Can't wait for the Ektachrome review. Shot 3 rolls so far. Love the colors and sharpness and true blues and yellows. Currently testing it's projection longevity, as there NO information on the films durability. Anyways another great great researched review David.
Thank you! E100 will be a while since I want to shoot it in other formats and their release date is TBD. I think I shot 14 rolls in 35mm, so the only delay in that review is if and when 120 and (I hope) 4X5 come out.
Portrait is the furthest thing from my mind when I think of Velvia. Its contrasty, super saturated and way too cool in the shadows to even consider using for portraits in my opinion
I first shot reversal film in the mid 70's. Slides were the thing then. Those were some of the best images in my old collection. It really is a special film. I must try the Velvia 50 as I have never done so. Thanks for the inspiration....
You're absolutely right, no beginner's film. I shot 4 or 5 rolls and rarely a good image came out of them, the majority was underexposed. My last roll is still in a camera but I probably won't ever shoot it - I grabbed the wrong roll and loaded it into an Agfa Clack... never used it since, and what good would it be...
Hmm, that would be a tragedy not to shoot it. You could pull it out in the dark, rewind it, and use it in a different camera. Or see how the Clack turns out. I shot a few rolls of Velvia on my Ondu 6X6 pinhole. It would be a different experience for sure.
My first serious" film camera was a Nikon FM2 twenty years ago. When I look at the slides made with velvia 50, I almost cry. I never got anything near that quality . Even Velvia 400 goes beyond anything else. Thanks for your great video again.Luis
Thank you and you didn't miss it. This video pre-dates me including any specific filter info in videos (and I still only include it for black and white film stocks.)
When i first started shooting velvia 50 i started on 35mm. I got some fantastic photos. But it left me wondering how much better it would have been if these photos where shot in medium format or a larger format. I now have several medium format cameras & whenever shooting velvia it's always on my pentax 67 or rolleiflex. Skip 35mm & just shoot 120 film with velvia 50 or 100
Dangit. Thank you. I goofed. I put that in a separate folder specifically so I would include it at the right time and then forgot to. Here's a link to that photo: davidhancock.smugmug.com/3-1-19-Ondu-6X6/i-NJmh5RD/A Thank you for pointing that out.
David, you are a hell of a speaker and great storyteller. I really enjoyed this video. 20+minutes wized by in just 5...love the details. Who's the bonehead that gave this video a thumbs down!!! Seriously....
Super video, hugely informative even for seasoned users. I've not shot Velvia for a few years (back in 2008ish), but watching your video got me thinking; of the landscapes I have shot that were great, all of them were on Velvia except one, which was on Provia. All of them were seascapes. I think I'll go and order some!
Just this week i commented id like to see a new episode of all about film and there it is, about a film i have yet to try, awesome! Thanks for the hard work you put into these videos
This is gonna be your month here. I'm planning two more for the next three weeks (all I need to do its edit and compile the videos, everything else is done.)
@@DavidHancock We have Ektachrome which isnt amazing but its still going to be here for the long run and is a good slide film but Velvia and Provia are stunning stocks. I just started putting a lot more money into slide film, yeah i shoot less film doing it, but when i do shoot a image after ive really metered and given it a lot of thought I get amazing images.
@@pilsplease7561 Slide film is amazing. E100 is a different film with a much different image character. I've been shooting a LOT of E100 in the last year so that I can make it;s All About Film video this summer and I've come to think that it's an overall much stronger film than Velvia.
@@DavidHancock I have a 5 roll pack of 120 format Provia 100F that im shooting then Im going to get a box of E100 and shoot it, I have a half exposed roll of E100 in a Argus C3 that I started shooting before the coronavirus pandemic hit. Im looking forward to getting out and getting back to photography. Ill develop that roll in the same tank as some of the Provia and compare them and see which one I like more.
Gosh you’re a bloody good photographer! With all your amazing understanding of photography and the elements that create a good image, film stock, developing, printing, cameras, lenses etc, it seems almost easy to forget you have heck of a lot of talent with that shutter butter. I must admit I don’t shoot e6, and that’s down to the developing chemicals, though less pungent than C-41 they do have a bigger impact on my chest. I do use a v800 scanner and my scans are 'OK', but that’s more about my lack of ability to bend over making multiple images in the same position. Though Steve O'Nion mentioned in a reply to one of my comments that he is going to use a digital camera in the future. I’m pretty boring, I tend to shoot most film at box speed and the only colour altering filters I use are for the colour of my WB CTO and CTB. I do use the yellow, blue, green and mainly red filters for my B&W. I believe there’s two versions of Velvia 50, an older one which the purist say is the better and a new one which they claim isn’t a true ISO 50. Or am I mistaking it with another film? Another fantastic video David, just enough technical data for me to understand. Your command of the English language and describing the film was excellent throughout. ACROS II????
Than you, Mark. I don't develop color at home. A photography friend knew of someone (a friend of one of her friends) who died doing that. I know C-41 is safer, but E-6 is pretty bad on the toxic fumes, as I understand it. I'm not sure about the old and new emulsions. I didn't run across that in my research, but Velvia 50 was originally going to be discontinued and then enough people protested that for Fuji to keep it. That was six or eight years ago. There also used to be a Velvia 25 back in the day that was apparently superior to this, but I never used it. I also don't know that this isn't a true 50 ISO film. That may be true, but I don't know that any of my exposures would have been better from shooting at a different speed. Actually, most of them would have suffered, I think. For digitizing, one of the key advantages, being that I'm super lazy, is that I can sit on my couch and just pull an uncut roll of film through a slide copier in front of my DSLR. When we used to have a TV, I could watch a movie while I did it. medium- and large-format still requires a copy stand, however, so I tend to do that at our kitchen island now (before I used a coffee table and sat on the floor.)
