[Leica] Re: Color film advice needed

[jcb at visualimpressions.com (JCB)]

Good info Herb...

Thanks,

JB


At 02:53 PM 8/10/2004, Herbert Kanner wrote:


>There has been an incredible change in the quality of print film since the 
>'80s. At least for 8 x 10 from 35 mm, I see no point in using film slower 
>than 400. Perhaps the 800 film will begin to show grain for that degree of 
>enlargement. The print film of the '80s had poor color saturation and poor 
>definition--definitely good for little other than portraiture (my humble 
>opinion).  The current stuff is absolutely brilliant. If your ultimate 
>object is prints, not slides, print film is now the preferred medium, if 
>only that it's great latitude means that decisions as to whether to show 
>detail in shadows or highlights can usually be made when printing--do not 
>need to be made when shooting the picture.
>
>People have their favorites, but I'm convinced that there is not that much 
>difference between films, despite what reviewers say.  At one point, I 
>read a glowing review of Agfa Optima; I had been using Fuji Superia.  So, 
>I put a roll of each in each of two cameras and shot the same picture 
>using the same focal length.  Well, when I first printed, the two 
>negatives produced radically different colors, but after fiddling with the 
>enlarger filtration, I was able to produce indistinguishable prints from 
>both. And, since the grain appeared similar, I settled on the Fuji, which 
>is obtainable in groceries and and drug stores all over the world, while 
>the Agfa film, at least around here, is only to be found in a camera store.
>--
>Herbert Kanner