


I think the problem with disposables is not just in the film, and those brand name disposable are often the same film as those in retail canisters. It is also the lens (aka piece of plastic) that makes the pictures horrible. Ironically, have anyone read the package of Kodak MAX disposable camera? It says on the package "best lens"... Heh Heh... 😉

 

[Jon Goodman]

I don't mind using cheap film as long as I'm careful to use a good processor (not 1 hour--I never use those). In fact, I've had excellent results with Ritz house brand, Ferrania, Walgreen's, Eckerd's, others. Many times I honestly see no difference between those and Fuji, Kodak, etc...particularly in ASA100 and 200 speeds, and I've had other people tell me they couldn't differentiate between them, either.
Jon

 

[pshinkaw]

For some reason, Ferrania, from ISO 200 up looks unacceptably grainy to me. I find Walgreen's/Agfa to be acceptable from ISO 100 to ISO 400 although I have pretty much standardized on Fuji as my color negative film of choice. When I go faster than ISO 400, I really like Fuji 1600. I use it throughout the high school sports season.

I would use Kodak amatuer films more but for the cost and their constant changing of names and supposedly, color characteristics. From year to year I just can't keep up with their so-called improvements. The name changes also make it much harder to comparison shop based on price differences.

If I'm testing out a camera repair job I just use Walgreen/Agfa ISO 100 in 12 exposure rolls.

-Paul

 

[Stephanie Brim]

I may have to try out that film for myself...interesting coloring. The Agfa shot looks really neat in my opinion. Then again, I have been called strange once or twice.

 

[dmr]

I may have to try out that film for myself...interesting coloring. The Agfa shot looks really neat in my opinion. Then again, I have been called strange once or twice.

Oh, I've been called strange very recently, like for carrying a 30 year old camera when all the others had these digitals. 🙂

I've got much better shots of the Bellagio from the last trip with Fuji 800 film.

http://www.letis.com/dmr/pics/vegas/vegas3/dmr1-017-7.jpg is an example. Much cleaner.

In comparing the rolls, it's VERY obvious which are Fuji and which are Popeil.

When I take night shots I wanna see deep black solids. The night sky is supposed to be dark. Yeah, there's a glow in a city, but it's not made up of dirty green specks. 🙁

I also want to see reasonable highlight detail. Yeah I know that a bright bulb will saturate the film, but there should be detail in what's illuminated by that bulb.

The Ronco 800 film is too contrasty, too grainy, and too dirty in the shadows for my taste.

I did try the Polaroid 200 from Wally World and it worked fine for casual stuff.

Live and learn!

 

[Flow]

Why would people call you strange for carrying a 30 years old camera?I find nothing wrong with that. Lots of people are going into digital mainly due to the convenience and the instant gratification. But I find film cameras a lot more reliable than digital cameras. Even when I go out with full digital gear I will still bring at least a film P&S just in case the digital one fails. And plus I think carrying a few extra rolls of film is a lot lighter than a few extra lithium-ion battery packs.


Flowen