COLOR FILMS COMPARED 8899 Your Guide to the Right Color Film By Julia Silber & Peter Kolonia n color film, image quality rules, with convenience a close super-low saturated color—a.k.a. black-and-white!). And contender. The best films are getting faster, with more don’t worry about that film going bad. When you’re not out Ibrilliant color, finer grain, and even, in some cases, lower shooting, keep it in the fridge to preserve its freshness, prices. These recent improvements are paying off in better, remembering to remove it about an hour before use. sharper pictures in tough lighting conditions, increased flash The secret to selecting film? Let the subject and shooting ranges, better background detail in flash shots, and greater conditions dictate your load. Put bright, colorful subjects on depth of field in good light. A win/win/win situation. ISO films that reproduce color with high saturation, for example. 400- and 800-speed films are battling to become The Doing otherwise will only frustrate you. Which films are the Standard. Both produce exceptional image quality that vies most highly saturated? Bingo! Let’s go to the charts! with ISO 100 and 200 results at normal print sizes. First, let’s scope out what’s new this year. Ironically, the And guess what? ISO 400 and 800 films had better watch 2001 edition is, perhaps, most interesting for its notable no- their backs, because ISO 1600 is catching up, just a tweak shows. One of the oldest color consumer films in continuous away from superior, knock-your-socks-off image quality. production is gone: Kodak Kodachrome 25 (see Okay, so you have a broad selection of excellent films at “Snapshots” for more on this). Another Kodak MIA is your disposal. But are you feeling overwhelmed by the task Vericolor III, the time-tested ISO 160 color negative that of choosing among them? Relax. For starters, you don’t recorded (probably) your parents’ and (maybe) your grand- have to choose just one. Carry several. Stock your camera parents’ wedding is also out. Both are casualties of the finer bag with a selection of high- and low-speed, normal and grain, faster speed, and richer color delivered by today’s high-resolution, normal and high-saturation films (even continued on page 144

COLOR SLIDE Color latitude Manufacturer FILM ISO ratingAbbreviationResolution Sharpness SaturationGranularityContrast Exposure Formats Price* Comments Agfachrome RSX II Sharp, fine grained, neutral balance for Agfa 50 RSX 50 Very high Very high Incr. Extr. fine Med. Mod. A,B $12.36 50 Prof. bright landscapes, closeups.

Fujichrome Warm balance (esp. skin tones); bold colors, Fujifilm 50 RVP Very high Extr. high Enh. Extr. fine Med. high Narrow A,B,C,D $12.41 Velvia Prof. and fine grain; Tested 7/94 and 6/99.

Fujichrome Pro 64T Tungsten-balanced, fine-grain film for studio Fujifilm 64 RTPII High High Incr. Very fine Med. Mod. A,B,D $13.84 Type II Prof. portraits, still lifes.

Decent exposure latitude, bold colors, and Kodak Ektachrome 64 Prof. 64 EPR High High Incr. Very fine Med. Mod. A,B,C,D $14.98 fine grain make this a pro favorite.

Tungsten-balanced film preferred for studio Kodak Ektachrome 64T Prof. 64 EPY High High Incr. Very fine Med. Narrow A,B,D $13.30 portraits and still lifes.

Accurate colors, fine grain. Near-archival Kodak Kodachrome 64 Prof. 64 PKR High Extr. high Incr. Extr. fine Med. high Narrow A $10.20 image lifespan. Amateur version available. Tested 6/94.

Agfachrome Very sharp, bold colors. Good for portraits, Agfa 100 CT 100 High Extr. high Incr. Extr. fine Med. high Mod. A $10.71 CTprecisa 100 architecture, scenics.

Agfachrome RSX II Very sharp. Accurate, bold colors. Good for Agfa 100 RSX II 100 High Extr. high Incr. Extr. fine Med. high Mod. A,B,D $14.24 100 Prof. fashion, portraits, closeups. Tested 6/99.

All-purpose slide film for flash portraits, Ferrania Solaris Chrome 100 100 Chrome 100 High High Incr. Very fine Med. Mod. A $6.80 brightly lit landscapes, beach scenes.

