Color negative film?

Question

Does anyone still use color negative film? If so what application do you use it for? I shoot B&W and color transparency but have never used color negative so I was just curious. And please no "just get a digital camera" answers. :-)

Answer 1

Its kromes for me when i do colour film, the one colour neg I rate as a "must have" is kodak 160 porta - VC for vivid colours, or NC for (natural colour) skin tones,. The porta skin tones is so pleasing in most situations. Also comes in 400.

So the only colour neg I have used in the last year is Porta 160 NC, for all else its kromes or Digi.

a

Answer 2

C-41 color negative film is the most common. Before I was serious about the film I shoot, I shot C-41 color print film for everything from documenting the birth of my son to taking snaps of friends and family during the holidays. Nowadays I never shoot negative film, I too shoot color slides and ilford pro B&W print film I have converted into reversals. I shoot 100% slides now. I prefer slides to negatives for the archival benefits along with the ability to get higher resolution scans from them for digital editing and the like. I can get the same resolution from a scan of my slides that I can get with my nikon D80. I have no actual use for what I do with film, I do it because I like to. I remember a couple of months ago I had to force myself to shoot color print film because one of my photog groups organized a film photostroll and wanted to wait for 1 hour prints to compare work. I can't get E-6 or dr-5 B&W chromes in an hour. So I bought some 'cheapie' film for the day and got some great shots. I don't usually care for color negative, or print film because I don't shoot film a lot. When I do, I shoot chromes. But, C-41 is the most cost effective film out there, but not good for archive. I like to call it good snapshot film.

Answer 3

I still shoot a bit when I can convince a client to let me shoot it. As antoni has said, the Kodak Portra 160 NC is a great daylight balanced color negative film and is reasonably priced @ about $6.49 a roll from B+H.

Last year, I was so discouraged with the lack of available slide film developing in my area, I went to color negatives and was most impressed with the Fuji Reala 100, which touts the finest grain structure available to date. When everything is done right in camera, I have enlaged to 20X24, no problem. At 2.59/ roll, 36 exp, it might be the film lovers best friend...

Check out the Reala @http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2082/2036643851_e4b649304c_b.jpg

EDIT: Edwin, I used to LOVE the Royal line from Kodak, and when it was replaced by the HD line of film, I was so disappointed. A perfect example of Kodak shooting themselves in the foot !!!

Answer 4

That's because most color paper is also negative. So Negative x Negative is a positive, normal color. I guess positive color paper is around for making prints from transparencies but that is a special project not the norm

Answer 5

I shoot a lot of Kodak Portra 160 NC & VC and Portra 400 VC & NC. I also shoot Fuji PRO400H. My favorite print film was Kodak Royal Supra 200 but its out of production so I use my stockpile of it sparingly.

For B&W I use Ilford and Kodak which are C-41 process.

Many yrs ago I shot my share of Kodachrome 64.

Answer 6

I've never used color negative film except in my 110 Model Rocket camera.

I like Velvia 50, Pan F, and XP2

Answer 7

You waste a perfectly good roll of film. And film photography is not passe.

Answer 8

It's about 10 years I used it last, and it was for making slides of text and of line drawings. It used to be for slide presentations. I guess it's like blue prints.
Since pagemaker and power point projector it's too much bother.