What Film to Take Along....

s162216

s162216

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Samuel
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Hi,

In about 3 weeks I am going along as an assistant leader on a 5 day long Cub Scout camp at Cromer. I said that I would go along as the 'photographer' as well because they know I do a lot of photography. However I have been restricted to taking only 2 36 exposure print films for the whole 4 day event (1 day for getting there etc) so the group won't have to pay too much costs afterwards. Thats fine with me as thats about 18 pictures a day. The problem is choosing which film to take along. Currently I am considering taking:

  • 1x Kodak Ektar 100 for outdoors and places that allow flash
  • 1x Kodak Portra 400VC for low light and indoor photography as well as outdoors. I have recently used this for the first time and quite liked its bright but not too oversaturated colours that skin tones are compromised.

I am going to look at the day plans when their done and work out which film to use first then. That Vivitar 285 flash that I just won on Ebay for £43 will also come in handy as well.

What do you think?
 
s162216 said:
Hi,

In about 3 weeks I am going along as an assistant leader on a 5 day long Cub Scout camp at Cromer. I said that I would go along as the 'photographer' as well because they know I do a lot of photography. However I have been restricted to taking only 2 36 exposure print films for the whole 4 day event (1 day for getting there etc) so the group won't have to pay too much costs afterwards. Thats fine with me as thats about 18 pictures a day. The problem is choosing which film to take along. Currently I am considering taking:

  • 1x Kodak Ektar 100 for outdoors and places that allow flash
  • 1x Kodak Portra 400VC for low light and indoor photography as well as outdoors. I have recently used this for the first time and quite liked its bright but not too oversaturated colours that skin tones are compromised.

I am going to look at the day plans when their done and work out which film to use first then. That Vivitar 285 flash that I just won on Ebay for £43 will also come in handy as well.

What do you think?
Click to expand...

Well it's a personal thing choosing film and I wouldn't disagree with your choice, but my selection would be Fuji Reala 100asa and Kodak Ultramax 400asa as I get great results from these films.
On another forum some guys are using ferrania film, erm well it's different when you see the colours.
 
I decided to research a bit more about Ektar, lots of people say that it oversaturates skin tones when rated at the normal speed and is very restrictive on exposure.

I think I will switch it for Portra 160VC or Reala, what do you think?

EDIT

Forget the Portra 160VC, its out of stock at 7 day shop which means I proberly won'y get it before we go.
 
s162216 said:
I decided to research a bit more about Ektar, lots of people say that it oversaturates skin tones when rated at the normal speed and is very restrictive on exposure.

I think I will switch it for Portra 160VC or Reala, what do you think?

EDIT

Forget the Portra 160VC, its out of stock at 7 day shop which means I proberly won'y get it before we go.
Click to expand...

...and Reala will eventually be out of stock as it's not being made any more, so I'll have to choose another 100asa film after my stock in the freezer runs out. Another great general purpose film is Fuji superia 200asa.
 
Last year Fuji announced that they were discontinuing Pro800Z but within a few days they reversed their decision due to the high volume of protests they got so who knows prehaps something similar will happen again.
 
Unless you are taking two cameras I'd suggest a single multi-purpose film?

... and a half-frame camera :D
 
... and if unless you get searched, who's gonna know about the pocket full of Portra?
 
Ambermile said:
... and if unless you get searched, who's gonna know about the pocket full of Portra?
Click to expand...

:LOL:
I think his decision has more to do with them not having any budget...
I have to say that this would be a job for Digital IMO...
Film is for fun, but this sounds more like a job to me...even if it's unpaid...
 
Yeah, but 99p at Tesco? I know the scouts have piccie boards and so on in their sheds/huts/halls and I also know that the majority of digital images never make it to the photgraph stage, maybe they want to make sure they get something physical?
 
Ambermile said:
Yeah, but 99p at Tesco? I know the scouts have piccie boards and so on in their sheds/huts/halls and I also know that the majority of digital images never make it to the photgraph stage, maybe they want to make sure they get something physical?
Click to expand...


No, you're absolutely right - just floating it out there - 72 images vs 1000+ and the OP could do the printing at Tesco as well...he doesn't have to just give them a CD...there are other options...
 
Actually, I'd go digital also to be honest... maybe it's a tradition thing, or not wanting to rely on batteries? However, looks like it's more of a challenge than a rule, and it's been accepted as well.
 
Trust me, having done one of these things myself, an then only a 2.5 day camp at that, you will need more than 18 frames per day. This is paramount to event style shooting where digital is king (it hurts but it's true).

If you really want to shoot film I would be taking 2 rolls a day minimum, and as it's my choice to use film I wouldn't make them foot the bill. Treat it as a donation instead.

My film recommendations (this is what I was planning on taking when I was thinking film) is;
  • at least 2 bodies (that way you dont have to try and struggle taking noght photos @ 1=400 ISO
  • 5 rolls a day, spread across 160, 400 and fuji press 800

It doesn't matter if you don't shoot the film, but you really don't want to run out on day 2 because there was so much going on and you needed a picture of it

Remeber to have fun and not worry whether every shot is going to come off
 
Their paying for all the stuff, not me so its just two, I might be able to push it to 3 if the processing at tesco is that low. Apart from some digital compacts, no one has a really good DSLR or bridge camera. Some of the others are taking their compacts along as well so it won't be too bad if I run out a little too early.

