Today you will be exploring Kodak E100 against Fuji Provia 100F. I shot both these films with my wonderful Bronica Zenza ETRS 6by45 camera. I shot with the 75mm f2.8 lens outside using natural light.
I am comparing these film stocks to see the differences in color, saturation. In terms of pricing in the UK Kodak E100 comes in at £18 a roll whereas Fuji Provia 100F comes in at £10 a roll.
There's a significant difference in price so this will be useful for you to consider the next time you will be shooting with color slide film!
I wanted to try Provia 100F because I know Fujichrome film stocks tend to be more on the warmer side and less contrasty. I have heard Ektachrome can be more contrasty and have more of a blue tinge to the results.
If you haven't checked out my previous video with these film stocks in a studio condition be sure to check that out at the end of this video to get a comparison.
Metering for these films can be a bit tricky. I was using my Sekonic L-308X. As these film stocks tend to have a dynamic range of about 3-4 stops you need to make sure that you meter correctly otherwise the images won’t come out well. This was especially more important when shooting outdoors without guaranteed consistency of light.
In practical terms outdoors this would mean taking several meter readings one for the highlights and one for the shadows. Remember for film photography it's super important to make sure the shadows are metered in particular because you will not be able to raise or correct these in post as you would with digital cameras. Every shot was taken on the same shutter speed, aperture and I even tried to keep framing and posing as identical and humanly possible throughout the shoot.
As mentioned before, changing light intensity would be something I would have to carefully consider. As always I was trying to get the most consistent results possible. We got a little more creative with the shots as the shoot progressed!
When shooting color negative films, I always get a separate contact sheet with my film negatives so I can see the images in color or black and white. For slide film this is not necessary as you can see the images in their full glory! Ektachrome and Provia are 100 ISO daylight balanced films.
They deliver extremely fine grain as well as, whiter, brighter whites, and an improved tone scale. Both films claim to produce exceptional results for advertising, fashion, editorial, architecture, nature/wildlife, and other commercial applications. As well as this they are specifically designed for exposure with daylight or electronic flash.
My favorite image shot on Provia 100F was with Fadhillah lying on the floor with one hand on her head. The green color of the grass has been captured with remarkable accuracy along with with skin tones and textures of her shirt. The runner up on Provia would be with her holding her hands above her head extending her left leg out.
My favourite shot on Ektachrome was the one taken from directly above with the scarf on the floor and Fadhillah looking directly down the barrel of the camera lens. The eyes have rendered razor sharp. The runner up shot would be of her slightly perched up while seated. The pose and setup of the shot is on pointe!
Overall I think that Provia has rendered more accurate skins tones and textures whilst it really struggled in the shadows. Ektachrome faired better in the shadows on the other hand although less forgiving with more light available. In fairness it was difficult to make comparisons as the light fluctuated quite a bit throughout the shoot. As always it is a work in progress therefore gotta keep shooting with this!
One of the reasons for shooting in a natural light setting was to help you to save time and money before you jumped into the world of slide film photography. Now that you have seen this setup I hope you are encouraged to push yourself and dive into shooting these film stocks too. Be sure to check out my studio shoot with these film stocks as it will give you a wider understanding of the differences in outcomes.
The summer is going to be coming into full swing and I would love to connect or collaborate with you if you’re in London! Shoot me a comment and let's set up something!