I want to also state that the color palette of the
Provia 400X seems very similar to K64. I thought I
was a little crazy when I observed this, and the grain
is of course more the Kodachrome, but with the huge
size of MF chromes, there is no problem for me.

-kp


--- MF3D-group@yahoogroups.com wrote:


---------------------------------
Medium Format Stereo Photography Medium
Format Stereo Photography
Messages In This Digest (3
Messages)

1a.
Thoughts on Provia 400X From: jamesbharp

1b.
Re: Thoughts on Provia 400X From: David
W. Kesner
1c.
Re: Thoughts on Provia 400X From: Bob
Venezia
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Messages
1a.
Thoughts on Provia 400X
Posted by: "jamesbharp"
matmail2@earthlink.net
jamesbharp Sat Jun
30, 2007 6:12 am (PST) I've
just put five rolls of this through my TL-120, and I
will be buying many more boxes of
it in the future. Here are some impressions:

Just like other Fuji slide films the ISO is inflated,
at least compared to how Kodak rates its
emulsions. I set my light meter to ISO 320 (ISO 640
if pushed a stop) and got good
results.

While it certainly doesn't have Kodachrome 25's
smoothness, Provia 400X is far less grainy
than Provia 400F and the colors seem more life-like.
I get much less of that annoying
greenish cast in shots of cities lit up at night, to
the point where I might stop switching to
Kodak E100GX for those sorts of shots.

The color also seems less saturated than either Provia
100F or 400F, and blacks are better
rendered. With its high accutance, slightly muted
colors and truer blacks this stuff
reminds me a bit of my beloved Kodachrome 64, which I
still regret never having a chance
to shoot in MF.

The grain seems to increase a great deal when I push
400X one stop. My sense is that
this emulsion isn't as well suited to being pushed as
the older Provias.

I've been able to get some nice close up portraits,
four feet or so at f16 or f22 using a
Vivitar 285H with a plastic diffusor. The diffusor
makes the flash's illumination much
warmer and more even, but reduces the flash's output
by two stops (even though the
diffusor's packaging claimed just a one stop loss).
Without such fast film I'd never be able
to get these shots unless I had a big lighting rig.
I generally try to limit the depth of my
background when shooting this close. The TL120's
excellent optics and precise focusing
make it a great portrait camera, but most people over
18 will likely complain about all the
detail these portraits reveal.

The Tl120's faster shutter speeds also make faster
film a lot of fun. I've had a great time
shooting fountains at 1/500, they look like ice
sculptures.

Being able to work with ISO 320 or 640 makes me wish
even more that the TL120 had an
f32 aperture available.

Jim Harp


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1b.
Re: Thoughts on Provia 400X
Posted by: "David W. Kesner"
lists@dddphotography.com
macro3d Sat Jun
30, 2007 7:04 am (PST) Jim
Harp writes:

> I've just put five rolls of this through my TL-120,

and I will be buying

> many more boxes of it in the future. Here are some

impressions:

I don't see you name on the registration list for the
2007 NS/ISU
Convention/Congress - are you going to be there? If
not any chance you
would like to send a batch of these images to be
passed around at the
Medium Format meeting? I would take personal
responsibility for them and
make sure they were kept safe and returned promptly
after the convention.

Anyway I also have been shooting this film and must
say that I am liking
it. It is especially great in my cave photography
where every extra bit
of light gathering capability is greatly appreciated.
So far I have been
using the TL120's built-in light meter for outdoor
shots and the atuo-
feature of my Vivitar 283 for cave shots. Both have
been set to an EI of
400 and my exposures seem to be right on,

I will have many of my shots at the meeting for others
to evaluate. One
or two will also be in the Medium Format exhibit in
the Art Gallery as
well.

Thanks,

David W. Kesner


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1c.
Re: Thoughts on Provia 400X
Posted by: "Bob Venezia"
bob@chairboy.com
masterkinker Sat Jun 30,
2007 7:52 am (PST) I see on
B&H's site they differentiate between the imported
400X and
the US version.

Imported is $5.69 per roll and out of stock. US is
$6.99 per roll and
in stock.

Both are available in 5 packs at no savings.

Can anyone comment on a difference in quality between
the two?

Thanks,
Bob Venezia


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