Fujichrome Astia Smooth, natural skin tones, accurate color, Fujifilm 100 RAP Very high Very high Incr. Very fine Med. Mod. A,B,C,D $12.06 100 Prof. for use in fashion, product photography.

*Prices based on 36-exposure roll unless noted. 1 Price based on 24-exposure roll. 2 Sold as a multi-pack. A: 35mm cassettes. B: 120 rolls. C: 220 rolls. D: Sheet film sizes. Color saturation: Incr=Increased; Enh=Enhanced; Mod=Moderate.

104 POPULAR PHOTOGRAPHY/JULY 2001 COLOR SLIDE Color latitude Manufacturer FILM ISO rating AbbreviationResolution Sharpness SaturationGranularityContrast Exposure FormatsPrice* Comments

Fujichrome Provia Very A,B, Bold colors, extremely fine grain. Use for fashion, Fujifilm 100 RDPIII Very high Incr. Extr. fine Med. Mod. $12.06 100F Prof. high C,D landscapes, portraits.

Extremely fine grain. Good for portraits, nature, Fujichrome Very Fujifilm 100 RA Very high Incr. Extr. fine High Mod. A $10.10 underwater, closeups. Renamed from Sensia II. Sensia 100 high Tested 6/97.

Ektachrome A,B, Neutral balance, very accurate color reproduction, Kodak 100 EPN High High Mod. Very fine Med. Mod. $14.01 100 Prof. C,D suitable for exacting catalog work.

Ektachrome 100 A,B, Accurate colors, neutral balance. For portraits, Kodak 100 EPP High High Mod. Very fine Med. Mod. $14.01 Plus Prof. C,D scenics, still lifes. Tested 11/96.

Ektachrome Very A,B, Warm-balance for overcast portrait, fashion, and Kodak 100 E100SW Very high Enh. Extr. fine Med high Mod. $12.06 E100SW Prof. high C,D architectural photography.

Ektachrome Very A,B, Enhanced color film for fashion, portraiture; use Kodak 100 E100S Very high Incr. Extr. fine Med. high Mod. $12.06 E100S Prof. high C,D when very bright colors are not desirable.

Ektachrome Very A,B, Vivid, saturated colors, extreme sharpness. Kodak 100 E100VS Very high Enh. Very fine High Mod. $12.06 E100VS Prof. high C,D Permits one-stop push.

Very Enhanced color film, great flesh tones, pleasing Kodak Elite Chrome 100 100 EB Very high Incr. Extr. fine High Narrow A $10.10 high contrast, bold colors. For portraits, landscapes. Tested 4/97.

Elite Chrome Very Extremely high color saturation for its speed class. Kodak 100 EBX Extr. high Enh. Very fine High Mod. A $10.60 Extra Color 100 high Well suited for nature, scenics.

Recommended for daylight landscapes, Konica Chrome R-100 100 n/a High Med. Mod. Very fine Mod. Narrow A $5.99 architecture, and product photography.

Ektachrome Tungsten-balanced film for studio portraits, Kodak 160 EPT High Med. Mod. Very fine Med. Mod. A,B $15.34 160T Prof. product shots, and stage lighting.

Amateur version of tungsten-balanced film for Kodak Elite Chrome 160T 160 ET High Med. Mod. Very fine Med. Mod. A $12.05 indoor (3200 K) lighting.

Agfachrome Medium-speed, very fine-grained film for action, Agfa 200 CT 200 High Med. Incr. Very fine Med. Mod. A $11.97 CTprecisa 200 children's portraits. Tested 7/98.

Agfachrome RSX Good speed-to-grain ratio, can be push or pull- Agfa 200 RSX II 200 High Med. Incr. Very fine Med. Wide A,B $14.88 II 200 Prof. processed with decent results.

Newest version has finer grain, more vivid color Fujichrome Fujifilm 200 RM High High Mod. Very fine Med. Wide A $12.05 than previous Sensia II 200. For portraits, nature, Sensia 200 and scenic photography.

Ektachrome Film for overcast landscapes, action. Rec. for Kodak 200 EPD High Med. Mod. Very fine Med. Mod. B $8.35 200 Prof. special effect cross-processing in C-41.

Ektachrome A,B, Versatile film. Very good colors and contrast even Kodak 200 E200 High High Mod. Very fine Med. Wide $13.35 E200 Prof. C when pushed to E.I. 800. Tested 1/98.

