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Photography Question 

Stephen
 

Agfa Ultra 50


Ok, I have bought my Agfa Ultra 50 film, that you thought was gone, lucky for me I found some. What colors on this film seem to be saturated the most, and what should I be careful of when shooting with this film, any weather conditions, lighting, etc?

Thanks :D


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May 21, 2001

 

John A. Lind
  Wow . . . I hit the major stores on line such as B&H in NYC and didn't even find it listed!

I recommend shooting a roll of it of a range of things you've photographed before near where you live. Have it processed and look at how it does with different things under different conditions.

In general, very high saturation films like Fuji Velvia, Kodak E100VS and Agfa Ultra 50 do not render skin tones well. The saturation is too high for it. Avoid people as the main subject material. For other subject material which may contain people (e.g. landscapes and architectural), avoid shots in which they are very prominent or in the immediate foreground close to you. More distant people in the "middle ground" or in the background shouldn't be a problem.

-- John


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May 21, 2001

 

Stephen
  John, maybe this will make it easier for me, what colors does Agfa Ultra 50 exagerate the most? Can you tell me the same for Fuji Velvia.


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May 21, 2001

 

John A. Lind
  Waited for a couple days to see if someone who has actually used Ultra 50 would share their experience.

I have not used this film, but here is what I've heard others say about it (all related to its high saturation):

- can make blue sky slightly darker

- can lose color gradation in lower contrast situations, especially if it's a "monotone" (such as all green foliage). This can result in a loss of detail. Works better in bright sun with enough contrast to keep detail.

- has a saturated "Technicolor" look to it. (Technicolor is one of the first color motion picture films with a very unique look and above average saturation.)

My conclusion:
Seems to be fairly even across colors in its very high saturation (also a property of Elitechrome Extra Color [E100VS]). Expect all colors to be exaggerated and not highly accurate to real life. OTOH, Velvia is noted for good gradation in its green rendition.

Hope this helps some.

-- John


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May 21, 2001

 

John A. Lind
  One additional thought:
Some consumer labs, especially the "one-hour" type at the local drugstore, can have trouble printing highly saturated images. I recommend having it printed by a very good lab with experienced technicians.

-- John


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May 21, 2001

 
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