Re: [photo-3d] Re: Slide Processing Nightmare

[Paul Talbot <ptww@xxxxxxxxx>]

Oleg Vorobyoff wrote:
 
> Paul Talbot  wrote:
> >Oleg, you mention liking Astia in 120 and 4x5 formats; it may
> >not hold up to the more demandnig viewing requirements of 35mm
> >stereo.
> 
> I am sure you are correct.  The reason I keep going back for battering from
> Kodak is that when Kodachrome 25 is properly processed, the slides are
> spectacular.

Perhaps;  I spent some time trying K25 due to its sterling
reputation among its proponents.  When I look at any of my
K25 stereo slides my reaction is usually "Yuck, this looks
gross!"  My observations from slides I've seen in the Gamma
folios is that Kodachrome II was gorgeous, but I haven't seen
anything I like in Kodachrome since.  Whether it's the film
or the processing, I can't say.  I just grew tired of pouring
money down that sinkhole.

> The two qualities that make it so, I think, are color accuracy
> and crystal sharpness.

Not to start a huge philosophical debate, but as an aspiring
artist I'm more concerned with pleasing colors than accurate
colors.  For example, Velvia tends to render the sky in the
blue in which it exists in my fondest memories and in my dreams.
In most of my pictures, that's what I want to see, not the
disgusting grey that man and his machines and his pollution
have made most of today's skies.  Kodachrome gives me the ugly
skies I see almost everyday when I go outside, and I just don't
need to see that ugliness in my photos.

Furthermore, no film can come close to matching the dynamic
range of our eyes, so to say any film "accurately" records
colors is just a question of whether the film lies more or
lies less.  Whoever said photos never lie didn't have a clue.
Every photo is a lie.  When you start from that understanding,
I think it's easier to accept that a film that makes the world
look better is a wonderful tool, not one to be avoided because
it is "not accurate."  Some Kodachrome shots I've seen with
some types of foliage in them are inaccurate to my eyes in a
way that makes me think I'm on some frightful foreign planet.
Maybe it's badly processed Kodachrome, but maybe there is
really no such thing as well-processed Kodachrome anymore.

Gary Nored likes to say of his love for Velvia, "If it's worth
doing, it's worth doing to extreme."  I don't agree in every
respect, but I'm more in that camp than in the "accuracy" camp.

> I mentioned Astia because I've found its color accuracy comparable;
> sharpness, I expect, will be its failing in 35mm.

Here is a chart I posted some time ago that I find useful:

Fuji's "Professional Data Guide '99" has some interesting
info for choosing film for stereo.  Here are the RMS (a
measure of grain), and resolving power for some Fuji slide
films, listed from least to most grain:

Film                    Code     ISO     RMS   Resolving Power*
----                    ----     ---     ---   ---------------
Provia F                RDPIII   100       8      60 ;  140
Velvia                  RVP       50       9      80 ;  160
Provia                  RDPII    100      10      60 ;  140
Astia                   RAP      100      10      55 ;  135
SensiaII                RA       100      10      55 ;  135
Provia 400/SensiaII 400 RHP/RH   400      15      40 ;  125

High/Multi-Speed films:
Provia 1600             RSP      800      22      40 ;  100
                                1600      25      40 ;  100
                                3200      30      32 ;   71
Fujichrome 100/1000 Pro RMS      100      10      55 ;  135
                                 200      11      55 ;  135
                                 400      13      55 ;  135
                                 800      15      55 ;  135
                                1000      16      55 ;  135

* Two measurements of resolving power (lines/mm) are listed:
the first is for Chart Contrast 1.6:1, the second is for
Chart Contrast 1000:1

As you can see, Velvia still holds a tremendous sharpness
advantage over the other E-6 films.

> That
> is why I had high hopes for Provia F.  The Provia F I tried may have been
> off in color due to improper processing.  Do you suppose that can affect
> sharpness as well?

Sorry, I really don't have an answer for that one.

Paul Talbot