Medium-speed version of Elite II 400 with higher Kodak Elite Chrome 200 200 ED High High Mod. Very fine Med. Mod. A $12.05 color saturation. Tested 7/98.

Kodachrome Very Fast, sharp film with fine grain and near-archival Kodak 200 PKL Very high Incr. Very fine High Narrow A $15.34 200 Prof. high lifespan. Amateur version available.

Ektachrome High speed, tungsten balanced. Good for stage, Kodak 320 EPJ High High Mod. Fine Med. Mod. A $16.75 320T Prof. existing-light portraits. Tested 4/93.

Bold colors, neutral balance. For stage, low-light Fujichrome Provia Fujifilm 400 RHPIII High High Incr. Very fine Med. Wide A,B $16.70 portraits, and sports. Finer grain than 400 F Prof. previous Provia 400.

Newest version has finer grain and more vivid Fujichrome Fujifilm 400 RH High High Mod. Very fine Med. Wide A $14.00 color than Sensia II 400. Suitable for sports, stage, Sensia 400 and push processing.

Ektachrome Kodak 400 EPL High High Mod. Fine Med. Mod. A,B $16.75 Slightly warm balance, fine grain. 400X Prof.

Amateur version of Ektachrome . 400X with more Kodak Elite Chrome 400 400 EL High High Mod. Fine Med. Mod. A 1 $10.30 neutral color balance, fine grain. Tested 4/97.

Fujichrome Provia Designed for push processing. Use for sports, Fujifilm 1600 RSP Med. Med. Mod. Med. Med. high Wide A $18.00 1600 Prof. stage, low-light scenics. Tested 11/94.

Ektachrome High-speed film. Push processing required to Kodak 1600 EPH Med. Med. Mod. Med. Med. Wide A $18.19 P1600 Prof. obtain E.I. 1600 speed. Tested 4/93.

POPULAR PHOTOGRAPHY/JULY 2001 105 COLOR FILMS 8899COMPARED COLOR PRINT Color latitude Manufacturer FILM ISO rating AbbreviationResolutionSharpness SaturationGranularityContrast Exposure FormatsPrice* Comments

Very Extr. Extr. Accurate color, superfine grain, designed for Konica Impresa 50 Prof. 50 IMP50 Enh. Reduced Narrow A,B $8.19 high high fine scenics, underwater, closeups. Tested 6/92.

Agfacolor Very Extr. Well suited for large prints of brightly lit Agfa 100 Vista 100 High Incr. Med. Wide A $6.98 Vista 100 high fine portraits, scenics, and wildlife.

Optima II Very Very Very Sharp, fine-grained film for large prints from a Agfa 100 OPT100 Mod. Med. Mod. A, B $8.80 100 Prof. high high fine variety of subjects. Tested 3/91.

Very Extr. Very good image quality, excellent exposure Ferrania Solaris 100 100 100 High Incr. Med. high Wide A $4.98 high fine latitude, pleasing saturation.

Fujicolor Very Very Extr. General purpose film with improved color Fujifilm 100 CN Mod. High Wide A $6.98 Superia 100 high high fine reproduction under mixed lighting.

Fujicolor Very Very Extr. Has fourth light-sensitive layer for accurate Fujifilm 100 CS Enh. Med. Wide A $8.33 Superia Reala high high fine color reproduction under mixed light.

SUPRA Very Extr. Extr. Extremely fine grain, very good color, Kodak Supra 100 Prof. 100 Enh. High Mod. A $5.312 100 high high fine ideal for photojournalists.

Very Extr. Extr. Excellent all-purpose film with accurate colors Kodak Kodak 100 100 GA Incr. Med. high Wide A $7.00 high high fine and great skin tones. Reviewed 4/98.

Very Extr. Extr. A,B, Excellent choice for shooting under controlled Kodak Portra 100T Prof. 100 100T Incr. Med. Wide $5.962 high high fine D tungsten lighting. Optimized for scanning.

Very good image quality and color accuracy Centuria Very Konica 100 n/a High High Incr. Med. Wide A,B $6.47 over wide exposure range. (Available in 100 fine professional version.)