David Hancock With the effort and research you put into your videos you are far from lazy. Since digital came out and have no regulated definition of ISO it wouldn’t surprise me if there weren’t several films out now that aren’t "true" to the marked ISO. Most Ilford films and several Kodaks have been updated since the birth of digital. I know a guy with a chest freezer full of film and I wouldn’t be surprised if he has some Velvia 25, in fact he could have one of the largest private stocks of film either side of the Atlantic. Thanks for the link, in my opinion the original Acros was already "unsurpassed". I can now start using my stock of the original, but I won’t go too mad as I think there’ll be a hike in price and in the UK it was already an expensive film.
I’d love you to do (maybe a quick) one on Kodak Ultramax. It‘s obviously not the best film out there, but I think it’s the best color negativ film you can get pretty much where ever you are. I love the saturation and the typical Kodakness of it. And with a rating of 400 and a good lab/scanner you can even get some usable results in dim tungsten lighting when using a fast lens like f2 or f1.4 and a 50th or 30th second shutter speed. It’s a film I feel draw to every now and than for its simplicity and how pure the experience is. I also don’t mind that most rolls are only 24 exposures. That simply means that I don’t have to commit myself as much, when I feel like shooting a roll of Ultramax on a whim.
I can add Ultramax the the list of films I'm about to start working on. Typicaly I shoot about eight to ten film varieties, five that are next-up on the list for videos and then the rest are mid-to-long-term. That way I can pace these videos over the year (thought they arrive in blocks, they arrive in smaller blocks.)
All of this corresponds well with my experiences with it. I rather like it for shooting rail stock, it can make strongly coloured locomotives (CP, CN) look amazing. Red and blue rail gear are particularly strong. Balloon shots are also very interesting because how it bends the colour of the sky. Love the butterfly shot! I shoot almost nothing except Velvia 50, and I process my own with the Fuji E6 7-bath 5L kit.
That's Awesome! I love slide film and the results it produces. Only thing I don't like is the price. I look forward to other reviews about other slide films such as ektachrome.
@@DavidHancock Being a film nerd I love just about any video in the support of film. I love film so much I started my own ebay base film developing company in which I will develop just about anything for as low as $5 per roll. (B&W, C-41, E6, ECN-II as C-41) (120, 35mm, 127, 126, APS, 220 and 110) can't do sheet film. My business has exploded and whenever I see a pro film video I will be there to give a big thumbs up and a nice supporting comment!
Arnd von Rueden In my opinion he has one of the most undersubscribed photography channels on UA-cam. I don’t know anyone else who knows as much as David and doesn’t sound boring. Knowledge, talent and passion are a pretty phenomenal mix.
Thank you! I was talking with another photography channel creator this morning over texts and he asked a similar question. My goal is to know more about how each product works than anyone outside of the company's engineering department. I want to help other photographers have that level of knowledge, too. Wasting film and money on a learning curve and getting bad shots because of it can really put a dent in some peoples' passion. If someone watches one of my AAF videos or camera manuals and skips five or ten rolls of learning curve mistakes, that's a huge help to them and advances our art form.
I really hope Fujifilm brings Velvia 50 back to life, even though I know how unlikely it is. I have five rolls of 120 left in my fridge and will try to use them for important pictures. Thanks for the great review, just as detailed and passionate as usual! :)
@@DavidHancock Awesome! Your way of testing film is really great, especially how you test different developers with it. Personally I tried T-MAX 100 in Adox FX-39 and I pretty liked the combo, nice tonality and very very sharp results with still great grain, some of my 35mm darkroom prints from it look like made from 120 film.
The new E100 @200? How has that turned out? I'm guessing that pushing it a stop would add some color depth that the film lacks, and I'm curious to find out if I'm right.
@@DavidHancock it was completely fine! Used it at a zoo. It was slightly cool when it wasn't direct daylight and I did get hotspots on the lion's fur and some blacks in the deepest shadows when it wasn't overcast
I know a man that shot sports on iso 50 slide film he said he focused on a spot on the field and waited for the action to come into frame then hit the shutter button.
VELVIA 50 is great at landscape photographing, but shows a bit purple/red skin tone. I personally prefer PROVIA 100F, which fit almost all kinds of photos, portrait, landscape, architecture, sea, etc. Plus it's not that expensive as velvia 50 or RXP
You know what's crazy, in 2021 a roll of Velvia 50 35mm costs $21.99 (if you can find it.) But 120 costs $11.40/roll. Same exact amount of film in each format, but one costs twice the other.
Hi David, thanks for another great video. Do you have any experience with out of date Velvia 50? I have a stock of 220 Velvia which is OOD for some time but well stored in a fridge, I did not use it because I can not get it processed in my country, I now have some E6 chemicals to try out, do you have any advice other than the usual; over expose 1stop per every 10yrs, thank you.
Thank you and I don't directly but I have been shooting some Ektachrome that expired in 1984 on my Yashica 44LM. That's been interesting and I've only had to push it from 64 to 50 ISO (at 25 it had a strong magenta cast, indicating overexposure). I haven't gotten the 50 ISO shots back yet, but I was shocked that it retained so much of its original sensitivity. My best guess with OOD Velvia would be shoot it at 25 and process it normally. Slide film is way more unpredictable after it expires than any other stock.
I shot 3 rolls of velvia 50, and they all came out REALLY blue, and nearly didn't like the results. Do you think shooting it at ISO 32 or 25 would do the trick?
Hmm. Overexposing likely won't help the situation any. What kind of camera were you using? Sounds like they were underexposed either due to a setting being incorrect or shutter timing being too fast.
