Topic: Colour Film Question

[mikeg]

Well, I'm stuck in bed recovering from a minor operation. I've worked my way through a load of photography magazines and a few books including Art & Fear for the second time (great book by the way) and have been thinking of some new projects to work on in the autumn. For one of these projects I'm starting to seriously consider colour! Shock horror!

Other than digital, I've never seriously shot colour. This project will be portraits and I don't like the look of digital, so I'm thinking of firing up the Mamiya C220 TLR and loading up with colour neg film. However a quick check and there doesn't seem that much of a choice in 120 these days.

I'm after natural, maybe slightly subdued colours. It looks like it's either Portra 400NC, Portra 800 or Fuji 400H. 100 or 160 is too slow, as I may be shooting inside with natural light. Have I missed any film? Which one would you go for? I suppose I should just go and buy a load of each but they only seem to sell in 5 roll packs and I'm a tight so and so!

Cheers

Mike

[moominsean]

i like the new kodak ektar...

[vicky slater]

i like fuji.
most of my portraits are on 160s and that's indoors with natural light,  but i also use 400, 800z and astia...i like it subdued too.
i don't know if you're uk but you can buy single rolls of the fuji neg at 7dayshop.

[mikeg]

Interesting, I'd never considered Extar or 160s as I thought they would be too slow for indoors.

I'm tempted by the Portra 800. I'm in Shropshire, I only looked on Ag Photographic and Silverprint where they only seem to sell them in 5's. I forgot about 7dayshop -- I'll check them out.

Thanks

Mike

[Photo_Utopia]

For natural colour I like Fuji NPH

I also like the Portra NC 400/800.
Difficult not too like the ones that are left, Provia 400x is nice with low light if you want slides.

[Skorj]

Low-ish light; FujiPro 400:


inside with f1.4 Nokton it is pretty nice too:


but lately, I've been getting into the Ektar too:


More on it here: Ektar Review.
See ya! Skj.

[Ken B: eyes, I just do eyes.]

for a good fine grain, neutral colour balance I always went for Fuji NPH400 or whatever incantation it has now.

[Phil Bebbington]

I generally use either of the Fuji 160 films. I did however give the Ektar a go and liked it very much - I think the colour it gives is a love or hate thing, personally I liked it very much and will move back to it when Fuji stocks disappear or the prices rise. My colour of choice was always Provia 100, but, getting it processed as become trickier and more expensive so I have decided I can live without it!