Someone still use slides?

[santila]

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I am using slides, mostly Velvia but also did like very much the Agfa CT Precisa that been discontinued. Here in the USA there is no problem to process 35mm e-6 but anything larger one needs to hunt around. I do my own processing of e-6 up to 4x5 however the problem is that while not shooting as much slides as used to it and mixing chemistry for afew rolls is waste of money since the chemestry should be used up in a short time.

Just a note, I am planning to be in shortly in Umbria and may be also in Firenze.

[nyrich]

I'm still shooting a lot of slides and have no problem getting E6 processing done here in New York City. Many labs have shut down and mine is now taking 24 hours but finding a lab to handle E6 processing simply isn't an issue here.

[flavio]

first of all: thanks everybody joining this thread. what is arising is a worldwide slides situation.

I'm wondering: watching the nowadays situation, slides labs appear to go down. Some are closed, the others are living though at lower (sometime so much lower) rate. Anybody told you about problems to survive? In my town and others in my region, many labs are off of the business, even in big town. My lab is a pro one, serving not just my town but my region at all (Tuscany), so the problem seems to be important. I know that I can buy rolls even through the Net, but find a developing lab may create problem or, at least, so much time to get slides back, risking to loose some.

Just this afternoon I got back my last Velvia roll. Just say 5 words: I like it SO much! Planes separation, soft differences and undertone of colours, chrystal clear object (may be trees, leaves, animals, faces, soil or whatever you like).

 

I understand digital camera may win in the future, but today quality is, by my side, in the slide area. Clearly.

 

Thanks again. Hope to read you soon.

 

PS Hi Sander, hope to meet you in Firenze! Umbria is a lovely region too.

[santila]

Flavio, my email is santilaatmethownetdotcom

 

Drop me a line.

[fotohuis]

Sure, Fuji's Velvia is great, also their Provia slide films. Also the upgrade from Fuji is OK: (Provia 400X instead of the 400F) and I am sure we can expect rather soon an upgrade for the Provia 100F, (Provia 100X (??) ).

 

I even use medium format slides in my M645 pro also. But also the M7 (Leica) is by time filled with slide film (Provia 100F).

 

Best regards,

 

Robert

[sender]

While I used to shoot only Kodachrome, the difficulty getting it processed have made me experiment with alternatives, and I have been using (and am so far happy with) Fuji Provia -- very fine grain like Kodachrome. I am disappointed that Kodak has made it so difficult to process Kodachrome.

Stuart

[DaCh]

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I don’t think we should be too hard on Kodak. They have kept Kodachrome alive for long enough, sadly it is time to move on.

It is a ridiculously complicated process that no longer offers any real benefit over good E6. Not to mention the economics of keeping a lab running for just a few rolls a day.

I finally gave up using Kodachrome about a year ago; now Fuji Provia and Velvia are doing a good job for me. I do not imagine E6 will be disappearing any time soon but processing will not be found in every lab and chemist. If you do not have a local lab it will be worth asking local professionals where they get E6 processed, you will probably find that one of them runs a processor and they would be glad of the extra through put.

Cheers

David

[hamey]

Here in Melbourne, I drop my E6 slides at Prism Lab in North Melbourne.

90 minutes later I can pick them up.

Thats service.

 

Now I know why they call Melbourne the most livable city in the world.

 

Ken.

[DBerens]

Slides are the only way I shoot color (at least until I bite the bullet and go digital). I find color negative exposures very lacking - it must be my technique, because some people get beautiful results with them.

 

Luckily in Portland, Oregon you can still get slides done in several places. I agree it's a shame about the Kodachrome situation.

[KM-25]

I don’t think we should be too hard on Kodak. They have kept Kodachrome alive for long enough, sadly it is time to move on.

It is a ridiculously complicated process that no longer offers any real benefit over good E6. Not to mention the economics of keeping a lab running for just a few rolls a day.

I finally gave up using Kodachrome about a year ago; now Fuji Provia and Velvia are doing a good job for me. I do not imagine E6 will be disappearing any time soon but processing will not be found in every lab and chemist. If you do not have a local lab it will be worth asking local professionals where they get E6 processed, you will probably find that one of them runs a processor and they would be glad of the extra through put.

Cheers

David

 

Well, I see it a bit differently. Seems as though I live a hectic life lately, on the heels of Kodachrome and all. I shot Kodachrome from age 13 until 1995. By then I then fell victim to Velvia's brilliant colors and had already been made to shoot digital at my newspaper job so Kodachrome took a back seat.

Since last August, I have been shooting at least 5 rolls of Kodachrome a week and as many as 40 if I am away from my commercial and stock work to work on this project. I have found that like any film, you have to learn Kodachrome's chromatic distribution in order to fully exploit it. It is unlike any other film made. It's art.

 

Kodachrome seems to go higher and higher in image quality as one's inputs are refined. E-6 films appear to lack the awesome tonal range of Kodachrome and the biting sharpness that it has despite grain. When you nail this stuff, like Allard, Harvey, Turner and Maisel have, it screams so much more loudly than any other film. And not with garish colors and truncated chroma-zones like much revered Velvia.

