Kodak Ektar 100

[charjohncarter]

Thanks Double Negative, I just sent my request off to Kodak. I'll see what happens.

[amateriat]

Originally Posted by Double Negative

They certainly don't make it easy to find! I used this form:

http://www.kodak.com/global/en/servi...?pq-path=13452

Thanks very much for this. Since it looks like my schedule might preclude hitting Photo Plus Expo at all (Murphy's Law, Freelance Department), I decided to hit up Rochester directly. Ektar 100 wasn't in any of the drop-down options on the page, I just chose the ever-popular "other" and wrote it in. We'll see.


- Barrett

[Don Hutton]

I had a friend in California pick some up for me at KSP and mail it to me. I'm impressed - it is extremely fine grained. It's a little sharper than Portra VC 160 to my eye, but not by much - really the grain - or lack of it - is the big feature.

This was shot with a 28mm Elmarit ASPH at f5.6 and drum scanned on a Howtek 4500 at 4000SPI.

[Faintandfuzzy]

Thanks Don. I find your posts and samples to always be superb.

[ItsReallyDarren]

Wow Keeble & Shuchat has the film? I'll have to stop by and pick up some.

[mabelsound]

Wow, that is indeed very fine. My V500 probably won't even be able to pick it up.

[Faintandfuzzy]

Originally Posted by Double Negative

No problem, guys. Glad to help. So far I've gotten two automated responses from Kodak; I'll update if/when I hear back from someone.

Don, that looks pretty good! The grain is indeed very fine and the film seems to have nice resolution. Looks relatively neutral on the saturation also which should make scanning easier...

I wonder if my Ultron 35 will be able to handle all that nice resolution.

[mabelsound]

Originally Posted by Kodak

Hello J, Thank you for your interest in the new Kodak Professional Ektar 100. The best way to receive the latest information and samples of new products, when samples are offered, is to join ProPass. www.kodak.com/go/propass

I think that's a "no."

[cjm]

I got the same response as well.

[Trius]

Why not just join ProPass? Does it cost to join?

[Roger Hicks]

It is indeed very fine grained and very sharp. Here are a couple of pics I shot 10 days ago at the Chateau de Berrie but have only just picked up from the lab. In the pic of the grape pickers you can count the slats in the bottom of the picking basket at 2700 dpi; grain is however visible (but subdued and gentle) at 2700 dpi.

Cheers,

R.

[FifthLeaf]

So is this stuff just a finer grained 100UC?

[mabelsound]

Originally Posted by Roger Hicks

It is indeed very fine grained and very sharp. Here are a couple of pics I shot 10 days ago at the Chateau de Berrie but have only just picked up from the lab.

Wow--that looks a hell of a lot like Agfa Ultra.

[jftarragano]

Hey everyone, Just got back from the photo plus show here in NY. Yes Kodak was giving out free samples of Ektar, the new Tmax 400, in 35 and 120, as well their Portra films. They are saying that the Ektar film is the finest grain color neg film out there.

[gb hill]

Originally Posted by jftarragano

Hey everyone, Just got back from the photo plus show here in NY. Yes Kodak was giving out free samples of Ektar, the new Tmax 400, in 35 and 120, as well their Portra films. They are saying that the Ektar film is the finest grain color neg film out there.

Did you ask Kodak about Ektar in 120? Many are interested in seeing that happen.

[charjohncarter]

I emailed them asking about it (120), but no response about that, but I did get a no about Ektar sample. I even offered to pay.

[joachim]

Originally Posted by charjohncarter

I emailed them asking about it (120), but no response about that, but I did get a no about Ektar sample. I even offered to pay.

It seems 120 is not on the books

http://www.kodak.com/global/en/profe...4046/e4046.pdf

Actually, Portra 160 VC seems to be sharper

http://www.kodak.com/global/en/profe...4040/e4040.pdf

So it seem it is all about grain. I think I stick with Kodak E100.

[gdi]

You can order it from Freestyle - $4.49 a roll...
http://www.freestylephoto.biz/603133...lm?cat_id=1102

[charjohncarter]

Thanks it wasn't on their site 2 days ago.

[mongo141]

Originally Posted by charjohncarter

Thanks it wasn't on their site 2 days ago.

It is now, I just ordered some,,,

[charjohncarter]

I have some coming too. The first roll will go in my Bessa R. I hope to use all my LTM lenses with the roll. It is hard to believe, but the last two weeks of October and the first three weeks of November are really beautiful in the area around San Francisco.

[gdi]

Originally Posted by joachim

It seems 120 is not on the books

http://www.kodak.com/global/en/profe...4046/e4046.pdf

Actually, Portra 160 VC seems to be sharper

http://www.kodak.com/global/en/profe...4040/e4040.pdf

So it seem it is all about grain. I think I stick with Kodak E100.

Kodak's little scale shows its the same - http://www.kodak.com/global/en/profe....5.14.14&lc=en

[amateriat]

Originally Posted by Trius

Why not just join ProPass? Does it cost to join?

I actually am (or at least think I still am) a ProPass member, and that is indeed free to sign up for. There's also a ProPass Premium membership that's meant as a means of networking for working pros, as well as getting a listing on Rochester's "Where To Find a Pro Photographer" database. Might cost something, and you might need some creds to get that. That isn't so much my beat anymore, so I haven't inquired.

But I don't think you had to be in ProPass to get samples of the new Portra 160 films when they were announced, and, given how many people on the list, including me, actually got samples that time, Kodak seemed to be handing those out like Reese's Cups on Hallowe'en. We'll see if any shows up on my doorstep before Adorama or B & H get any.


- Barrett

[Damaso]

I just wanted to share my own experience with Ektar 100 (full disclosure Kodak is a sponsor of my long term project, the Europeans, and brought one of my images to promote Ektar).

I normally shoot Tri-x but when I got an email asking if I would be interested in testing the new Ektar I said yes. I remember shooting the Ektar 25 as a teenager and thought it would be a fun exercise. So I went to the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens and shot a bunch of available light images of flowers since they said the colors on the film were amazing.

They were indeed. This film has a color saturation much close to slide film but with the increased latitude of a negative. What impressed me most is how scannable the film is. On many of the images I did not retouching other than cropping out the excess black that my Nikon Coolscan V captured. I shot these images with my EOS 3 and an extension tube on my 85mm f1.8 lens and scanned them using the Nikon with Digital ICE (I scanned a few without ICE and the results were the same but slightly dustier). You can see more images at my blog here.

Kodak was impressed enough to buy an image and I have to say having shot a lot of color neg in my earlier days the results I got far exceeded my expectations.

I am also impressed that Kodak is still invested in making film and coming out with new films. This is the best argument against all those who say film is dead.

[mabelsound]

Thanks, Damaso. Those are really nice. I just ordered ten rolls from Freestyle--it looks like this one is a winner.