I'am shooting slides for more than 40 years. Mostly Kodachrome in all speeds (25,64,200) until it ends. Ektachrome and Fujichrome followed and Velvia was my replacement for high resolving landscape and macro photography. For this purposes it is unbeatable. Interesting fact is, that the than new technology of latex dye coupler was originally invented by AGFA -Gevaert. At this time film demand was already declining and AGFA got bancrupt. Rights and patents were sold and Fujifilm turned out the Velvia with this technology. Film is by far not at its end of development. ADOX proofed this with the ADOX CMS 20 II b/w film with a resolving power of 800lp/mm at an contrast ratio of 1:1000. Best times for film are just to come.
Digital is amazing, however I am much better at taking photos than editing them which is why I still use film. Ps are you going to one on provia as well?
I will do Provia eventually. The next slide film will be E100. I could, if I were ambitious, finish it this month. That said, I want to shoot some in 120 and see if they release 4X5 later this year. So E100 will likely be Q1 2020 due to that. Provia will be later. These slide film videos are spendy. I didn't tally the exact total cost of this, but a rough order of magnitude over the last eight years is probably around $3,500 in film and developing costs. Provia would be about the same cost but I'd try to complete it in a much shorter window.
Do you think Velvia that has been in the freezer since 2007 could still be good? it's been in a ziplock bag. I also have some that has been in the fridge. any good?
Were it mine, I would try a roll and if the results were not to my liking I'd sell the balance on eBay and show samples from the test roll in the listing.
For scanning slide film I use my DSLR to capture 16-bit raw files and then edit them as raw images. That brings out a greater brightness, color depth, and color trueness than scans from a flatbed or even a drum scanner can.
David Hancock I tought of an improvement suggestion while looking at the photos during the video: I assume that some of the example photos shown throughout the video are mistakes, especially with the warnings about the film. If you could add a title to such photos, It would be very helpful since I personally learn from the “here’s a mistake” as much as I learn from the “here’s a successful photo”. I have 5 rolls of 35mm Velvia and 5 rolls of 120, And I’m terrified to try them. But Regarding “trying Ektachrome first” as you mention in the review, I usually feel that, from the samples I see online, E100G is just “meh” with similar characteristics and colors of a C41 stock, But with an inflexible DR of an E6, So I didn’t see advantage over Velvia which at least has a clear benefit of struggling it. I would be happy to see an E100G review and see if I miss anything...
Oh that's a good idea. I don't think that I included any full-on mistakes in this video, maybe the two images that were blown-out (but the results in those were still pleasing in their way.) But the next AAF, which will be on PanF 50, does have some images that are mistakes. I should find a way to address that. Thank you. E100 will probably be Q1 20. I want to shoot it in 120 and 4X5 (which I had heard it would be available in) before I make the AAF for it. The jury is still out with me on E100. I generally like it, and I'm glad it's back, but I don't know if it's a film I would use a lot of. I have something like eight rolls of 35mm waiting to be developed and I'm hoping that they'll change my mind and show me some aspects of the film that I haven't picked up on yet.
@@DavidHancock Great, I used one roll of PanF, Here in Israel it's generally a non issue to use it because we have sun and 103 degrees most of the year so there's plenty of light. The only problem is the heat you need to suffer when shooting, And deciding to go out of the A/C :) But that's the obvious. Maybe you'll shed some light (Pun intended) on other aspects: Such as using it in less light, dusk for example, Other than full blown mid day sun. Waiting also for your take on the E1000. Keep them coming!
“A cast iron pan seasoned by three generations of Oklahoma farmhouse wives”.....film and good home cookin knowledge, who’d a thunk it. You appear to be from the the Bay Area, have you been to the Hayward camera show?
:D I went once when I lived there, yes. It was a good show. I found that a lot of Bay Area flea markets and garage sales were great for finding cameras.
@@DavidHancock I've been trying to read up on it. Surprisingly little information is on YT concerning the (fascinating) process of interpositive and internegative making. Long story (short from half a day on google): it's not really doable - you end up making tradeoffs in theory or reproduction. Interesting this never got addressed. Apparently projection is the only way (though even that carries with it the issue of degradation of the film). Cibachrome (discontinued), C41/RA4 (I think) using Portra as an interneg (though that introduces a range of problems ranging from contrast to color fidelity). I really assumed this was a no-brainer operation but digital scans are the way to do it. There's multi-page threads on Photrio where people end up in theoretical discussions about RGB/CMYK tri-chrome-like approaches using multiple sheet films. Insane but intriguing at the same time. Before I end this prepostorously lengthy reply: I wonder if CCD (single or triple) (or Foveon) cameras would yield better scans to retain those delicious colors of transparency film. thanks for the awesome videos!
@@Dstonephoto Thank you and I think CCD would be the way to go if they had kept up with CMOS. Modern CMOS sensors and the software that back them are so good that they are better than any CCD that I know of. Asterisk I'm not an expect on every CCD available. If you have a digital camera that's less than about five years old, capture in raw, and edit in raw before raster, your results will be about as good as possible with today's technology.
There was a process called cibachrome , illford made the Chems and paper, super toxic to use and I think 2008 or 2012 they stopped. Unlike negative film, the less light exposed to the paper the darker the image. It was super sensitive to work with
ISO 32 maybe? I open 2/3 - 1 stop to the box speed for both Velvia 50 and 100 to get the best results. Otherwise shots are too dark. Anyone else find this to be true?
Dave Faulkner 32 seems to work rather well also i agree. I don’t find 40 to dark but that is just my eye. Your eye will very from mine. So its all good
I love the channel, but I'm not sure what the heck you're talking about when you talk about negative films being printed by 'light bouncing off it as opposed to passing through it.' Enlarging and projecting are basically the same thing in my mind. Maybe I'm not thinking of it right
That did come out a bit choppy. Basically, negative film results were traditionally a print, versus slides which were traditionally projected onto a screen. So it's a commentary on the intended presentation method.
@@DavidHancock fair enough, not trying to be pedantic! I just had to watch the video again since today Fuji basically killed velvia and everything else for good and it makes me sad.
