|
34 of 36 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Slide Film That ALL Others Should Be Judged By!, September 4, 2003
With the cancellation in 2001 of KODACHROME 25, KODAK now offers KODACHROME slide film in only two speeds: 64 and 200. KODACHROME 64 is, in my opinion the one slide film by which all others should be judged.Unlike other slide films that are developed using E-6 processing and which contain all the color dyes within the film, KODACHROME film stock is actually a black and white film to which the colors are added during developing. This is a much more time consuming, tedious and expensive process, but one that delivers much more natural colors, finer grain and deeper contrast. Using the K-14 process also means that you will have to send all KODACHROME slide film to a national lab. Consequently, it will take about a week or slightly more to get your slides back. But rest assured, the wait is more than worth it! One of the other intangible benefits of using KODACHROME slide film is that retains archival storage abilities. There are slides available for viewing that were taken in the early 1930s, when KODAK first released this emulsion that look as if they were shot yesterday. There is no noticeable color shifting, bleeding or loss of color or contrast. KODACHROME slide film has long been known for its natural nd lifelike colors. Unlike slide film from FUJI, which is known for super-saturated and eye-popping bright colors, KODACHROME delivers faithful images of what the photographer saw through their viewfinder at the moment they clicked the shutter. In addition, lesser slide films, but especially those from FUJI have been known to color shift while in storage. This takes place even when the photographer made every effort to properly store his/her slides. Because this is a moderately slow speed film, it is best suited for bright daylight. Many professional photographers use this film for landscape and scenic photos and for shots that will be enlarged, such as in full page photos for books and magazines. This is a very fine grain film and that is why pros use it so frequently - they need to be able to ensure that the colors transition crisply and faithfully from the slide to the page of the book or magazine. And the fine grain is also helpful should you want to enlarge the image to poster size and beyond. Unfortunately for the average consumer who shoots slide film, KODACHROME is not readily available through major retail outlets. A truly professional film, it is generally only available at camera stores and stores that support and cater to professional photographers. At the store in Parsippany, NJ where I have most of my lab work done and where I have bought almost all of my Nikon cameras and lenses, even they don't sell KODACHROME. The reason? They don't get enough customers asking for it. Instead, they sell some of the EKTACHROME line of Kodak slide films as well as Fuji's Provia, Velvia and Sensia films. They also offer Agfa professional slide films. Consequently, I have to hunt aroun d for this film or order it online from such places as B&H Photo and Video in NYC. As inconvenient as finding it and having it developed can be, I still LOVE THIS FILM!!! It is my belief that KOPDACHROME 64 offers the finest grained and sharpest images available anywhere today in the photographic world. Friends and strangers wwho have watched me work with my NIKON F100 often ask me when I'll switch to digital and give up on film. I look at them and smile and tell them that I'll switch to digital when that medium offers me the sharpness, contrast, depth and overall pleasing color saturation of KODACHROME 25. Since KODAK discontinued that film in 2001 and its resolving characteristics were in the 30-35 megapixel range and there isn't a digital camera available anywhere with that degree of resolution, I'll be shooting film for a long time to come. Shooting slides isn't for everybody. Slide film is much less forgiving of exposure errors than equivalent speed print films. But slides are more realistic and they are sharper and clearer. That is why KODACHROME 64 appeals to purists who like to receive exact duplicates of what they saw when they composed their pictures. Competing slide films don't really come close to matching this wonderful long-lived KODAK product. Kodak has stumbled with other films, most noticeably with KODAK MAX 400 and 800, but with KODACHROME 64, they have created an enduring masterpiece.
|
Saving...
of the latest digital cameras and accessories, the most active discussion forums 