High Definition Extr. Good general-purpose film for family Polaroid 100 HD100 High High Incr. Med. Wide A $1.452 100 fine photography, outdoor subjects.

Very Very A,B, For portraits, weddings, and "people" Agfa Portrait 160 Prof. 160 XPS High Mod. Reduced Mod. $9.51 high fine C photography. Tested 3/91.

Fujicolor NPL Very Tungsten-balanced, medium-speed pro film Fujifilm 160 NPL High Med. Mod. Reduced Wide B,D $6.15 160 Prof. fine for studio portraits, still lifes.

Fujicolor NPS Very Very A,B, Fine grain, pleasing contrast, very useful for Fujifilm 160 NPS High Mod. Reduced Wide $9.40 160 Prof. high fine C,D mixed-light portraits, landscapes.

Fujicolor Portrait Extr. Very A,B, Excellent skintones and bold color, even Fujifilm 160 NPC High Incr. Med. high Wide $9.40 NPC 160 Prof. high fine C under flat light.

Portra Very Very A,B, Features extremely accurate skin tones, Kodak 160 160NC High Mod. Med. Wide $6.00 160NC Prof. high fine C,D excellent tonality. Optimized for scanning. Tested 3/99. Vivid colors, decent skin tones. Helpful when Portra Very Very A,B, Kodak 160 160VC High Incr. Med. high Wide $6.00 used under flat lighting. Optimized for 160VC Prof. high fine C,D scanning. Tested 3/99.

Very Extr. A,B, Pleasing contrast, superfine grain for Konica Prof. 160 160 PRO 160 High Incr. Reduced Mod. $6.73 high fine C portraits, weddings, and enlargements.

Agfacolor Very Good general-purpose, sharp film with vibrant Agfa 200 Vista 200 High High Incr. Med. Wide A $7.95 Vista 200 fine colors, very fine grain.

Optima II Very Good medium-speed pro film for still lifes, Agfa 200 OPT 200 High High Mod. Med. high Wide A,B $10.06 200 Prof. fine landscapes, and portraits.

Very Very good all-purpose, moderately priced film Ferrania Solaris 200 200 200 High High Incr. Med. Wide A $5.71 fine with fine grain, good sharpness, bold colors.

Fujicolor Very Very Increased sharpness, fine grain, good color Fujifilm 200 CA High Incr. Med. Wide A $7.95 Superia 200 high fine rendition, fourth emul. layer for mixed lighting.

Very Very Excellent color, very fine grain, for flash, Kodak Kodak 200 200 GB High Incr. Med. high Wide A $8.00 high fine portraits, fashion, scenics. Tested 4/98.

Very Very New top-grade medium-speed film for Kodak Royal Gold 200 200 RB High Incr. Med. high Wide A $8.75 high fine portraits, sports, and weddings.

Centuria Medium-speed film with neutral colors, fine Konica 200 n/a High High Incr. Fine Med. Wide A $7.56 200 grain; suitable for most subjects.

High Definition Very Sharp, general-purpose film with excellent Polaroid 200 HD 200 High Incr. Fine Med. Wide A $1.602 200 high grain and bold colors.

Agfacolor Very General-purpose film with very fine Agfa 400 Vista 400 High High Mod. Med. high Wide A $8.66 Vista 400 fine grain, bold colors. COLOR PRINT Color latitude Manufacturer FILM ISO rating AbbreviationResolution Sharpness Saturation GranularityContrast Exposure Formats Price* Comments

Optima II 400 A,B, Accurate color reproduction for low-light portraits, Agfa 400 OPT 400 High High Mod. Very fine Med. high Wide $9.75 Prof. C stage, fast sports. Tested 11/94.

Lowest-priced 400-speed film in single, 36 exp. rolls. Ferrania Solaris 400 400 400 Med. Med. Mod. Fine Med. high Wide A $6.41 Good for use in point-and-shoot cameras.

Fujicolor 400 A,B, Neutral skin tones, unbiased gray balance, for Fujifilm 400 NPH High High Mod. Very fine Med. Wide $9.87 NPH Prof. C wedding, portrait photographers.

