Vista 100 from AGFA of Germany is a versatile ISO 100 speed film that delivers normally saturated colors, very fine grain and medium contrast. It is an excellent print film for use outdoors, especially when one is shooting scenic views, architectural details and people.

The German company AGFA has been producing film and imaging products since 1888 and throughout Europe is viewed as that continent's version of North America's KODAK of Rochester, NY.

Over the years, AGFA has constantly striven to update and upgrade their products, but unlike other film companies that have sought to boost color saturation, AGFA has maintained the belief that colors should remain natural, grain small and contrast at a normal (medium) level.

From the mid-1990s to the present, AGFA has developed and perfected what they call "eye vision technology" for all of their color print films. The Vista line replaced the very successful HDC family of films and the OPTIMA family is now in its second generation. Both the Vista (consumer) and OPTIMA (professional) line of films have incorporated this new emulsion.

AGFA developed this new technology and claims that the film sees the light and imagery much as the human eye does. As a result, when the user gets their prints back from the lab, they will see natural colors, very fine grain and medium contrast. For users of 35mm and medium format cameras who use AGFA Vista 100, the colors will be what they saw through their viewfinders and the contrast is appropriate to the light that was available when the image was shot.

My observations are as follows:

I tend to do a lot of outdoor shooting and I do not limit myself to specific subject matter. I shoot whatever catches my eye. Following recommendations made by LEAD reviewer Howard Creech, I have started to engage in more "street photography" and I find this speed of AGFA Vista well suited for that purpose, especially on bright days.

COLOR SATURATION:

As I mentioned above, AGFA's corporate film policy is based on the belief that colors should be reproduced naturally. In that regard, Vista 100 is true to that standard. This is especially noticeable at the lab I use in Parsippany, NJ.
A professional lab, they use AGFA equipment and AGFA Premier paper for color printing. Every time I use AGFA and take my film to this lab for processing, I always receive pleasing prints with natural colors. Unlike most print films from competitor Fuji, where brighter colors can be supersaturated and lose detail (especially reds and yellows), the level of color in the Vista line of films will reproduce on print paper the way you saw them in your camera's viewfinder.

Agfa film coloring is remarkably consistent, even from one production lot to another. This consistency will prevent the user from ever being surprised or embarrassed by the results they receive.

Because of the 'softer' saturation of AGFA's colors, their films are especially well suited for portrait work. Facial coloring appear natural and the less harsh contrasts are also useful in minimizing blemishes in skin tone and reducing unnatural highlights. Unlike some other films, AGFA Vista 100 will not render fair skinned people ruddy in bright sunlight and the film adapts well to studio work with proper filtration, depending on the nature and source of lighting used to illuminate the subject.

GRAIN:

This 100 speed film is very, very fine grained film. AGFA has continued to refine and reduce grain size in all of their print films and perhaps the best example can be found in Vista 100. Despite its status as a 'consumer' grade film, this emulsion is very fine grained and that construction allows for significant size enlargement(s) without the increase in noticeable grain pattern. I have known photographers who used this very same film to make night photos (with extended shutter speeds) of the NYC skyline that have captured every scintilla of available light, while maintaining full color and clarity. Those same images were enlarged to 16 x 20 and still delivered very pleasing photographs. That says a lot about this film's flexibility, range and quality.

CONTRAST:

AGFA manufactures their print and slide films to have medium contrast. This permits retention of detail in light and dark areas without exaggeration between colors. Unlike the higher contrast, more highly saturated color films from Fuji, the Vista and Optima 100 speed films restrict themselves to what most people consider normal contrast levels between light and dark. As a result, the overall effect of each photo is more acceptable to a wider viewing audience.

Some people like high levels of contrast and extra 'hot' colors. Many more do not. AGFA believes in supporting the latter category. It is a corporate strategy that has allowed them to continue to deliver imaging products that remain consistent, precise and pleasing to a wider viewing marketplace.

EXPOSURE LATITUDE:

Like most print films, AGFA Vista 100 offers more exposure latitude than slide films of the same speed. Today, many AF SLR cameras are equipped with autobracketing for exposures. This feature enables the photographer, within the same roll of film to step up and step down exposure values for shotting the same subject or scene. AGFA Vista 100, when used outdoors in an auto-bracketed mode handles the changes in exposure value exceptionally well.

Many film companies will not label ISO 100 speeds for flash usage; they generally start that designation at ISO 200. While AGFA tends to do the same, I have found that Vista 100 handles flash photography very well. With the Nikon bodies I use and the SB-28DX flash attachment which has TTL autoflash capability, I obtain fully exposed, clear and colorful prints. When I use flash exposure compensation with the same flash, this film is still felxible enough to react toward reduced flash (or tungsten lighting in a studio).

OTHER OBSERVATIONS:

PHOTO ZONE in Parsippany, NJ is the store where I do most of lab work for black and white and slide film. They are big proponents of AGFA film and when customers join their film developing club to receive discounts or free film, the store uses AGFA Vista 100 for that purpose. The photographers in the store, who also double as the technical and sales representatives ALL use AGFA products, despite the fact that the store also sells competing film products. When the guys processing my film are the same ones who use it in their personal work, then I know I have found a reliable product.

As far as I am concerned, there is only one problem with AGFA films and that is here in North America, they are not as widely available as Kodak and Fuji products. Unlike those two companies, AGFA generally does not sell their film in normal retail outlets. For the most part, AGFA products are sold in professional photo stores and at such online outlets as B&H Photo and Video in NYC.

AGFA films also tend to be slightly more expensive on a roll by roll basis than Kodak and Fuji products, even when sold in the multi-packs. For this reason and the general lack of widespread availability, I tend to use Kodak and Fuji products for their cost effectiveness and convenience.

When I have access to AGFA products, I stock up in quantity for those times when I will be in locations where AGFA is not easy to find.

If you want true colors and sharp imagery in bright daylight, give AGFA Vista 100 a try. I'm sure you'll be pleased with the results.

Recommended: Yes