Kodak Ektachrome, Fujifilm Provia 100F, and Fujifilm Velvia 50
When I got into photography I started with black and white film. I dabbled a little bit with color but I shot exclusively black and white for a few years until I finally took a color photography class (where we used slide film to begin with). Seeing my photos in color changed how I shot and it made me more excited about my photographs. To me color photography is more realistic than black and white, it’s not as abstract and with color you include more elements into your photos.
I haven’t shot slide film for almost a decade. Overall I prefer color negative film, colors are more muted and it’s definitely more versatile being able to handle contrasty scenes with it’s added dynamic range.
Since Kodak Ektachrome is now available for medium format I decided to try it out. I shot these rolls under bright sunlight, some out in New York, the Jersey shore, and in California. I love the crispness of it and slightly cooler look to it compared to color negative film. Is it something that I want to keep shooting with? I think in certain situations I would use it but it’s not a go-to film.
There aren’t many more choices out there for slide film any more. In the US, we have access to Fuji Provia 100 and Fuji Velvia 50/100. And now Kodak Ektachrome. I shot a roll of Provia 100 and shot a roll of Ektachrome on the same day, with more or less the same lighting conditions. There is a slight difference, it’s hard to describe but they are very similar. From what I’ve read online, Provia has slightly better dynamic range when compared to Kodak Ektachrome. I did like the results of Ektachrome but with it costing almost $20 more for a pack of 5, I would go with Provia over Ektachrome.
I also tried 2 rolls of Fuji Velvia 50 recently and absolutely love it. I’ve shot Ektacrome and Provia in full on daylight and I wanted to test slide film during and after sunset. Velvia soaks up light and color like nothing I’ve ever seen. It’s a film you would shoot in certain situations and at those right times, it’s something special.
So my advice with slide film, try it out. Knowing the right situation to shoot is important to get the most out of it. Scanning is a little easier as well. Getting the color is easy because you can just look at your film as a reference.
Here are some photos from over the past two months of me shooting slide film. Kodak Ektachrome and Fuji Provia images were taken with a Mamiya 7 or 7ii and the Fuji Velvia was shot with a Hasselblad 500c/m.
