Not Just for Low-Light Anymore (updated!)
Written: Aug 15 '02 (Updated Aug 30 '02)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Same granularity rating as ISO 100 film. Contrasty and colorful for ISO 400.
Cons: Can make 'blobs' out of red subjects.
The Bottom Line: Good all around film for everybody and every type of 35mm camera.
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| roger1250's Full Review: Fujitsu 4 Rolls Superia X-TRA 35mm Color Print Fil... |
ISO 400 color print film used to be reserved for those times when one needed speed over quality much like ISO 800 and 1600 films are today (Though I hear that 800 speed films are getting a lot better too). But those days are in the past because now you can have speed and quality thanks to Fuji Superia X-tra 400 film.
Fuji Superia X-TRA is an available everywhere, go anywhere, "Hey let's take some pictures!" kind of film. It's good in all light conditions, gives your camera the ability to use a fast shutter speed to stop action, is pretty good friends with electronic flash, does a great job with people's skin tones and still has the same granularity rating as Fuji Reala ISO 100 film. Yep, it performs like a trooper. But the best thing about it is that a 4 roll pack of this stuff costs nearly the same as 1 roll of some other brands' premium ISO 400 film yet delivers the same image quality and maybe better in some instances.
So why use anything slower ever again? Well, this film is pretty versatile and delivers image quality that rivals ISO 100 film where grain is concerned and it is my main color film. But I still think there are some pretty good reasons to keep a couple rolls of slower film in your bag. Slower film offers more saturated color and better contrast. These attributes of slower film are more apparent in prints when enlarged beyond 4"x6" or 5"x7". While color and contrast with this film is exceptional, it's still not as good as Fuji Reala.
This film is mainly designed for the consumer who needs to have ISO 400 film for that slow SLR zoom lens or that even slower P&S camera zoom lens. But it goes beyond just allowing you to hand hold your camera and get a sharp print. This film actually gives quality results up to 8"x10" that are comparable to Fuji's pro ISO 400 film, NPH.
For the most part enlargements turn out very good. And like all Fuji films this one also benefits from being processed in Fuji chemicals and printed on Fuji paper though I have had some nice results with Kodak Royal Gold paper too (the problem with the Fuji Frontier system is that it can't do a matte finish). I'm not always able to get the best processing for this film though and I have had to take it in to be processed at discount store minilabs. Most of the time the results are acceptable but the prints don't have the same 'punch' as they do from the Fuji or other premium processing systems. But the funny thing is that the film does better than Fuji's Super HQ ISO 100 or Kodak Gold ISO 100 films do in the same lab.
At $7.50 for a 4 roll pack, this stuff is a steal at $1.88 per roll. And what's even better is there happens to be a coupon in every box for a dollar off on your next 4 pack making this film even more affordable. So if your looking for a film that will let you use your P&S or slow zoom hand held and without flash but also want quality results that allow 8"x10"'s without spending a lot of money, this film is for you.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
roger1250
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Location: Minneapolis, MN
Reviews written: 9
Trusted by: 0 members
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