Not first! Heh heh heh. You keep your old fashioned emulsion film dinosaurs, I'll stick with modern digital image capture. Ok, not really. I'm hooked on chemicals. Damn.
With all due respect, I have to disagree with you on the digitizing of these photos. I'm sure a good scanning of these images would be far better than these. Having said that I really appreciate these videos so don't everybody go getting their knickers in a twist.
@@massmike11 When I say scanning, I'm comparing DSLR digitization to top-end drum scans outputting TIF files, not something like an Epson V 700 or Plustek.
@@RobertBergan There are a dozen reasons that could occur. Color calibration and temperature differences between our monitors would be the most likely culprit. Differing light levels and types between your room and mine are another (I tend to edit under natural light with the windows open during the day or strong tungsten at night; if you're in a room with fluorescent lights, that would affect your color perception just as natural and tungsten light affect my color perception.) Adjusting colors in a digital file, especially raw file, is very easy. So if the colors in these images look off, that's something that would be easily fixed for your monitor on your end.
i promised myself to stay away from color film, mainly for the cost and because i only have a b&w enlarger. but .... when visiting a charity shop a projecto was there waiting for me... oh well, only morons never change their minds ....
@@istvann.huszar420 there are about 150 photos in this video. Put together an album of your own with 150 photos you've taken on Fuji Velvia 50 that are better than the photos in this video and post the link in a comment. I'll approve it and I'll pin it to the top of the comments. But if you can't, don't waste people's time being a pointless little critic of something you're not better than.
@istvann.huszar420 so you can't back up your criticism with your own work. Basically, rather than trying to contribute and edify, you prefer to insult and degenerate. But point taken: you can't back up your criticism with anything that you have done,
@@DavidHancock I take your point: I didn’t provide constructive criticism. That’s right. But do I have to? Am I even qualified? Take a step back, and recognise where we are. It’s UA-cam. I spent time on your video, I didn’t enjoy it, and I voiced it. I don’t have to be an award-winning photographer to state my opinion about what I see as long as you enable comments under your video. You can of course ignore what I say if you think it’s coming from someone who isn’t qualified to judge your work. You can even call me an internet troll or whatever you want to feel superior. But you know inside that there is an element of truth in my comment, and you never even disagreed with it.
£40-50 a roll wow , people are being screwed over royally , £50 please now drop your pants and say aaaaarrrgghh but it was the best film i ever used , i had more photos published after developing my velvia in an agfa daylight developer , i hated kodak with its brown tints , velvia was brilliance awesome colours in high detail , in the 90s, i dont know what this guys going on about ! My velvia shots were all great using sekonic meters , it may have gone crap over last 20 years
@@joekelly9369 well, films change over time as chemicals used in then become less- or unavailable. The film you used in the 90s is likely to have had some differences to what was made when this video was released.
Your intro with this silly music is way way too long. Who has that kind of time to sit around and wait for the video to start. Please shorten your intro or put it at the end
If you find it to long, and have all manner of way more important things to do than sit through the information I need to provide in these, you can always check the video description for a link that will let you skip right past all that boring stuff. That would return about 25 precious seconds to you. Or you could watch all the other videos on UA-cam that provide this level of detail and information about films. Except that there aren't any.
Can't wait for the Ektachrome review. Shot 3 rolls so far. Love the colors and sharpness and true blues and yellows. Currently testing it's projection longevity, as there NO information on the films durability. Anyways another great great researched review David.
Thank you! E100 will be a while since I want to shoot it in other formats and their release date is TBD. I think I shot 14 rolls in 35mm, so the only delay in that review is if and when 120 and (I hope) 4X5 come out.
Portrait is the furthest thing from my mind when I think of Velvia. Its contrasty, super saturated and way too cool in the shadows to even consider using for portraits in my opinion
I can see that and understand it.
I first shot reversal film in the mid 70's. Slides were the thing then. Those were some of the best images in my old collection. It really is a special film. I must try the Velvia 50 as I have never done so. Thanks for the inspiration....
Thank you! Old slides are great, especially when they were processed well and have retained their original color.
Kodachrome?
You're absolutely right, no beginner's film. I shot 4 or 5 rolls and rarely a good image came out of them, the majority was underexposed. My last roll is still in a camera but I probably won't ever shoot it - I grabbed the wrong roll and loaded it into an Agfa Clack... never used it since, and what good would it be...
Hmm, that would be a tragedy not to shoot it. You could pull it out in the dark, rewind it, and use it in a different camera. Or see how the Clack turns out. I shot a few rolls of Velvia on my Ondu 6X6 pinhole. It would be a different experience for sure.
7:25-7:59
Thank you David for the feature, I appreciate that. 🤩🤗
I look forward to your video about Fuji Velvia 100.
Thank you! :D
My first serious" film camera was a Nikon FM2 twenty years ago. When I look at the slides made with velvia 50, I almost cry. I never got anything near that quality .
Even Velvia 400 goes beyond anything else. Thanks for your great video again.Luis
Thank you!
Excellent review! Did I miss you mentioning the use of a grad filter?
Thank you and you didn't miss it. This video pre-dates me including any specific filter info in videos (and I still only include it for black and white film stocks.)
When i first started shooting velvia 50 i started on 35mm. I got some fantastic photos. But it left me wondering how much better it would have been if these photos where shot in medium format or a larger format. I now have several medium format cameras & whenever shooting velvia it's always on my pentax 67 or rolleiflex. Skip 35mm & just shoot 120 film with velvia 50 or 100
It's amazing in medium format for sure!
I agree! I still use it in my 35mm, but shots with my Mamiya are amazing!
14:35 - indoor photo shot with green tint from fluorescent lights? Not found.
Dangit. Thank you. I goofed. I put that in a separate folder specifically so I would include it at the right time and then forgot to. Here's a link to that photo: davidhancock.smugmug.com/3-1-19-Ondu-6X6/i-NJmh5RD/A
Thank you for pointing that out.
