FujiFilm - 35mm Color Slide Film Velvia RVP ISO 50 36 Exposures

Rating:
Summary: When You Want Eye-Popping Colors, Use FUJI!
Review: Fuji film's Velvia 50 is that company's finest grain slide film and to many photographers and viewers of images taken with this emulsion, the film became the standards for what colorful could be.

Fuji is the arch-competitor to the grand dame of the film industry - KODAK. While a youngster compared to KODAK, Fuji has come a very long way in their product development, chemistry and the quality of the finished product since they first started competing against KODAK in the North American marketplace.

When I first started using Fuji print films approximately 17 years ago, I did not like them. I found that they had too high a preponderance of green and they would lose detail quickly. Their colors were less natural than KODAK's and less faithful to the color of the subject photographed. After shooting 8-10 rolls of Fuji 100 and 400, I returned to KODAK products.

Years later, when I acquired my first NIKON AF 35 mm SLRs and with much more experience under my belt, I decided to give FUJI another try. I had heard that the company had done much to correct the problems with their chemistry and emulsions and that overall quality of their films had improved dramatically. During this time, FUJI was severely criticized by KODAK and the U.S. government for "dumping" film into the USA below cost in a cheap play to acquire market share. Fuji denied this tactic and continued to use it as a way to win over American professional and enthusiast photographers.

After switching from manual 35 mm cameras to AF, I also started shooting a lot more slide film and I decided to try Fuji slide and print films again. While for most products I remain a KODAK loyalist (I shoot only professional quality/grade film), I will use FUJI when I think the application is right.

When using slides I like Velvia 50 for its exceptionally fine grain and very saturated colors. Many users of this slide film will shoot it at ISO 40 to increase saturation. I have not done that because this is already a slow speed film and I recommend a tripod when using it, this is an excellent slide film for shooting landscapes and other scenic views.

This slide film IS NOT suited for portraiture, either outdoors or inside with flash. Slides taken outdoors of people, especially folks who are Caucasian tend to deliver faces with very "ruddy" coloring. Indoors with flash, complexions tend to take on an eerie greenish cast. Obviously, not very true to life.

For more accurate and faithful colors, more like what was seen through the viewfinder, Kodak slide films, but especially the now extinct KODAKCHROME 25, the still available K64 and the EKTACHROME 64 family of slide films will deliver much more neutral, but true colors. Contrast will also be more accurate.

If realism is not your primary reason for using slide film and you are more interested in the WOW of super-saturated colors, then FUJI Velvia 50, shot outdoors is a good choice.