Fujicolor Press A,B, Excellent high-speed film with wide exposure Fujifilm 400 NHG High High Mod. Very fine Med Wide $5.122 400 Prof. C latitude for available-light photography.

All-around high-speed film with fine grain, good Fujicolor Superia Fujifilm 400 CH High High Incr. Very fine Med. Wide A,B $8.66 sharpness and 4th layer for better X-TRA 400 results in mixed light.

SUPRA Can be push-processed to E.I. 800. Claimed to have Kodak Supra 400 Prof. 400 High High Enh. Fine High Wide A $5.362 400 extremely fine grain. Tested 7/98.

MAX Versatility Newly improved with great color saturation, very fine Kodak 400 GC Very high High Incr. Very fine Med. high Wide A $8.65 400 grain and improved latitude. Good multi-purpose film.

Sharp, colorful film with excellent skin tones and Portra A,B, Kodak 400 400NC High High Mod. Very fine Med. Wide $6.35 exposure latitude. Optimized for scanning. 400NC Prof. C,D Tested 3/99.

Portra A,B, Fast film with brilliant color and very good Kodak 400 400VC High High Incr. Very fine Med. high Wide $6.35 400VC Prof. C sharpness. Optimized for scanning. Tested 3/99.

A,B, Saturated color, very fine grain for portraits, Kodak Royal Gold 400 400 VPH High Med. high Incr. Very fine Med. Wide $9.55 C weddings, and enlargements. Tested 11/94.

This newly improved film provides good color Centuria Konica 400 n/a High Extr. high Mod. Extr. fine Med. Wide A $8.29 rendition under mixed lighting. Good choice for 400 compact cameras.

A 400-speed color-print film in 120 and 220 format, Konica Prof. 400 400 PRO 400 High High Mod. Fine Med. Wide B,C $5.25 well suited for a variety of lighting conditions.

High Definition Sharp, high-speed film. Ideal for action, sports, Polaroid 400 HD400 High High Mod. Fine Med. Wide A $1.852 400 stage, and indoor parties.

Agfacolor Color, grain and sharpness improvements suit it to Agfa 800 Vista 800 High High Incr. Very fine Med. Wide A $9.74 Vista 800 low light, slow lenses and fast-moving subjects.

New film features low cost and high speed. Ferrania Solaris 800 800 800 Med. Med. Mod. Med. Med. Wide A $7.94 Good for zoom compacts.

Fujicolor NHGII A, B, High-speed, fine-grain film with excellent latitude for Fujifilm 800 NHGII Med. high High Mod. Fine Med. Wide $9.872 800 Prof. C a variety of lighting conditions.

Pushable, for photojournalists. Very good under low- Fujicolor Press Fujifilm 800 CZ Med. high High Mod. Very fine Med. Wide A $5.862 light conditions. Fourth layer for good 800 Prof. results in mixed light.

High speed with good color and fine grain. Newly Fujicolor Superia Fujifilm 800 CZ Med. high High Mod. Very fine Med. Wide A $9.49 added 4th color layer for better results in mixed light. X-TRA 800 Tested 4/98.

Fujicolor Portrait A,B, Excellent skintones and better grain characteristics. Fujifilm 800 NPZ High Very high Incr. Very fine Med. Wide $9.872 NPZ 800 Prof. C Has Fuji's 4th color layer for mixed light performance.

SUPRA Exceptionally fine grain, can be push processed Kodak Supra 800 Prof. 800 High High Enh. Very fine Med. high Wide A $5.772 800 to E.I. 3200.

High speed film with accurate skin tones. Kodak Portra 800 Prof. 800 n/a High High Incr. Very fine Med. Wide B, C $6.952 Optimized for scanning.

MAX Versatility Newly improved with good color saturation and Kodak 800 GT High High Mod. Very fine Med. high Mod. A $9.86 Plus 800 fine grain for speed.

Centuria Newly improved with good color reproduction and Konica 800 n/a High Very high Mod. Very fine Med. Wide A,B $9.27 800 fine grain. Good choice for zoom compacts.

Ultraspeed film with good color for all low-light Kodak Royal Gold 1000 1000 RF Med. Med. Mod. Med. Med. high Wide A $9.201 requirements. Tested 11/94.

