S8 filmstocks compared

[Andreas Wideroe]

Here are some sample frames of some tests I shot in july. I wanted to compare various filmstocks under more or less the same conditions.

Films used:

- Kodachrome 40
- Ektachrome 64T
- Ektachrome VNF
- Fuji 500 (custom loaded by Pro8mm)
- Kodak Vision2 200T
- Kodak Vision2 500T

All was shot with a Beaulieu 4008zmII (Schneider 6-66) at 24fps using the Framemaster Pressureplate and an external lightmeter.

Scanned and colour corrected with my Bosch FDL-60 telecine. Output to miniDV and these frames are just still frames exported to jpg through Premiere and Photoshop.

Here are some examples:

(Click on the links to see the full size version!)

Kodachrome 40

k40_sitting.jpg

Ektachrome 64T

e64t_sitting.jpg

Ektachrome VNF

vnf_sitting.jpg

Kodachrome 40

k40_train.jpg

Ektachrome 64T

e64t_train.jpg

This was underexposed, but "corrected" during telecine.

Kodachrome 40

k40_underbridge.jpg

Ektachrome 64T

e64t_underbridge.jpg

Ektachrome VNF

vnf_underbridge.jpg

Ektachrome 64T

e64t_car.jpg

Kodak Vision 200T

200t_car.jpg

Can't remember if it was Vision 200T or Vision2 200T.

Kodak Vision2 500T

500t_car.jpg

Fuji 500 Custom load by Pro8mm

fuji500_car.jpg

Thanks to S8Booster for this film!

And finally... Vision 200T - someone's watching you!

200t_eye.jpg

Just for the record: This is just a quick test by me. Don't burn me for errors, under/overexposing or something being a little out of focus etc. This also includes the telecine transfer.

Enjoy! Any questions, please add to this thread.

Best,
Andreas

[tlatosmd]

64T seems to be the only chemical filmstock in existence with grain in icky RGB colors like RGB video noise, not monochrome grain.

On the other hand, you might get the notion that 50 bucks per cart for K40 would not be that much, judged as by the compared results when exposed correctly for each stock.

[filmamigo]

Thank you. Nice shots, with good skin tone, highlights and shadows. I have been hoping for some good comparisons like this.

As for results, it confirms that

- I don't like the look of K40 at all
- I like the look of E64 (feels like a 70's fashion-photography stock... hmm I think it is!)
- Vision 2 200 is RAZOR sharp
- The Fuji colour is AMAZING!

Thanks again.

Dave

[S8 Booster]

very intersting. tnx for posting.

s/hoot

[film_idaho]

I really like the Kodachrome very good depth or colors. Always have keen to Kodachrome always will. But the Kodak Vision 200T turned out nice too. Great footage!

-Alex Mason (film_idaho)

[tlatosmd]

Geez, the more gone K40 is, the more you realize what a bargain it really was for 20 bucks pre-paid!

[mojohey]

Well done Andreas... great work.

The K40 looks great, brill, fantastic... The E64T also great but in a different way.
The V2 200T/500T is great... but that Fuji stock looked very interesting... i liked it!!

But the most disturbing thing of all is... 8O you drive an Escort Estate with big round spotlights 8O

nobody is perfect i suppose...

p.s

well done great pics.

EDIT: i wish you had a car washing pic of K40 next to the rest...

[ccortez]

One more reason to love Awand beyond this community he supports for us for free. Great work, good man.

I need to look at the full size pics, but... the Fuji looks awful to me. Anyone else?

[CToTheH]

very nice work. It's very nice to see someone actually take the time and spend the money to do this kind of a test.

I reallylike the detail of vision 200t.

What wouldbe even nicer is if you had a better telecine, like a rank transfer from oh say Spectra Film and Video (the best super 8 telecine house ever!)

-Chris

[Scotness]

Well done Andreas - very useful indeed.

200T is the best for me in terms of colours and contrast - grain wasn't even that bad.

K40 and 64t - a bit off for me - contrast and grain problems, respectively.

The fuji I think looked bad because it was 500 asa in a Super 8 frame! - I liked the colours and contrast.


Well done again Andreas - and thanks for the effort.

Scot

[mattias]

thanks, these do indeed confirm the various theories we've heard and my own rough conclusions after non comparative tests.

as for the quality of kodachrome i don't quite see what people are so excited about, especially after seeing this. while it's an interesting look that i can see that some people like, i do for some purposes, what exactly do you mean by "depth of colors" when both highlights and shadows drop off to a muddy purple and can't you see that the price for the low grain is softness?

/matt

[Andreas Wideroe]

But the most disturbing thing of all is... 8O you drive an Escort Estate with big round spotlights 8O

Haha :lol:

Yeah, it's cheap and I can fill it up with surf and film equipment without being afraid of scratching or bumping the car AT ALL.

/Andreas

[Andreas Wideroe]

I need to look at the full size pics, but... the Fuji looks awful to me. Anyone else?

I now see that I may have made the Fuji film a little too green during telecine.

[Andreas Wideroe]

To me this test showed me that my new favourite filmstock is the Vision2 200T. Looks great I think. The 64T was blueish as we've seen before. VNF muddy as always. The K40 looks good I think and I like it alot, both because of the colours but also because of the "whole package" with film and processing for a low price.

I don't like 500 films. Too grainy in my opinion.

When I saw these films on my TV at home I think the 500 films looked much better than on my studio and computer monitors. The grain dissapeared a little.

Perhaps I crunched the blacks a little too much some places.

Andreas

[S8 Booster]

as for the Fuji i forgot to tell Andreas that the grain decreases considerably with over exposure like the Kodak stocks.

the Fuji film posted here is now discontinued and replaced with the new Eterna 500 which is less grainy anyway.

sample image Fuji - same film stock as posted above but this is not properly colour corrected, it is shot at ISO250/160 or 320/200 and at 18 fps with the Canon 310XL and as you can see there is quite less grain.

at motion the grain appear far less than with still frames.



s/hoot