All posts filed under: Film Review

Banff (In Color): New City, New Film – Ektar & Portra 160

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This article shows off some of the color negative film I tried out on my vacation to Banff, CA in April2019. To see some of the black and white negative work, please follow this link.  Several of this films in this article have exposure tested and compared to other color negative films – this article is located here.   The Canadian Rockies were calling and we answered. In a moment of spontaneity and luck finding round-trip tickets for only 18k points, we got our tickets and booked a hotel within a couple hours and I immediately started thinking about what film I was going to take. For ease (and out of pure laziness) I needed to make sure everything was ASA 400 or slower so I didn’t have to have the film hand-checked. For color negative film, I ended up taking a pro pack of Portra 400 (per usual), Ektar, and Portra 160. I also ended up taking a few rolls of Fuji Provia and Ektachrome. Portra 160 I gave this film a shot after …

Review: Fuifilm Fujicolor Superia X-TRA 800

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One of the primary reasons I started this site was for a lack of a information on the web that provided film reviews from one person – I always found forums and flickr to have to much variety.  On filckr in particular, photos ranged from terrible pictures that makes one wonder if the photographer knew how to use a meter or if the photo was taken by a professional and all of their pictures look amazing.  One site I look to a lot is Alex Burke’s (his work is amazing and I have learned a lot from reading through it) but I sometimes found it frustrating that some film stocks he reviewed were discontinued. With all that said, let me talk about the film stock that got me back into film photography.  It was cheap, widely availble, and came in rolls of 24exp so I could shoot through them quickly and get them developed the same day.  Was great for someone transitioning back into film after owning a digital camera for years. I won’t talk …

Review: Ilford XP2 Super

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Much like Illford Delta 3200, my feelings on this film are laregely dependant on whether I’m shooting 35mm or 120.  There are only a handful of shots I like that have been in 35mm format but I’ve mostly liked all of my 120 stuff. This film is, of course, the most peculiar to try and categorize.  It’s a B&W film that’s processed as color (C-41 processing).  I started giving this film a go when I was living in Charleston, SC and there was a film lab across the street but they could only do color.  Since I was shooting half color at the time anyhow, it seemed only natural that I shoot a B&W film that could be processed at the same place.  That said, after having a couple rolls get ruined at the shop across the street and already not being a huge fan of this stock, I moved on and haven’t used it in a while. In sunny outdoor conditions, this film is very boring.  Almost every shot felt like a grey blob …

Review: Ilford Delta 3200

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To see Ilford Delta 3200 exposure tested and compared with other B&W film, follow this link. For my medium format cameras, this film has been in pretty heavy rotation for a while as there isn’t much competition for it.  The speed of it makes it pretty attractive when the fastest lenses for my 6×4.5 and 6×7 cameras are f/2.8 and f/3.8, respectively.  When you’re talking about using it in 120 format, it’s pretty sharp and not very grainy.  That’s of course thanks to a unique emulsion making it easy to push without getting crushed shadows. That said, I’ve shot through only two rolls in the 35mm format and was really disappointed both times.  I got a couple shots I liked out of both but really felt a bit let down – it was often way too grainy to make a decent sized print with and the tonal range is a lot more limited than Kodak’s conterpart.  I’ll continue to keep some in the fridge in 120 but probably won’t try any more in 35mm unless …

Review: Kodak Ektachrome E100

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Ektachrome was the first slide film I’ve ever tried. I bought a few rolls the day it came out and left on a trip to Arizona the next day. I shot Ektachrome in my Nikon F2 and Fujichrome Provia in my Mamiya 645 Pro TL at the same time while hiking through Lockett Meadow. Needless to say, for it being a first attempt, I went all in and bet everything would turn out alright. For those that are not familiar with slide film, it is very temperamental. By that I’m referring to the exposure latitude (or lack thereof) and tendency to get blown out pretty quickly. As such, you have to get the exposure right on point and err on the side of underexposure. Yes- that’s the exact opposite of most color film. Overall, my thoughts are very positive about this film. So much so that I’ve shot thru several rolls of it and I’ve continued to maintain a stock of it at home, waiting for the sunny weather and long days to come back. …

Review: Fujifilm Fujichrome Provia 100F RDP-III

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If you’ve never shot a roll of slide film, you should absolutely do it now. The sensation you get from holding the diapositives (or slides if you’re shooting 35mm and you get them mounted) is exhilarating. I still get the same rush of looking at them the 20th time as I got the 1st time. It’s hard to overstate how much I love Provia. My first foray into slide film was Ektachrome as soon as the new stock came last year. Since Ektachrome wasn’t available in 120 and I wanted the chance to shoot through a roll in my Mamiya on a trip to Arizona we were taking in October, I picked up some Provia. The vibe of it is just unreal. The tones are amazing and there’s so much clarity… I took a good scan of the first photos and printed it out into a 24in x 36in sheet and it couldn’t look any better. I honestly think it’s sharper than an equivalent shot on my digital camera (Sony a7). That’s enough of the …

Review: Kodak Tri-X

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To see Kodak Tri-X exposure tested and compared with other B&W film, follow this link.   It took me far too long to give Tri-X the attention it deserves. I shot through several rolls of T-Max 400 and moved into high-speed B&W film stocks like Ilford’s Delta 3200 and Kodak’s TMax P3200. Prior to a trip to NYC in late 2018, I picked up a pro pack of Tri-X 120 and shot it exclusively in my Mamiya 645. All it took for me was that trip and I’m sold. It has just the right amount of grit and the gradient is so unique; the shadows aren’t harsh but much more pronounced than a lot of other films and the brights are unmistakably bright. I’m still shocked at how gorgeous some of these turned out. =Having started using Tri-X, I’ve realized so much of what I looked for and wanted in B&W photography was here.  It was then that I started making my home with this film. Before long, I expect to start experimenting with it …