What color film for Hexar AF?

[pismo923]

After shooting primarily b/w for the past year I want to start using some color film with my Hexar. My preference is for C41 though I do like Provia 100F. I am shooting mostly street/candid stuff with some occasional landscape. Negatives are scanned and processed. I was thinking that Superia 200 and 800 would cover the bases at a reasonable cost. I am also considering Pro 400H or Portra 400 with a ND filter as required. I am looking for medium contrast film with realistic colors. I personally do not care for Ektar or Superia 400.

What are your suggestions? Sample photos would be great.

 

[Sylvester]

Superia 200 is fun.
Portra 160 would be fine for your 1/250 limitation...

 

[pismo923]

Thanks Olivier. Do you scan Superia 200 ? How is the grain compared to Superia 400?

 

[Roger Hicks]

Portra 400. Very fine gain for the speed; enormous latitude. Slight overexposure (a stop or two) really matters very little.

NOT Ektar 100, which delivers the best results of all -- if you expose it as carefully as a slide film.

Cheers,

R.

 

[pismo923]

Roger are you suggesting I could forego 200 or 160 speed film and just overexpose Portra 400 a couple stops with acceptable results? If I could standardize on just one film that would be great.

 

[thegman]

Portra 400 is great, I've used a little Fujifilm 400H, and I think that has slightly less saturation, but they're pretty similar in that regard.

 

[Roger Hicks]

Roger are you suggesting I could forego 200 or 160 speed film and just overexpose Portra 400 a couple stops with acceptable results? If I could standardize on just one film that would be great.

Yes. More than just 'acceptable', too. Try it. I think you'll be delighted. It also has more underexposure latitude than any other film I've ever tried.

Cheers,

R.

 

[Sylvester]

Yes. More than just 'acceptable', too. Try it. I think you'll be delighted. It also has more underexposure latitude than any other film I've ever tried.

Cheers,

R.

The thing is... Hexar has top speed of 1/250 of a second which can become bothersome at iso 400 no? But it is excellent for shooting at very slow speeds, less camera shake than a Leica. That was why I suggested the 200 or the 160... And Portra 400 has too big grain to my eye when I scan it on my Epson V600...
And also, Superia 200 is much cheaper than Portra 400.... With better colours to my eye... And smaller grain... And you can underexpose it to be asa400... But I only scan C41 and inkjet print it, someone with colour darkroom experience may have a different opinion than mine. Someone with more experience period may have a different opinion.

 

[Sylvester]

Thanks Olivier. Do you scan Superia 200 ? How is the grain compared to Superia 400?

The grain of Superia 400 (to my eye and to the ones of my V600) looks like Superia 200 underexposed a stop. I prefer the 200 version, cheaper and better for me.
If you scan at 6400DPI, you'll see between grains which is rather nice when you use photoshop to edit your images... I kill colour noise in lightroom.

 

[Richard G]

Fuji Superia 200 is mostly what I use. Nice to make use of that F2 lens in the day time when possible. I find it takes underexposure surprisingly well for a colour negative film. And it's about the cheapest decent film here in Australia.

 

[HHPhoto]

After shooting primarily b/w for the past year I want to start using some color film with my Hexar. My preference is for C41 though I do like Provia 100F.

If you like Provia 100F than just use it. You can also use the cheaper current AgfaPhoto CT Precisa, which is made from Provia 100F batches.
As your Hexar AF has only 1/250s as shortest shutter time, an ISO 100/21° speed film makes much sense.

I am shooting mostly street/candid stuff with some occasional landscape.

Provia 100F / AgfaPhoto CT Precisa is a perfect match for that (e.g. I've never really been very satiesfied with Portra 400 with landscape shots).

Negatives are scanned and processed.

Provia 100F is the color film with the finest grain on the market (together with Velvia 100, Astia 100F, Sensia, Elitechrome 100, E100G). It has also a bit finer grain than Ektar and Reala.
And much much finer grain than all other ISO 200 and 400 color films.
You benefit a lot from this extremely fine grain in the scanning process, because all scanners are increasing the grain appearence by scanner noise (some scanners more, some expensive scanners less).

And with a slide you always have the original for true colors, just look at the slide and you know how the colors of the scan have to be.
That is not possible with color negative films. You cannot 'read' the colors on a color negative.

And with a slide you already have a finished picture, no need for the quality reducing (lots of information on the film is lost in the scanning process) and time consuming scanning process:
- you can hold it up to the light to view it
- you can use an excellent slide loupe (e.g. from Schneider, Rodenstock, Peak or Kaiser) to view it enlarged in excellent quality on a light table; the picture quality is much much better than viewing scannend film (both negative and slide) on a computer monitor
- you can project it with a projector on a screen and get by far the best picture quality.

You don't have this versatility with negative film.

I am looking for medium contrast film with realistic colors.

Provia 100F / CT Precisa is a perfect match for that.

Cheers, Jan

 

[pismo923]

Thanks Jan for the helpful insight. I will look into where I can get some AgfaPhoto CT Precisa online.

 

[HHPhoto]

Thanks Jan for the helpful insight. I will look into where I can get some AgfaPhoto CT Precisa online.

You are welcome.
For example you can order it at www.macodirect.de , www.fotoimpex.de , www.ag-photographic.co.uk , www.silverprint.co.uk.

Cheers, Jan

 

[ampguy]

my favorite photos from this camera were taken with the discontinued Reala 100 shot at 50.

 

[pismo923]

Decided to try some Fuji Pro 400H for the low contrast. I looked at some images from the Fuji and preferred the look of the cooler tones. I will shoot it at 200 to 320. Also bought some Superia 800 for low light. Added some Delta 400 to the order and I am set for the year. Hopefully spring is finally here and I can actually see some color around here 🙂

 

[roboflick]

ektar

ektar

Try ektar 100, I shot a roll in NYC with it and you can almost taste the colors, really nice and saturated, Don't forget velvia 100. I love bright saturated colors in my photography, so your preference might be different, but I think those are the few films that can take advantage of the incredible resolution and contrast of the lens on the hexar
Nik

 

[anjoca76]

Decided to try some Fuji Pro 400H for the low contrast. I looked at some images from the Fuji and preferred the look of the cooler tones. I will shoot it at 200 to 320. Also bought some Superia 800 for low light. Added some Delta 400 to the order and I am set for the year. Hopefully spring is finally here and I can actually see some color around here 🙂

I too just shot my first roll of Fuji 400H and sent it off to be processed. I am excited to see the results. Assuming it turns out as well as the examples I've seen, especially overexposed, I am kicking myself for not having worked with this film earlier.

 

[Aristophanes]

I shoot Portra 400 rated at 800 in my Hexar AF. Works beautifully. Helps with the shutter speed limit. Lose nothing visibly in the prints/scans.

I have also used Fuji Superia 200 (in the camera right now as my 'volume' film) and shoot it only at box speed.

I will next try with Ektar 100 at box as the sun comes out (eventually).

 

[pismo923]

I shoot Portra 400 rated at 800 in my Hexar AF. Works beautifully. Helps with the shutter speed limit. Lose nothing visibly in the prints/scans.

How does this help with the 1/250 shutter in daylight?

Lot's of good film still out there. Thanks for all the suggestions. If I find the Pro 400H colours too muted for landscape then I will get some Provia.