David, you are a hell of a speaker and great storyteller. I really enjoyed this video. 20+minutes wized by in just 5...love the details. Who's the bonehead that gave this video a thumbs down!!! Seriously....
Thank you, Adam! Almost all of my videos get a single down vote in the first 24-48 hours. Crazy coincidence.
Super video, hugely informative even for seasoned users. I've not shot Velvia for a few years (back in 2008ish), but watching your video got me thinking; of the landscapes I have shot that were great, all of them were on Velvia except one, which was on Provia. All of them were seascapes. I think I'll go and order some!
Thank you! I really enjoyed this film for landscapes, too.
Just this week i commented id like to see a new episode of all about film and there it is, about a film i have yet to try, awesome! Thanks for the hard work you put into these videos
This is gonna be your month here. I'm planning two more for the next three weeks (all I need to do its edit and compile the videos, everything else is done.)
@@DavidHancock is it christmas yet? Let me guess: Ektachrome and pro 400h?
I hated velvia back when I could still get Kodachrome. I was wrong. This film has its limitations but what it does, it does well.
Velvia is good. I hope it's here for the long run.
@@DavidHancock We have Ektachrome which isnt amazing but its still going to be here for the long run and is a good slide film but Velvia and Provia are stunning stocks. I just started putting a lot more money into slide film, yeah i shoot less film doing it, but when i do shoot a image after ive really metered and given it a lot of thought I get amazing images.
@@pilsplease7561 Slide film is amazing. E100 is a different film with a much different image character. I've been shooting a LOT of E100 in the last year so that I can make it;s All About Film video this summer and I've come to think that it's an overall much stronger film than Velvia.
@@DavidHancock I have a 5 roll pack of 120 format Provia 100F that im shooting then Im going to get a box of E100 and shoot it, I have a half exposed roll of E100 in a Argus C3 that I started shooting before the coronavirus pandemic hit. Im looking forward to getting out and getting back to photography. Ill develop that roll in the same tank as some of the Provia and compare them and see which one I like more.
Gosh you’re a bloody good photographer! With all your amazing understanding of photography and the elements that create a good image, film stock, developing, printing, cameras, lenses etc, it seems almost easy to forget you have heck of a lot of talent with that shutter butter.
I must admit I don’t shoot e6, and that’s down to the developing chemicals, though less pungent than C-41 they do have a bigger impact on my chest.
I do use a v800 scanner and my scans are 'OK', but that’s more about my lack of ability to bend over making multiple images in the same position. Though Steve O'Nion mentioned in a reply to one of my comments that he is going to use a digital camera in the future.
I’m pretty boring, I tend to shoot most film at box speed and the only colour altering filters I use are for the colour of my WB CTO and CTB. I do use the yellow, blue, green and mainly red filters for my B&W.
I believe there’s two versions of Velvia 50, an older one which the purist say is the better and a new one which they claim isn’t a true ISO 50. Or am I mistaking it with another film?
Another fantastic video David, just enough technical data for me to understand. Your command of the English language and describing the film was excellent throughout.
ACROS II????
petapixel.com/2019/06/10/fujifilm-bw-film-is-back-neopan-100-acros-ii-unveiled/
Than you, Mark. I don't develop color at home. A photography friend knew of someone (a friend of one of her friends) who died doing that. I know C-41 is safer, but E-6 is pretty bad on the toxic fumes, as I understand it.
I'm not sure about the old and new emulsions. I didn't run across that in my research, but Velvia 50 was originally going to be discontinued and then enough people protested that for Fuji to keep it. That was six or eight years ago. There also used to be a Velvia 25 back in the day that was apparently superior to this, but I never used it.
I also don't know that this isn't a true 50 ISO film. That may be true, but I don't know that any of my exposures would have been better from shooting at a different speed. Actually, most of them would have suffered, I think.
For digitizing, one of the key advantages, being that I'm super lazy, is that I can sit on my couch and just pull an uncut roll of film through a slide copier in front of my DSLR. When we used to have a TV, I could watch a movie while I did it. medium- and large-format still requires a copy stand, however, so I tend to do that at our kitchen island now (before I used a coffee table and sat on the floor.)
David Hancock With the effort and research you put into your videos you are far from lazy. Since digital came out and have no regulated definition of ISO it wouldn’t surprise me if there weren’t several films out now that aren’t "true" to the marked ISO. Most Ilford films and several Kodaks have been updated since the birth of digital.
I know a guy with a chest freezer full of film and I wouldn’t be surprised if he has some Velvia 25, in fact he could have one of the largest private stocks of film either side of the Atlantic.
Thanks for the link, in my opinion the original Acros was already "unsurpassed". I can now start using my stock of the original, but I won’t go too mad as I think there’ll be a hike in price and in the UK it was already an expensive film.
Viewing Velvia slides with a slide-viewer is an eye-popping experience, it's literally stereoscopic !
This is a truly amazing film.
Velvia 50 is indeed amazing, i prefer to use it for special occasions though, Provia 100F and Ektachrome E100 are my "general purpose" films.
Thank you! I have some 4X5 Provia 100F to start taking photos for that video with. I do get saving Velvia 50 for special occasions for sure.
I’d love you to do (maybe a quick) one on Kodak Ultramax. It‘s obviously not the best film out there, but I think it’s the best color negativ film you can get pretty much where ever you are. I love the saturation and the typical Kodakness of it. And with a rating of 400 and a good lab/scanner you can even get some usable results in dim tungsten lighting when using a fast lens like f2 or f1.4 and a 50th or 30th second shutter speed. It’s a film I feel draw to every now and than for its simplicity and how pure the experience is. I also don’t mind that most rolls are only 24 exposures. That simply means that I don’t have to commit myself as much, when I feel like shooting a roll of Ultramax on a whim.