The problem with digital is that most images that we take on camps etc never actually get seen by anyone so it was me who suggested that I use my film stuff so that we can actually have something to show. This is the first longish camp that we have done, the most the others have been is 3 days ( 2 really with setting up etc).

I didn't think about using Tesco's, I might look into it but I think that some quality prints would be what are wanted and I am a little dubious about how good they will be for the price.
 
If it has to be film, then take more of it as suggested and 'suck it up' regarding the cost...

Plus you do know that prints can be made from digital images too...lol (jus' kidding)
 
The point is that no one can be bothered to get the digital images printed and by the time someone would, it would likely be the next camp!
 
s162216 said:
The point is that no one can be bothered to get the digital images printed and by the time someone would, it would likely be the next camp!
Click to expand...

That's where you come in - collect in all the images (via email, if necessary) collate them and get them printed...

It's not difficult, is it?
 
Anyway now that I may persuade them to let me take 3 films which 3 would you lot take?

The majority of the camp is outside so I can use slower films, so prehaps two of them and one faster 400 or 800 speed?
 
One roll of high-speed, 2 rolls of medium.
All colour-neg as it offers the best latitude...
 
How about:

  • 1 x Portra 100VC
  • 1x Fuji Superia 200
  • 1x Portra 800

That seems a good mix of speeds to me

That comes to £11.69 from 7 day shop.

How much does develop and print from Tesco cost for 6x4"? In the end we'll proberly get some enlargements anyway as well, say 12x8".
 
To just develop and put onto CD, is £1.98 at Tescolds, but to have prints as well its around £6.00 a roll for 36. (that's just a rough guess as its rare I get mine printed)

I'd get the first lot developed to film get them put onto CD at the same time then if you want any copies then Aldi photo processing service is very cheap 6x4 are about .5p each IIRC plus P&P.
 
As a note on film. I use Reala a lot and it produces great pastely smooth gradations. It is also rated as one of the best portrait films. From my experience it isn't great in high contrast scenarios. Failing that I would bring some trusty Provia 100F. Its like the fail safe option.
 
For that price I might as well use Club 35, their only £6.05, o.k you don't get a Cd, thats £2.50 more but we'll be displaying them so we don't really need one.

Did have one idea, I might offer to pay for the other film and for its development if they won't let me use 3 rolls, its a 'donation' to the group (AKA really it just means I will be able to do more photography!:LOL:)
 
King_Boru said:
As a note on film. I use Reala a lot and it produces great pastely smooth gradations. It is also rated as one of the best portrait films. From my experience it isn't great in high contrast scenarios. Failing that I would bring some trusty Provia 100F. Its like the fail safe option.
Click to expand...

I will likely get one reala instead of the Porta 160VC due to stock issues with 7 day shop. I would prefer to use slide film as thats my prefered sort of film but I can see their point about using print film, it costs less in the end to actually get prints.

Am still thinking about the Portra 800, should I get it or the 400VC as mostly we'll be outdoors and I don't think missing a few indoor places where flash is banned will matter too much, I could also take my digi compact along set on high ISO for those sort of situations.
 
s162216 said:
I will likely get one reala instead of the Porta 160VC due to stock issues with 7 day shop. I would prefer to use slide film as thats my prefered sort of film but I can see their point about using print film, it costs less in the end to actually get prints.

Am still thinking about the Portra 800, should I get it or the 400VC as mostly we'll be outdoors and I don't think missing a few indoor places where flash is banned will matter too much, I could also take my digi compact along set on high ISO for those sort of situations.
Click to expand...

Have you got 2 bodies to load multiple ASA films? Would be useful.
 
Unfortunately all I have apart from my Spotmatic F is my Zenit EM which is not the most useful camera for this sort of stuff.
 
King_Boru said:
As a note on film. I use Reala a lot and it produces great pastely smooth gradations. It is also rated as one of the best portrait films. From my experience it isn't great in high contrast scenarios. Failing that I would bring some trusty Provia 100F. Its like the fail safe option.
Click to expand...

I agree with KB here: I used 100 ISO Reala for almost all my work back in the day as it was far less susceptible to colour-shift due to temperature fluctuations and produces really nice colours...
 
O.K, reala it is.

Still unsure what to get for the other two films, Portra 800 or Fuji Proz 800 would be good but for the amount of time we will be indoorsdoors it doesn't seem worth it, might as well get a 400.

For the other film I am thinking about either Superia 200 or just another Portra 400VC as I know its quite good and I like it a lot, plus that will give me some more flexibility if I have to shoot indoors without flash.
 
O.K, I have made my mind up:

I will take:

  • 1x Fuji Reala
  • 1x Fuji Superia 200 (already have some anyway that I can use)
  • 1x Kodak Portra 400VC


 
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