Fujicolor Good color film for low-light. New 4th color layer for Fujifilm 1600 CU Med. High Incr. Med. Med. Wide A $11.09 Superia 1600 better results in mixed light.

Fujicolor Press Recommended for low-light situations, especially Fujifilm 1600 CU Med. High Incr. Med. Med. Wide A $9.432 1600 Prof. under mixed light. *Prices based on 36-exposure roll unless noted. 1 Price based on 24-exposure roll. 2 Sold as a multi-pack. A: 35mm cassettes. B: 120 rolls. C: 220 rolls. D: Sheet film sizes. Color saturation: Incr=Increased; Enh=Enhanced; Mod=Moderate.

POPULAR PHOTOGRAPHY/JULY 2001 107 COLOR FILMS 8899 COMPARED continued from page 104 state-of-the-art emulsions. out, too. Finally, a former fave, Polaroid’s revived version of its “One Fujifilm’s MS 100/1000 (MS stands Film” that arrived with a marketing for Multi-Speed), the only ISO 100 splash in the mid 1990s (“The only reversal film to receive our “wide” film you’ll ever need!”) was also exposure latitude rating, is likewise canned. Judging from the how-low- dearly departed. can-you-go pricing, its “upscale” sib- In lieu of breakthrough technology, ling, Polaroid High Definition film this year’s charts feature numerous (ironically sold almost exclusively in name changes: Imation (née 3M, née WalMart stores), appear to be going Scotch) has finally settled on the name of its Italian manufacturer: Ferrania. GRANULARITY (RMS) Agfa’s HDC color negative films are Print Slide now called “Vista.” Fujifilm’s three Extr. fine Below 5 Below 11 Sensia II slide films dropped the “II”; Very fine 5 to 6.4 11 to 15 the tweaked emulsions are back to Fine 6.5 to 7.4 15.1 to 20 Sensia, sans numeral. Fuji Reala is now Medium 7.5 to 9.4 20.1 to 25 Superia Reala 100. And speaking of Med. coarse 9.5 to 10.5 25.1 to 30 Reala, many Fuji color negative films Coarse Above 10.5 Above 30 now have the fourth color layer, for- merly a Reala exclusive. This fourth layer delivers improved color under RESOLUTION mixed lighting, neutralizing the icky Extremely high Above 190 lp/mm green of fluorescent tubes. Very High 150 to 190 lp/mm Need some help finding your bear- High 100 to 149 lp/mm ings here? The data comes primarily Medium 90 to 99 lp/mm from the manufacturers’ Technical Medium low 50 to 89 lp/mm Data Sheets, but we’ve seasoned their Low Below 50 lp/mm specifications with our own observa- tions, especially for those films we’ve tested. You won’t find APS films— SHARPNESS they’re virtually identical to their Print Slide 35mm cousins. Neither do we list the Ext. high Above 50% Above 30% special-purpose films used in medicine, Very High 45 to 50% 26 to 30% law enforcement, and insurance— High 35 to 44% 21 to 15% mainly because they’re difficult to find. Medium 26 to 34% 16 to 20% Our pricing is the manufacturers’ sug- Medium low 20 to 25% 10 to 15% gested list, somewhat higher than Low Below 20% Below 10% you’ll find on dealers’ shelves, and it’s for 36-exposure rolls, unless noted. As for the terms we use to describe EXPOSURE LATITUDE and rate the films: Print film Slide Film with Resolution: The ability of a film to Push/pull record detail based on the highest num- ber of line pairs per millimeter that the Wide: 4 or more Wide: 2 or more film can reproduce as separate lines stops stops when photographing a standard test tar- Moderate: 2 to 3.9 Moderate: 1 to 1.9 get under controlled conditions. stops stops Sharpness: The measure of a film’s Narrow: Below 2 Narrow: Push/pull ability to reproduce edges as clear and stops not recommended distinct. At one time, this was known as “acutance” or “edge sharpness.” It is COLOR SATURATION derived objectively by using Modulation Enhanced: very bold, intense colors. Transfer Function (MTF) curve per- Increased: bolder than normal colors. centages at 50 line pairs/millimeter. We Moderate: normal-appearing colors. use manufacturers’ test results when Reduced: less vivid than normal colors. available and our own field tests when continued on page 148

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