 

The images I am getting right now on this film from Leica aspherics just blow my mind.

I think people ought to be shooting Kodachrome as a matter of record before this important part of history comes to pass.

 

The film is legendary, dont regret not using it, get out and shoot it!

 

That is what I am doing..

 

...One thing is for sure though, it will not be around too much longer.

[gyoung]

Here in Melbourne, I drop my E6 slides at Prism Lab in North Melbourne.

90 minutes later I can pick them up.

Thats service.

 

Now I know why they call Melbourne the most livable city in the world.

 

Ken.

 

And it has a dealer called Michaels with a wonderful museum, including some lovely Leica stuff.

michaels camera - video - digital - Michaels Camera Museum

I found it by accident when I went in to get some Provia when on holiday there last November

 

Gerry

[flavio]

Agree: Kodachrome is a wonderful film. So today I went to my local photo shop asking for such a film. You already know the answer I got.

I understand that in USA only I can find a lab to develop it, but where I can find a shop to purchase it? I'll look around here in Firenze or in Italy.

It is interesting to know more by the technical side about Kodachrome and Velvia and/or other film. Anyone can tell me where to look for?

 

Thanks

 

Flavio

[anabasis]

I use slide film almost exclusively in my Leica. Mostly Fuji, but I got a small stock of K64 and at least one of those rolls will make it into the Leica.

 

I send my K64 directly to Dwaynes, and my E6 to a lab in Hollywood California. It takes about a week to do, but E6 labs are getting more difficult to find and more expensive as well.

 

JCA

[hamey]

And it has a dealer called Michaels with a wonderful museum, including some lovely Leica stuff.

michaels camera - video - digital - Michaels Camera Museum

I found it by accident when I went in to get some Provia when on holiday there last November

 

Gerry

 

Hello Gerry.

 

Thats one place I wouldn't buy my Leica gear from, nore for that matter FILM.

If you walked a 100 metres further up lonsdale street you would have come across The Camera Exchange with planty of Leicas on show as well as super service at very good prices.

 

If you go into that other store looking to buy a Leica, you will most likely walk out with something differant.

 

And in IMHO 90% of Leica Camera Enthusiast in Melbourne buy and meet at the Camera Exchange.

 

Cheers.

 

PS... The Museum is great though, at least it's FREE.

[thrd]

hello,

here in the Germany I've got no problems to get different types of the slide-films and to develope them quickly. I hope, that this way will go on, because my R6.2 & R7 with the R-lenses "love" all kinds of "chromes" ;-)

[gberger]

Been shooting slides since Kodachrome was rated at 12.

 

Kodachrome is gone. Have used the various yellow box offerings and Agfa.

 

Finally settled on Fujichrome. Velvia for "picture postcard" saturation. Astia for neutral palette and extremely fine grain. Astia slides taken with the 50 ASPH and projected are gorgeous and almost 3-D. (P2002, SuperColorplan, matte screen)

[KM-25]

Been shooting slides since Kodachrome was rated at 12.

 

Kodachrome is gone. Have used the various yellow box offerings and Agfa.

 

Finally settled on Fujichrome. Velvia for "picture postcard" saturation. Astia for neutral palette and extremely fine grain. Astia slides taken with the 50 ASPH and projected are gorgeous and almost 3-D. (P2002, SuperColorplan, matte screen)

 

Been shooting slides since age 13, Kodachrome is not gone. It will be soon though. If Kodachrome is gone, then I must be "High"......

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[xjr]

Naturally....and B&W !

[LKSC]

Im only just starting to use K64 (better late than never).

 

Any advice on how to handle strong sunlight/ high contrast situations?

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Hallo,

Look here: Interesting Leica gear

[KM-25]

Im only just starting to use K64 (better late than never).

 

Any advice on how to handle strong sunlight/ high contrast situations?

 

Choose your subjects wisely. I often use a handheld meter on a sunny day and rate it at ISO 80 or even 100 if I am going for rich color.

 

Also, study some of the greats of National Geographic, Sam Abell, David Alan Harvey and most definitely William Albert Allard. They all shot loads of Kodachrome from the 60's to the late 80's. In all honesty, National Geographic looked best in that day and age, I am not overly impressed with the Velvia days and later. Also look at Jay Maisel and Peter Turner's work as well.

 

Get this book by Allard, some of the best use of Kodachrome you will ever see, seriously, get it right now:

 

http://cgi.ebay.com/Portraits-of-America-by-William-Albert-Allard-2001_W0QQitemZ120073378056QQihZ002QQcategoryZ378QQrdZ1QQssPageNameZWD1VQQcmdZViewItem

 

As I am doing a project on Kodachrome, I have different lenses in terms of contrast levels. Highest contrast being Leica aspherics, mid level are Nikon AIS, lower contrast are Hasselblad XPan. This helps me control contrast in the film which can not be adjusted inherently.