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Re: [OM] Portrait work: Reala or NPS 160??

Subject: Re: [OM] Portrait work: Reala or NPS 160??
From: Joel Wilcox <jowilcox@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Mon, 10 Feb 2003 07:09:05 -0600
At 06:41 AM 2/10/2003 -0500, you wrote:
At 08:52 2/9/03, you wrote:
At 07:10 AM 2/9/2003 -0500, John you wrote:
Albert,
For traditional [formal] portraiture, Kodak Portra NC or Fuji NPS is the failsafe stuff to use. Reala is really good stuff, but it's more general purpose with higher saturation and slightly higher contrast.

As always, exactly what you choose to use depends on what you want for results; it's a tradeoff. Go with the Reala *if* there is strong reason for higher saturation and a little more contrast. Go with the pro portrait films (e.g., Portra or NPS) if finer tonal gradation and accuracy with the skin tones are more important than higher saturation and contrast.

I am starting to like Portra 160NC for general photography. It's like Kodachrome in a print film. The grain at ASA 160 seems better than most ASA 100 print films. Anyone else have this experience?

Joel W.

Yes with regard to the grain. It is, indeed, much finer grained than the low end consumer ISO 100 films . . . and holds its own well compared to the pro general purpose ISO 100 stuff (e.g. Supra).

Color accuracy is similar to Kodachrome . . . but my experience is Kodachrome has much narrower latitude, slightly less than the E-6 stuff I've tried . . . and as a result it's significantly contrastier than Portra which has a latitude one can parallel park a semi in.

You can say that again! I meant just the color accuracy part. Latitude seems infinitely forgiving with Portra in comparison to Kodachrome.

BTW, I've used Agfa Scala 200X in studio for B/W portraits and had them printed on Ilfochrome. Much different compared to traditional B/W negative on silver-gelatin prints and equally as stunning as doing a Kodachrome on Ilfochrome. It does require a lab with some experience in printing Scala to keep the print a neutral gray.

-- John

Any advantages in doing this over just making conventional BW negs, prints, etc.?

Joel W.


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