I can add Ultramax the the list of films I'm about to start working on. Typicaly I shoot about eight to ten film varieties, five that are next-up on the list for videos and then the rest are mid-to-long-term. That way I can pace these videos over the year (thought they arrive in blocks, they arrive in smaller blocks.)
All of this corresponds well with my experiences with it. I rather like it for shooting rail stock, it can make strongly coloured locomotives (CP, CN) look amazing. Red and blue rail gear are particularly strong. Balloon shots are also very interesting because how it bends the colour of the sky. Love the butterfly shot! I shoot almost nothing except Velvia 50, and I process my own with the Fuji E6 7-bath 5L kit.
Oh, this film would be really good for locomotives and hot air balloons. Nice!
That's Awesome! I love slide film and the results it produces. Only thing I don't like is the price. I look forward to other reviews about other slide films such as ektachrome.
Thank you! Ektachrome is in the works. I'm probably done with it in 35mm and I'm just waiting for it in 120 and, hopefully, 4X5.
@@DavidHancock
Being a film nerd I love just about any video in the support of film. I love film so much I started my own ebay base film developing company in which I will develop just about anything for as low as $5 per roll. (B&W, C-41, E6, ECN-II as C-41) (120, 35mm, 127, 126, APS, 220 and 110) can't do sheet film. My business has exploded and whenever I see a pro film video I will be there to give a big thumbs up and a nice supporting comment!
David,
how do you compare Velvia 50 and new Ektachrome E100 you reviewed not that long ago?
I much prefer E100. I find the colors more true to life and the images easier to digitize.
@@DavidHancock Thank you!
Why do you do such great videos? Thank you!
Arnd von Rueden In my opinion he has one of the most undersubscribed photography channels on UA-cam. I don’t know anyone else who knows as much as David and doesn’t sound boring. Knowledge, talent and passion are a pretty phenomenal mix.
Thank you! I was talking with another photography channel creator this morning over texts and he asked a similar question. My goal is to know more about how each product works than anyone outside of the company's engineering department. I want to help other photographers have that level of knowledge, too. Wasting film and money on a learning curve and getting bad shots because of it can really put a dent in some peoples' passion. If someone watches one of my AAF videos or camera manuals and skips five or ten rolls of learning curve mistakes, that's a huge help to them and advances our art form.
Thank you, Mark. I work to make these not sound boring and droll.
I really hope Fujifilm brings Velvia 50 back to life, even though I know how unlikely it is. I have five rolls of 120 left in my fridge and will try to use them for important pictures. Thanks for the great review, just as detailed and passionate as usual! :)
It's still in production, but I wish they, in general, put a modicum of effort into marketing their film stocks.
I use it daily
This was very informative. Thanks.
Thank you!
Hello David, thanks a lot for this amazing video series. I'm wondering if you also plan to do a review about Kodak T-MAX 100?
Thank you and I do. It will be in the next batch. I've been shooting a LOT of it lately.
@@DavidHancock Awesome! Your way of testing film is really great, especially how you test different developers with it. Personally I tried T-MAX 100 in Adox FX-39 and I pretty liked the combo, nice tonality and very very sharp results with still great grain, some of my 35mm darkroom prints from it look like made from 120 film.
For slide film, I've only shot the new Ektachrome @200. Really need to try this film one day
The new E100 @200? How has that turned out? I'm guessing that pushing it a stop would add some color depth that the film lacks, and I'm curious to find out if I'm right.
@@DavidHancock it was completely fine! Used it at a zoo. It was slightly cool when it wasn't direct daylight and I did get hotspots on the lion's fur and some blacks in the deepest shadows when it wasn't overcast
Thanks for this great video
Thank you!
Would you recommend this in 35mm? I debating on getting a roll of it for landscapes. Is it worth the hefty price tag?
I would. But I'd also recommend comparing it to Kodak Ektachrome 100. They're very different and one might be more to your liking than the other.
I know a man that shot sports on iso 50 slide film he said he focused on a spot on the field and waited for the action to come into frame then hit the shutter button.
Nice!
VELVIA 50 is great at landscape photographing, but shows a bit purple/red skin tone. I personally prefer PROVIA 100F, which fit almost all kinds of photos, portrait, landscape, architecture, sea, etc. Plus it's not that expensive as velvia 50 or RXP
I can see the cast you're talking about with Velvia, yes. I do like Provia, too. It'll be a long time before I do the AAF on that one, though.
Agreed, Provia is better for portraits and general shooting but Velvia is great for landscapes.
Hi David,
Have faith. I think FujiFilm will keep the Velvia 50 in production.
Love your work.
Thank you and I hope so, too.
You know what's crazy, in 2021 a roll of Velvia 50 35mm costs $21.99 (if you can find it.) But 120 costs $11.40/roll. Same exact amount of film in each format, but one costs twice the other.
Dang. I didn't realize that (not having bought this since I finished the video because I've been focused on other films.) That's a whole lot.
Hi David, thanks for another great video. Do you have any experience with out of date Velvia 50? I have a stock of 220 Velvia which is OOD for some time but well stored in a fridge, I did not use it because I can not get it processed in my country, I now have some E6 chemicals to try out, do you have any advice other than the usual; over expose 1stop per every 10yrs, thank you.
Thank you and I don't directly but I have been shooting some Ektachrome that expired in 1984 on my Yashica 44LM. That's been interesting and I've only had to push it from 64 to 50 ISO (at 25 it had a strong magenta cast, indicating overexposure). I haven't gotten the 50 ISO shots back yet, but I was shocked that it retained so much of its original sensitivity.
My best guess with OOD Velvia would be shoot it at 25 and process it normally. Slide film is way more unpredictable after it expires than any other stock.
You're such a nerd David Hancock! Thank you for that.
Thank you!
I shot 3 rolls of velvia 50, and they all came out REALLY blue, and nearly didn't like the results. Do you think shooting it at ISO 32 or 25 would do the trick?
