8mm Forum: In Praise of Kodak Ektachrome 100D

»	8mm Forum » 8mm Forum » In Praise of Kodak Ektachrome 100D

UBBFriend: Email this page to someone!

Author

Topic: In Praise of Kodak Ektachrome 100D

Steve Klare
Film Guy

Posts: 7016
From: Long Island, NY, USA
Registered: Jun 2003

posted August 07, 2013 11:07 PM

So after many months of delay, I just got my very first roll of 100D back from Dwayne's.

I shot about 45 feet at CineSea in October. I used this for the exterior shots and went to Tri-X for the interiors. I figured I'd use the remaining 5 feet for titles, which means I had to write the titles, then I had to compose the titles, then I had to print the titles (-stupid ink cartridge!), then I had to film the titles, and then I had to send the film off to the lab. (There is never any hurry making a film with Super-8!)

I am really impressed with what I got back. The colors are wonderful and the grain is tight. I was concerned about my titling work because I had to use an 80A filter with my tungsten lamp and I heard they eat a lot of light, but lighting was no problem and the images came out just fine.

I exposed it at ASA 160 in my Minolta XL-401. I was concerned about the 2/3 stop underexposure, but all I really noticed is those New Jersey skies seemed a little deeper blue than normal.

The shame of it is I have to tell you all this 8 months after Kodak ended production of the stock, but if you love shooting Super-8 reversal, this is a great stock to use if you can find some.

--------------------
All I ask is a wide screen and a projector to light her by...

| IP: Logged

Bryan Chernick
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 654
From: Bothell, WA, USA
Registered: Mar 2010

posted August 08, 2013 12:27 PM

I stocked up on this film when they first announced they were discontinuing it. I have enough to keep me going for a few years in both Super 8 and regular 8mm. I think as Kodak and Fuji discontinue their reversal films what remains will not have the same quality.

I just got back a roll of Kodak Ektachrome E100VS that I shot in my View-master camera. The colors are amazing. I have one more roll of it then I have to switch to Fuji film. I understand the Velvia 100 has very fine grain but I'm not sure if the color will be as good.

by the way Steve, I shoot my titles off the computer screen with great results. I use a large white bold font with a black background and shoot from about 3 or 4 feet away. Make sure the cursor is not flashing in the shot. Zoom in to avoid getting the edges of the screen in the shot. You can also scroll through the titles. I use a high definition LCD screen.

| IP: Logged

Steve Klare
Film Guy

Posts: 7016
From: Long Island, NY, USA
Registered: Jun 2003

posted August 08, 2013 12:47 PM

I have enough for about an average year. I figure unless a new color reversal shows up, it will be my last one making films. I'm putting a lot of thought into how I'm using these.

There is still Tri-X, and I love shooting Black and White, but the creative possibilities are a little limited that way.

My titling is done in Microsoft Word. Usually I start with a photograph. Then a put a text box over that with the title message itself. The biggest challenge is coming up with a font color that's enough contrast with every area of the picture it is on top of so it's always legible.

Sometimes I do old time titles. In that case the backgrounds are just black and white frames I found in clipart with white lettering.

Thusly:

Modern Times on the Wiscasset, Waterville and Farmington

--------------------
All I ask is a wide screen and a projector to light her by...

| IP: Logged

Bryan Chernick
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 654
From: Bothell, WA, USA
Registered: Mar 2010

posted August 08, 2013 01:13 PM

No need to give up on film there are a few companies that are still making it. Like I said the quality may not be as good but it may not be that bad.

Wittner Cinetec

Ferrania

By the way, I love the old fashion titles.

| IP: Logged

Dominique De Bast
Film God

Posts: 4486
From: Brussels, Belgium
Registered: Jun 2013

posted August 08, 2013 02:13 PM

Ferrania only announced they are coming back to the filmstock market with new 35mm stock that should be avaible at the beginning of 2014. They said that if the response of the market is goog they may also make super 8 films, but nothing is done, yet. However, beside Wittner, there is another company, Cinevia, who does manufacture Super 8.

