19 replies to this topic

[Cybergoldfish]

Kodak, in their infinite generosity have sent me some new professional film to assess for use underwater...

This may not be spanking new but I have never seen these marks rated anywhere:?

3 types:

Reversal - E100G - 100ASA Extremely fine grain. This is supposed to out perform velvia 50 and 100 ASA.

Prints - PORTRA 160 vc (vivid color) A print film that should be ideal for ambient light shooting as well as general stuff. PORTRA 400 uc (ultra color).

Anyone had any UW exp. with either?

[scorpio_fish]

Wonder how the E100G compares to E100VS.

I'll definitely give the Portra 160 vc a try if it come in 4"x5" sheets.

[wetpixel]

I've used Portra 160 NC and VC. I found them to work as advertised. Pretty good stuff. But then I switched to digital, and now my memory of film is a little fuzzy...

[Cybergoldfish]

But then I switched to digital, and now my memory of film is a little fuzzy...

This can be a problem with digital!!!

[wetpixel]

This can be a problem with digital!!!

ha ha ha. very funny.

perhaps I should have said, "my memory of film is speckled with dust and fingerprints."

hahahaha!

[Cybergoldfish]

Wonder how the E100G compares to E100VS.

I'm told the 'G' stands for grainless - The techy at Kodak UK says it will be similar to the now sadly discontinued 25 - I cannot wait to see if this is correct! If so, bye bye Fuji!

[Cybergoldfish]

ha ha ha.  very funny.

perhaps I should have said, "my memory of film is speckled with dust and fingerprints."

hahahaha!

At least with film you may get a few grains of dust and a few speckles here and there but it usually only effects one or two frames... If the same happened to your sensor the whole dives goes TU!!!!

Also if my son sucks a few frames I just wash them under the tap... Can you do that with a sensor?

[Craig Ruaux]

If my son sucks a few frames I just wash them under the tap... Can you do that with a sensor?

I have this unescapable image of a Bart Simpson-esque character with his tongue stuck in the lens mount aperture of a D1X and a plaintive look in his eyes...

[Cybergoldfish]

Bart Simpson has nothing on Reefy Whorton!

[yahsemtough]

So he takes after his....

[Lionfish43]

This is link to a photo I took recently using the new EktachromeGX. I believe that GX is the equivalent of VS in the new "G" line of films.

[JackConnick]

I believe that GX is the equivalent of VS in the new "G" line of films.

Have you shot macro with it? How does it compare to Velvia 50.

Jack

[Cybergoldfish]

I got some developed on Komodo Dancer last week and it certainly does exactly what it says on the tin!

Unfortunately I am still in Bali until next Thursday so cannot scan em in yet

I was shooting leaf fish cuttlefish and shrimps at f22 @ 3" with my 20mm lens... They are as crisp as a crispy thing on a crisp day, with vividity I had only dreamed of!
Which is more than I can say for the weather here - *issing down of rain this morning.

Wicked trip on KD - 4 Yanks & 5 Brits. Great Manta dive too.

[cmdasia]

"f22 @ 3" with my 20mm lens" WOW that sounds like the answer to my DOF problems - what camera are you using (RS?)

[Cybergoldfish]

Nik V!

[cmdasia]

Would love to see some of the pics when you get them scanned - my major headache (I am a beginner) is that I love to take macro but am using a 105 (at f16 and 22 - 32 seems unattenable with my strobes and 50 ASA) to get in close and I have to take 10 shots of everything just to get lucky with one shot being in the DOF parameters. Its a major heartache everytime looking for that one shot. Last week I dove with someone who used the RS and a 50 mm and his DOF was massive for 1:1 compared to mine as well as being able to get right in there on the subject.

[Lionfish43]

I believe that GX is the equivalent of VS in the new "G" line of films.

Have you shot macro with it? How does it compare to Velvia 50.

Jack

Here is a macro with GX

Shrimps

I go against popular wisdom when it comes to film. I use VS for almost all of my macro and Velvia only on wide-angle. Take a look at my recent Philippines gallery.

Lionfish43

All of the macro is E100 VS. Only the crinoids wide-angle and the lionfish with crinoids were taken with Velvia

[JackConnick]

I've found Ek VS's color rendition to be a bit off for macro and really prefer Velvia. Even on your shots I'd say that's true. It seems to be very true color, very vibrant and grain free. I'll shoot some of the GX and see what I think, your shot is very nice. I'm limited to f22 with my S&S, so the extra speed isn't a big deal.

Here in the PNW, I have to shoot at least 100 asa for anything else, esp with f3.5.

Jack

[Lionfish43]

I've found Ek VS's color rendition to be a bit off for macro and really prefer Velvia. Even on your shots I'd say that's true.

I'm not sure what you mean by "off." I like the color rendition of VS but that's a matter of personal preference. I think that strobe selection has a lot to do with it as well. For macro, I use a pair of SB105s and E100VS. On which one of my macro shots does the color appear "off."

Another reason that I prefer VS is that the ASA rating is dead on. Some people shoot Velvia at ASA 32, others rate it at 40, my main gripe is the inconsistency from batch to batch. When I used to shoot Velvia, for macro, I would sometimes get slight underexposure other times not. I don't like inconsistency.

[JackConnick]

Not on your shots, but I've shot some bright red annenomes in Canada, that the color was a bit wierd, more orange-red, than pink red. I use a YS-120 and a YS-50, I think their color is pretty good. never had problems with Velvia's exposure, other than getting the strobes close enough.

Jack