Velvia 100: a worthwhile alternative - or successor - to Provia 100
Written: Jan 07 '04
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Product Rating:
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Pros: The right amount of color saturation with excellent grain and contrast.
Cons: Not cheap
The Bottom Line: If you like to use Provia or Sensia 100, get it. If you specifically like the look of Velvia 50, stick to that.
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| otola's Full Review: Fujifilm RVP 135-36 Fujichrome Velvia 100-F Profes... |
As an avid slide shooter of cities and landscapes, mostly during vacation trips, I have generally preferred the look and quality of Fuji slide film over those offered by Kodak (sorry Rochester!). However, because I use relatively "slow" (although high quality - see my reviews on the Zeiss 24-85 and 80-200 zooms for the Contax N system) zoom lenses rather than fast primes, I never seriously considered using the "classic" Velvia which reportedly rates as a 40 ASA, rather than 50 ASA film. This is, in my experience, simply too slow to be useful for me in the real world, where you often find yourself in situations with less-than-optimal available light. That means that until recently I have always used Provia 100. This is an excellent film with pleasing contrast, accurate colors and fine grain, and I have used it with much satisfaction. Still, I always thought it lacked a little bit of a color punch and I always felt a tiny bit jealous of those photographers who manage to get good use out of the old Velvia 50. When Fuji recently announced a new Velvia rated at 100 ASA, it seemed too good to be true, and I jumped at the opportunity to try it out. Here are my impressions. Because I expect most readers of this review to be interested in the differences and similarities between Velvia 100 and Provia 100, I will mainly discuss the side-by-side qualities of these two films.
First, this film really IS 100 ASA and should be exposed as such. I have played around extensively with exposures around 100 ASA, but this really does not enhance the overall quality of the slides. Overexposure results in blown out highlights, whereas underexposure, although slightly more color saturation is noticeable, leads to unacceptable loss in detail in dark areas. Thus, set your camera at 100 ASA for this film. I typically shoot Provia 100 in the same manner, so no significant difference here.
Secondly, although the grain is very fine, I do not find it much improved over Provia, if at all. If you are used to Provia (or Sensia), you will not be overly impressed by a difference in quality. Still, this is of course very good, and this film should lend itself very well for scanning which is something we all end up doing to some extent.
What about color saturation and contrast? Here I find Velvia 100 to be superior to Provia. The reason for this is that the color difference between these two is just right, and not nearly as much as the difference between classic Velvia 50 and Provia. This makes this new film a winner to me. Velvia 50 can sometimes render images a bit garish, my biggest issue with the enhanced 100 ASA color slide films made by Kodak. The new Velvia 100, however, only shows a modest increase in color saturation compared to Provia. In my view, this is exactly what this film needed. Be aware though, that some lenses from certain manufacturer's (e.g., some Canon L zooms) will also lend a particular color cast to your slides. My lenses are quite neutral in color, which seems to be a good match with "warm" films like Velvia 100. However, if your lens is already somewhat warm, your results may differ somewhat in attractiveness from mine. As always, try and experiment. Contrast seems fairly similar.
In conclusion, those who thought they got a Velvia 50 with twice the speed will be sorely disappointed, because it really isn't that kind of film. In that regard, Velvia 50 will keep its place as the best, most saturated slide film. When it comes to 100 speed, the new Velvia 100 is now top dog in my opinion, and one has to wonder if there is any real reason to keep Provia 100 around for much longer. I recommend anyone who likes Provia to try out a role of Velvia 100. I think that you will see that with just a bit more color and otherwise very similar characteristics as Provia, you will really appreciate this slide film. Fuji produces another winner in the dying days of slide emulsions.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
otola
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Reviews written: 6
Trusted by: 0 members
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