As we have seen, there’s not a great difference in the color rendition for the Flowers from my Garden. Here are the final flower examples from the last roll from my Garden. I didn’t get to work much with the Poppies or Peonies because they were wiped out by a storm.
E100
Velvia 50
For all images the E100 is on the left and Velvia 50 is on the right. In the case of the Peonies above, the E100 is actually more saturated. And I believe that same could be said of the Iris below. Go figure……
E100
Velvia 50
Again, no real difference in the Torch Lilies below (genus Kniphofia).
E100
Velvia 50
And for the Turkish Poppies…….one can say that the E100 has a richer color.
E100
Velvia 50
So my Garden didn’t really tell me anything. I know from earlier Landscape work that the E100 seemed Cold. And Flowers from the Mayo Clinic Cactus Garden were off color also for E100. My last roll of film comparison will be landscapes from the Snowy Range of Wyoming. I will be using a warming filter, so we’ll see what difference that makes. And a surprising choice for my color film going forward……
There was so much discussion after my first posting, that I’ve moved up the Film Test Series. You seen what the Owls had to say………Now we’ll move into My Garden for the next three comparisons, and end with a road trip.
For all image sets, E100 is the first image (here the top)………Velvia 50 the second image (here the bottom). I love these dark purple tulips…….
I’d say these are too close to call………
You may notice some fuzzy focus. We’ve had a lot of wind lately. Impossible to find a still day.
E100 on the Left……Velvia 50 on the right.
So theTulips didn’t prove to be much of a test. Only the red and yellow Tulips show a definite difference. Next we’ll see what the Irises have to say…….
Continuing with the Showdown that I started a few days ago. I’ve been using E100 over a year. I’m midway in a film showdown between Kodak E100 vs Fuji Velvia 50. I had always preferred Kodak in the past, however, after some 35 mm experiences last year I had doubts. I had always used E100GX, a warm toned film of the old generation. The new film was based on a colder version E100G. But to be fair, I decided to do some formal color test comparison. This is Part, I am comparing four images of the Owl Mural made with four different films: E100, Velvia 50, Portra 400 and Lomo 800. For the direct comparison of the E-6 films I used my Mamiya-7’s; the Portra was exposed using a Mamiya-6; and the Lomo 800 was exposed using a Diana F+, for the Frugal Film Project.
First I’ll show them in pairs, then break down my critique of each one. Naturally I have selected my personal favorite for the Header image above.
Lomo 800
Portra 400
Left: Lomo 800; Right: Portra 400. I made no adjustments for tone or contrast; only cropping to make them comparable in size. All of the image were exposed on overcast days. The first comment I can make is that both C-41 films are truer to the actual mural colors. The Portra 400 has a richer color tone which I would expect for the lower ISO film. But you have to admit that the Lomo 800 is very good, especially since it was exposed using a plastic camera. The winner here is Kodak Portra 400:
Portra 400
Now for the main event, E100 (left) vs Velvia 50 (right):
Kodak E100
Fuji Velvia 50
As one would expect, the E-6 films have a more saturated color. Not quite a natural representation. But in my lifetime experience with film (going back to childhood) I’ve mostly shot E-6. As a field scientist back in the pre-PowerPoint days, I needed to show my information in slide presentations. So that meant E-6 films. In my earlier professional days I used ECN films. When that was discontinued I switched to Kodak E100GX.
If you read my earlier experiences with E100, you’ll be able to decide which one I prefer. I simply find the E100 too cold. So the Winner here is, Fuji Velvia 50. I enjoy the richer and brighter blues and purples……
Fuji Velvia 50
So these are my two favorites. I can accept either one depending on what I am trying to demonstrate. Which one do you prefer?
Portra 400
Fuji Velvia 50
Stay tuned, right now I am continuing the side-by-side testing of these films as my Mamiya 645’s take a tour of my flower and vegetable gardens. I’m going to give E100 every possible chance to show me something that I’ll like.
And I may do a follow-up Road-Trip landscape comparison. In that case, I’ll see if a warming filter makes me feel better about the new Kodak E100.
I have to admit that I was disappointed with early my 35 mm E100 results. I felt that the film was cold and realized that it was based on the old E100G, a film I only used with a warming filter. My favorite of the old Kodak E-6 films was E100GX, the warm toned film. I used it extensively in Patagonia and mourned its loss. You can also check out our first Patagonia Calendar.
But I digress. Let’s get back to the purpose of this study: Kodak E100 versus Fuji Velvia 50. After my E100 doubts I happened upon this old Velvia 50 image of Boreas Pass and thought about a comparative test:
So I set up my two Mamiya 6X7’s for the test. There was one difference: The Velvia 50 camera had a 43 mm lens and the E100 camera had a 50 mm lens. We can debate if that makes a difference, but for Showdown Part II, I’ll be using matching camera set ups. So hold your argument for later.
Here are the side-by-sides: Think about which is which and I’ll tell you at the end.
Details regarding what I learned from this Owl are discussed in my next posting…………
In all cases the top image is Kodak E100 and the bottom image is Fuji Velvia 50. There were no adjustments made to color balance. You may note that the Velvia 50 images are more color saturated and have some purple or pink in the sky. The E100 is less saturated and has a colder sky. Now it’s up to you. Which do you prefer? Keep in mind that this is an overcast sky. So I’ll add one more pair. I wanted to capture my purple house, but in the morning the house was too dark. But you can see that with a clear sky the Velvia 50 (bottom image) has the saturated blue sky:
The snow is still holding that purple cast in the Velvia 50 image. E100 has a truer presentation of the snow. Comments, perspectives appreciated.
Next, we’ll take a look at my Garden Flowers using my Mamiya 645’s both with 80 mm macro lenses.. Since I have something blooming all summer, I’m shooting two rolls of each film throughout my gardening season, and I’ll post as I go……..
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