--------------------
Dominique

| IP: Logged

Lee Mannering
Film God

Posts: 3216
From: The Projection Box
Registered: Nov 2006

posted September 10, 2013 02:59 AM

Over a scheduled 12 month shoot I have been using Super 8 100D for another film related epic documentary film in a Beaulieu Super 8 camera. I’ve been pretty amazed at the sharp colourful quality of 100D from it although I have always found the shadow detail to be lacking unlike beloved Kodachrome. 100D does like sunny blue skies to make the screen come alive and if in the shadows looks pretty awful so I have to bin several shots and re shoot which is a shame. I’m looking forward to trying some of this new 200D on sale and see where that takes us which should I am told give a decent result in lower lighting conditions but we shall see.

Ferrania would be nice and if it’s anything like the old 9.5mm film stock it will be very good indeed. These look very shall we say cinematic and the colours have held up well for so many years.

| IP: Logged

Dominique De Bast
Film God

Posts: 4486
From: Brussels, Belgium
Registered: Jun 2013

posted September 10, 2013 03:53 AM

Steve, did you use a 80 A filtre or a 80 B one ? I thought that the 80 A was the built in filter that allows you to shoot oudoor with a artificial light filmstock and that the 80 B filter made the opposite job (allowing you to shoot indoor with a day light stock). Am I wrong ?

--------------------
Dominique

| IP: Logged

Steve Klare
Film Guy

Posts: 7016
From: Long Island, NY, USA
Registered: Jun 2003

posted September 10, 2013 05:50 AM

Hi Dominique,

Both 80A and 80B are for shooting daylight film with Tungsten light.

The internal filter in Super-8 cameras for shooting Tungsten stocks in daylight is 85.

--------------------
All I ask is a wide screen and a projector to light her by...

| IP: Logged

Dominique De Bast
Film God

Posts: 4486
From: Brussels, Belgium
Registered: Jun 2013

posted September 10, 2013 10:46 AM

Thanks, Steve ! I understand now why some advised seemed contradictories. I just confused 80 and 85 (that happens when you don't check). Is there a big difference between a 80 A and a 80 B filter ? Does it depend on the stock ?

--------------------
Dominique

| IP: Logged

Steve Klare
Film Guy

Posts: 7016
From: Long Island, NY, USA
Registered: Jun 2003

posted September 10, 2013 11:02 AM

I've used an 80B and the results are fine. It doesn't correct the color quite as much, but on the plus side it doesn't reduce the exposure as much either. There are also 80C and 80D, each is the same difference from the one before, slightly less correction, but more exposure.

If you use an 80B filter I think you will like what you see too.

Wratten Filter Numbers

--------------------
All I ask is a wide screen and a projector to light her by...

| IP: Logged

Dominique De Bast
Film God

Posts: 4486
From: Brussels, Belgium
Registered: Jun 2013

posted September 10, 2013 11:22 AM

Thanks for the advise and for the link. I suppose that with an automatic exposure camera you don't have to care about the correction while it is more difficult with a manual one as it is sometimes hard to know if you should use 4, 5,6 or 8, the clearer situations are when there is a bright sun or poor light.

--------------------
Dominique

| IP: Logged

Steve Klare
Film Guy

Posts: 7016
From: Long Island, NY, USA
Registered: Jun 2003

posted September 10, 2013 11:38 AM

What concerned me is 80A uses two full stops of light, which means your 100ASA film is now acting like 25ASA. (80B works out to an effective 31ASA: a touch better.)

I was worried about underexposure but it worked out just fine.

Fortunately I'm only doing titling with the blue filter and I have a lot of control over my lighting. If I was doing tungsten lit interiors it might not work as well.

--------------------
All I ask is a wide screen and a projector to light her by...

| IP: Logged

All times are Central

Printer-friendly view of this topic

UBB.classic^TM 6.3.1.2