Hmm. Overexposing likely won't help the situation any. What kind of camera were you using? Sounds like they were underexposed either due to a setting being incorrect or shutter timing being too fast.
@@DavidHancock I used a Pentax K1000 with an external meter, and the last one which came out the most blueish was shot with a Nikon N80
@@GabrielLima-ui9mo huh. Curious. Not sure what's going on, but I'd definitely experiment, though with less-expensive film.
I'am shooting slides for more than 40 years. Mostly Kodachrome in all speeds (25,64,200) until it ends. Ektachrome and Fujichrome followed and Velvia was my replacement for high resolving landscape and macro photography. For this purposes it is unbeatable.
Interesting fact is, that the than new technology of latex dye coupler was originally invented by AGFA -Gevaert. At this time film demand was already declining and AGFA got bancrupt. Rights and patents were sold and Fujifilm turned out the Velvia with this technology. Film is by far not at its end of development. ADOX proofed this with the ADOX CMS 20 II b/w film with a resolving power of 800lp/mm at an contrast ratio of 1:1000. Best times for film are just to come.
Thank you!
Digital is amazing, however I am much better at taking photos than editing them which is why I still use film. Ps are you going to one on provia as well?
I will do Provia eventually. The next slide film will be E100. I could, if I were ambitious, finish it this month. That said, I want to shoot some in 120 and see if they release 4X5 later this year. So E100 will likely be Q1 2020 due to that. Provia will be later. These slide film videos are spendy. I didn't tally the exact total cost of this, but a rough order of magnitude over the last eight years is probably around $3,500 in film and developing costs. Provia would be about the same cost but I'd try to complete it in a much shorter window.
Do you think Velvia that has been in the freezer since 2007 could still be good? it's been in a ziplock bag. I also have some that has been in the fridge. any good?
Were it mine, I would try a roll and if the results were not to my liking I'd sell the balance on eBay and show samples from the test roll in the listing.
It'll be fine.
I'm confused by your comments about scans. Where/how are you scanning? I'm getting the impression the scans you have are 8bit sRGB jpegs
For scanning slide film I use my DSLR to capture 16-bit raw files and then edit them as raw images. That brings out a greater brightness, color depth, and color trueness than scans from a flatbed or even a drum scanner can.
Probably one of the best outdoor films ever. I’d use 100 for portraits and skin tones.
I think I'd agree with that. I'm just starting to get to know 100, but that sounds right to me.
Velvia doesn't render skin tones as well as Provia.
Great Review and great tips! Keep them coming. And you made me hungry for a steak dinner :)
Thank you! :D
David Hancock I tought of an improvement suggestion while looking at the photos during the video: I assume that some of the example photos shown throughout the video are mistakes, especially with the warnings about the film.
If you could add a title to such photos, It would be very helpful since I personally learn from the “here’s a mistake” as much as I learn from the “here’s a successful photo”.
I have 5 rolls of 35mm Velvia and 5 rolls of 120, And I’m terrified to try them. But Regarding “trying Ektachrome first” as you mention in the review, I usually feel that, from the samples I see online, E100G is just “meh” with similar characteristics and colors of a C41 stock, But with an inflexible DR of an E6, So I didn’t see advantage over Velvia which at least has a clear benefit of struggling it.
I would be happy to see an E100G review and see if I miss anything...
Oh that's a good idea. I don't think that I included any full-on mistakes in this video, maybe the two images that were blown-out (but the results in those were still pleasing in their way.) But the next AAF, which will be on PanF 50, does have some images that are mistakes. I should find a way to address that. Thank you.
E100 will probably be Q1 20. I want to shoot it in 120 and 4X5 (which I had heard it would be available in) before I make the AAF for it. The jury is still out with me on E100. I generally like it, and I'm glad it's back, but I don't know if it's a film I would use a lot of. I have something like eight rolls of 35mm waiting to be developed and I'm hoping that they'll change my mind and show me some aspects of the film that I haven't picked up on yet.
@@DavidHancock Great, I used one roll of PanF, Here in Israel it's generally a non issue to use it because we have sun and 103 degrees most of the year so there's plenty of light. The only problem is the heat you need to suffer when shooting, And deciding to go out of the A/C :)
But that's the obvious. Maybe you'll shed some light (Pun intended) on other aspects: Such as using it in less light, dusk for example, Other than full blown mid day sun.
Waiting also for your take on the E1000. Keep them coming!
“A cast iron pan seasoned by three generations of Oklahoma farmhouse wives”.....film and good home cookin knowledge, who’d a thunk it.
You appear to be from the the Bay Area, have you been to the Hayward camera show?
:D
I went once when I lived there, yes. It was a good show. I found that a lot of Bay Area flea markets and garage sales were great for finding cameras.
How do people print this using a purely analog workflow?
Honestly I'm not entirely certain how that was or is done. I would imagine it involves creating an internegative and printing from that.
@@DavidHancock I've been trying to read up on it. Surprisingly little information is on YT concerning the (fascinating) process of interpositive and internegative making. Long story (short from half a day on google): it's not really doable - you end up making tradeoffs in theory or reproduction. Interesting this never got addressed. Apparently projection is the only way (though even that carries with it the issue of degradation of the film). Cibachrome (discontinued), C41/RA4 (I think) using Portra as an interneg (though that introduces a range of problems ranging from contrast to color fidelity). I really assumed this was a no-brainer operation but digital scans are the way to do it. There's multi-page threads on Photrio where people end up in theoretical discussions about RGB/CMYK tri-chrome-like approaches using multiple sheet films. Insane but intriguing at the same time. Before I end this prepostorously lengthy reply: I wonder if CCD (single or triple) (or Foveon) cameras would yield better scans to retain those delicious colors of transparency film. thanks for the awesome videos!
