Slide film for Medium Format

[Guest]

Hi,

as some of you know alraedy, I just purchased a used Rollei 6003 professional. Since I use a lot Fuji Velvia and Fuji Provia 100F for my Contax 35mm equipment, I originally wanted to use them in Medium Format too.

When I checked now the stores in Frankfurt within the last days, I was quit shocked, that first there is almost no dealer offering anymore 120 rolls (2 years ago there have been many) and secondly they seem to have increased prices quiet a lot.

So I am looking now for recommendations for other slide films which are close to the performance of the ones named above but hopefully cheaper.

Is this a dream or is there still hope? Which slide film do you prefere in MF and how do you control your costs ?

Dirk

 

[Guest]

Dirk,

In Europe: Try www.mx2.com. Once you buy them in packs by 10 you save =20=

even more. After switching to MF more and more I tried them and found =20=

them quite good. Also batteries are a lot cheaper (at least than here =20=

in Switzerland).

My personal experience is that MF is small format cost plus 50%. But as =20=

I am much more selective when shooting MF and get just better results =20=

it became my favorite format.

Best, Andre

-- =20

Andr=E9 Oldani

My Websites Serious work on www.six-by-six.com Friends & Family on www.ola.ch Passion on www.alpavision.ch Worldwide on www.contax.ch

 

[Guest]

Dirk,

I use Fuji Astia 100 for medium format (and 35mm). I like the colours better than Provia. Also, it scans much better than Provia. I tried Provia 100 when I first started using slide film, but when I scanned it, it very often had a strong blue cast in the scanned image. Astia always scans perfectly for me.

As for controlling costs, I agree with Andre: I become more disciplined about taking each shot, whereas with 35mm it's a little too easy to just "shoot away" recklessly. So I take less pictures in medium format, but I get more good pictures in the end. With 6x9 I only get 8 exposures on a roll of film, so I even try to avoid bracketing. That means I try harder to get the exposure right the first time. It forces me to be more careful with the metering and to really think about it more. My photography improved a lot when I started shooting medium format with totally manual cameras like the Fuji rangefinders. And my costs went down compared to 35mm.

 

[Guest]

I agree with Craig. I find that Medium Format actually costs less to run with slide film than 35mm because I take fewer pictures and have a much higher success rate per film. Also the large (6 by 6 in my case) slides stand out as being far superior to 35mm.
As for projection, I bought an old (even then) magazine projector some years ago and it does fine. It wasn't too expensive as I recall. Projected medium format slides knock spots off 35mm.
For film choice, I vary around the Fuji range but I haven't tried scanning them yet.
John

 

[Guest]

Craig,

is Astia not the pro-version of the current Sensia 100? I think I read somewhere that it would use the exact same emulsion.

I heard very often that the Astia is better in the highlights and with skin tones then Profia F or Velvia, but I never tried it...

André,

thanks for the mx2 hint. Seems quite cheap. I just came across www.ppl.de . They seem to be even marginal cheaper, but pay attention on how you pay them, the minimum amount for saving money and the way of shipping. Otherwise it gets expensive without knowing it...

All together,

I agree with you all - this is why I wanted to go into the 6x6 format. I want to force me to slow down. I do not have much time to shoot anyway, so the idea is to use at least this spare time more consciously. As you all said, MF forces me to think far more ahead. This only can help for better results.

I like the square a lot. It gives me more "feelings" then the 6x7 or 4.5x6. Maybe because it is only different. My father has an old Rolleiflex 2.8F - beautiful camera, but not easy for someone who is not used to it.

I will try the road with this used Rollei 6003. I hope it is easier because of the modern metering and better viewing screens. But it is also a lot heavier (2.1kg vs. 1kg). We will see...

I was first thinking about a Hasselblad 500C/M (it is 500g lighter then the 6003) but I absolutely wanted to have this old fashioned finder hood to look from the top. With Hasselblad you can have it only without metering and I am to lazy to take always a handmeter with me. Lenses are by 80% identical designs anyway - so I decided for the Rollei.

Dirk

 

[Guest]

I agree about the 6 by 6 format (sorry I can't find a times sign on the computer!). I like the square and find it easy to compose to fill the frame. Although the format is often derided, the deriders don't know what they are talking about.
I think with the Rolleiflex, looking down into the focussing screen could be an advantage. It gives you a slightly different view of the subject which can somehow make all the difference. I used to have a Yashicamat 124G which did just that. I sold it when I bought my mamiya 6's and wished I hadn't.
John

 

[Guest]

Dirk,

I've never tried Sensia, but I've seen some Sensia slides, which look similar to Astia in terms of colour and contrast, and have the designation "RA" on the film edge, while Astia has "RAP". So there's a good possibility that Sensia and Astia are off the same production line. We would need a Fuji person to confirm it.

Bottom line is to try it. I've never seen Sensia in 120 format, that's why I haven't used it yet.

 

[Guest]

I'm not a Fujifilm guy but to my knowledge Astia IS the pro version of Sensia. Being an "amateur" emulsion there is no 120/220 available. No rule without exception: I saw the neg emulsions Supra 100/400 in 120. Reala was there always in small and medium format but it's not an amateur film to me.

Best, Andre

 

[rpnagel]

André, where exactly did you see Kodak Supra100 or 400 ???
Kodak Gold 200 exists also as Format 120 and has VERY good MTF Kurves (for the techies ) among us. In Zurich Eschenmoser has it.