Last year we reported that Fujifilm had promised to be the "last man
standing" when it came to maintaining and introducing new films, and we
are happy to report that their promise has been kept. With a recently introduced
Fujichrome Provia 400 and a return of Fujichrome Velvia 50, the company continues
to upgrade its chrome film line with new emulsions that improve upon products
of the past. While the demand for films of any type have certainly declined,
it might be deemed ironic that these new films are the best manifestations of
these speeds ever, with enhanced delivery of fine grain, improved sharpness,
and characteristically vivid color response.
Fujifilm changed the face of slide films forever with their initial introduction
of Fujichrome Velvia 50. Manufacturing and materiel difficulties eliminated
this film about a year and a half ago, with reports coming in that photographers
were buying vast quantities and freezing them to keep the Velvia look available
in their creative kit. Velvia 100 was supposed to replace the venerable 50,
and while it certainly has some of the kick of 50, it never garnered the rabid
fan base of the slower emulsion. Landscape, stock, and editorial photographers
relied on the 50 for its unique, expressive take on color, something digital
photographers added using software like Alien Skin's Exposure or by sliding
the Saturation control to the right in post-processing. There was a warmth and
rounded tonality to 50, somewhat akin to the sound tube amps and LPs brought
to stereophiles, that digital photographers might try to emulate, but could
never quite match.
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The deep, rich colors of Velvia 50 are back with the new emulsion,
something that will bring a smile to those nostalgic for the "old"
film. And images shot in overcast light no longer have any magenta
cast in the shadows. Exposure was f/2 at 1/60 sec with a Canon EOS-1N
and a 50mm f/1.4 EF lens.
All Photos © 2007, George Schaub, All Rights Reserved |
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Velvia 50 And 100
While we had no remaining older 50 speed Velvia for comparison, we relied on
our reminiscences of the old 50 to judge how the new 50 performs. We also shot
it against the present Velvia 100 to see the differences, if any. While the
comparative results would be too subtle to be revealed in magazine reproduction
(thus we provide no side-by-side shots), the new 50 seems to emanate light from
within each subject, an almost transcendent glow that yields clean, true greens
(as opposed to a slight bluish cast in the 100) and is particularly striking
in the reds, magentas, and yellows, always the hallmark of this emulsion. And
while the reds are rich they do not overwhelm the detail or create those red
"overmasks" that sometimes seemed to run into one another to obscure
detail in favor of color saturation.
Both films are exceedingly sharp and grain free, with none of the slight magenta
cast that in the past might have crept into some images made in low light or
under shady conditions. And the ISO settings on the 50 seem right on, at least
when shot with a Canon EOS-1N using evaluative metering. True, a slight 1/3
stop underexposure (EI 64) enriches color even more, but there's no hint
that shooting this new film at EI 40, a sweet spot for many Velvia 50 shooter
in the past, makes any sense. Going beyond +2/3 stop yields less than sterling
results, so if you bracket start at +1/3 and go down to -2/3 in the sequence.
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The hallmark of Velvia 50 was always high saturation in colors such
as red, yellow, and magenta, something the new manifestation delivers
without any bluish cast in greens. Exposure was f/2.8 at 1/30 sec
with a Canon EOS-1N and a 50mm f/1.4 EF lens. |
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In short, fans of the old Velvia 50 will once again be able to revel in its
color-rich rendition, with expected super-fine grain and no magenta "curse"
in shady light. Does it make sense to drop a stop and favor the 50 over the
100? In fact, Velvia 100 is rated by Fujifilm as having finer grain than the
new 50, but fans of the Velvia 50 look probably won't notice, or care.
As to which one is best for your work, that's for you to judge. To us,
the new 50 has all the qualities of the old 50 with a look and tonal feel that
only slide film shooters can truly enjoy.
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