@@Dstonephoto Thank you and I think CCD would be the way to go if they had kept up with CMOS. Modern CMOS sensors and the software that back them are so good that they are better than any CCD that I know of. Asterisk I'm not an expect on every CCD available. If you have a digital camera that's less than about five years old, capture in raw, and edit in raw before raster, your results will be about as good as possible with today's technology.
There was a process called cibachrome , illford made the Chems and paper, super toxic to use and I think 2008 or 2012 they stopped. Unlike negative film, the less light exposed to the paper the darker the image. It was super sensitive to work with
The best side film I ever shoot with was Fujifilm CDUII (ISO12). RVP50 is my second favorite film stock. www.flickr.com/photos/jaz99/13849341633/
Thank you for sharing your work. The under-pier shot and the two field shots that follow it are really good.
@@DavidHancock Thank you for looking
Try shooting it at 40 iso it comes out fantastic
Nice. Thank you!
ISO 32 maybe? I open 2/3 - 1 stop to the box speed for both Velvia 50 and 100 to get the best results. Otherwise shots are too dark. Anyone else find this to be true?
Dave Faulkner 32 seems to work rather well also i agree. I don’t find 40 to dark but that is just my eye. Your eye will very from mine. So its all good
I love the channel, but I'm not sure what the heck you're talking about when you talk about negative films being printed by 'light bouncing off it as opposed to passing through it.' Enlarging and projecting are basically the same thing in my mind. Maybe I'm not thinking of it right
That did come out a bit choppy. Basically, negative film results were traditionally a print, versus slides which were traditionally projected onto a screen. So it's a commentary on the intended presentation method.
@@DavidHancock fair enough, not trying to be pedantic! I just had to watch the video again since today Fuji basically killed velvia and everything else for good and it makes me sad.
@@johnkaplun9619 actually it was a good observation and question. I'm hoping to address the Fuji situation in a video next week.
@@DavidHancock look forward to bearing your thoughts! It's all over but the crying if you ask me sadly
i love velvia
Same here. It's awesome.
Not first! Heh heh heh. You keep your old fashioned emulsion film dinosaurs, I'll stick with modern digital image capture.
Ok, not really. I'm hooked on chemicals.
Damn.
You can't be first all the time. Other people have to share the wealth.
David Hancock I can share developing them in chemicals after I'm first.
Lol
With all due respect, I have to disagree with you on the digitizing of these photos. I'm sure a good scanning of these images would be far better than these. Having said that I really appreciate these videos so don't everybody go getting their knickers in a twist.
What is it about the digital files do you like less than scanned images?
Use a real slide scanner instead of a flatbed with an adapter and the scanner wins
@@massmike11 When I say scanning, I'm comparing DSLR digitization to top-end drum scans outputting TIF files, not something like an Epson V 700 or Plustek.
The colors just looked a bit off.
@@RobertBergan There are a dozen reasons that could occur. Color calibration and temperature differences between our monitors would be the most likely culprit. Differing light levels and types between your room and mine are another (I tend to edit under natural light with the windows open during the day or strong tungsten at night; if you're in a room with fluorescent lights, that would affect your color perception just as natural and tungsten light affect my color perception.) Adjusting colors in a digital file, especially raw file, is very easy. So if the colors in these images look off, that's something that would be easily fixed for your monitor on your end.
i promised myself to stay away from color film, mainly for the cost and because i only have a b&w enlarger. but .... when visiting a charity shop a projecto was there waiting for me... oh well, only morons never change their minds ....
Nice!
Velvia 50 is a portrait film ??? It's not? The colorcast and oversaturation of human skin makes it NOT a portrait film.
It's been years since I made this video so I don't recall exactly what I said, but it will depend on a person's skin tone, yes.
If you scrolled down to see the comments, because you were seeing a lot of terrible images in this video: you are not alone.
@@istvann.huszar420 there are about 150 photos in this video. Put together an album of your own with 150 photos you've taken on Fuji Velvia 50 that are better than the photos in this video and post the link in a comment. I'll approve it and I'll pin it to the top of the comments. But if you can't, don't waste people's time being a pointless little critic of something you're not better than.
While you may prefer quantity over quality, I still don’t.
@istvann.huszar420 so you can't back up your criticism with your own work. Basically, rather than trying to contribute and edify, you prefer to insult and degenerate. But point taken: you can't back up your criticism with anything that you have done,
@@DavidHancock I take your point: I didn’t provide constructive criticism. That’s right. But do I have to? Am I even qualified? Take a step back, and recognise where we are. It’s UA-cam. I spent time on your video, I didn’t enjoy it, and I voiced it. I don’t have to be an award-winning photographer to state my opinion about what I see as long as you enable comments under your video. You can of course ignore what I say if you think it’s coming from someone who isn’t qualified to judge your work. You can even call me an internet troll or whatever you want to feel superior. But you know inside that there is an element of truth in my comment, and you never even disagreed with it.
£40-50 a roll wow , people are being screwed over royally , £50 please now drop your pants and say aaaaarrrgghh but it was the best film i ever used , i had more photos published after developing my velvia in an agfa daylight developer , i hated kodak with its brown tints , velvia was brilliance awesome colours in high detail , in the 90s, i dont know what this guys going on about ! My velvia shots were all great using sekonic meters , it may have gone crap over last 20 years
@@joekelly9369 well, films change over time as chemicals used in then become less- or unavailable. The film you used in the 90s is likely to have had some differences to what was made when this video was released.
Your intro with this silly music is way way too long. Who has that kind of time to sit around and wait for the video to start. Please shorten your intro or put it at the end
If you find it to long, and have all manner of way more important things to do than sit through the information I need to provide in these, you can always check the video description for a link that will let you skip right past all that boring stuff. That would return about 25 precious seconds to you. Or you could watch all the other videos on UA-cam that provide this level of detail and information about films. Except that there aren't any.