Kodak 6031330 Professional Ektar 100/36 Colour Negative Film

Product Information

The first thing to notice about Kodak Ektar 100 is that it’s (obviously) an ISO 100 film. Having such a low light sensitivity means that the film is very slow and is most suitable for bright, well-lit environments, such as a bright, sunny day, or a strongly lit studio or room. Unlike other films that met the same fate in recent times though, its demise wasn’t prompted by the rise of digital cameras. The writing was on the wall long before that thanks to its complicated and outdated processing method that could only really be done by trained technicians. I definitely do not recommend using this film in environments lit with anything other that bright natural sunlight. Would I recommend Kodak Ektar 100? Theres no doubt that Ektar is some of the finest grain film in the world. It’s 100 ISO and rich colors help make the grain so smooth. Almost every shot I have taken on Ektar has turned out incredibly clear with only a little bit of grain showing up in the darker scenes. While I do love grit and grain in my photography, Ektar has such a beautiful character to it I can’t help but fall in love. Versatile In this film review, I’ll share my findings, including tips for getting the best results. But first, the basics: a brief history and technical characteristics of Kodak Ektar 100. A brief history of Kodak’s Ektar brand.

This issue is usually the worst on lighter skin tones, where Ektar tends to produce an odd-looking red/orange tint. If you tend to mostly take photos of people, you’re probably going to want to choose a different film. The current E-6 process was first released in 1977 and then modified in the mid-1990s to remove the formaldehyde from the stabiliser. I don’t know much about developing film but that sounds like a good move to me. Kodak Ektar 100 is a pretty beautiful film. It’s best used in the old school way of doing photography: with a camera on a tripod, a special light meter used to judge the highlights and shadows, and then a single very care and calculated exposure being made. It delivers very saturated colors that I’m sure many digital photographers will really like–especially if you’re a Sony shooter.So with all said and done, this Kodak Ektar 100 is a relatively young film with a historic name. As well as the aforementioned finest, smoothest grain of any color negative film available today, it also promises to bring ultra-vivid color and exceptional sharpness.

I have heard that Ektar can tend to get muddy if underexposed and can be difficult to shoot for this reason. Personally, in the 5 rolls I have shot, I have not had this issue. The colors have been spot on with a bit more umph that I like, giving incredibly vivid images. This could be due to realiable light meters in my cameras, or the scanning. Either way, Ektar has been performing beautifully for me in various lighting conditions. Final Thoughts Especially if you’re used to shooting a “consumer-grade” film (like Kodak Ultramax 400 or Kodak Gold 200), the difference will be noticeable. No matter what type of film, lower speed = less grain, so it makes sense that this version of Ektar film was only released in ISO 100. We love it for what it is, but the unique characteristics that make Ektar standout are also what make it tough to use in a lot of circumstances. This is emphasized by the fact that most color-negative films on the market are incredibly versatile and easy to use in a variety of situations. The people behind those have done what they can with the resources available to them. Producing film is a massive operation and it’s nigh on impossible for an individual or small business to make a genuine brand new one from scratch. It needs someone like Kodak to do it. Or Ilford with their Ortho Plus. Or Fuji with their Acros II (kinda made by Ilford).You’ve seen already the three best-exposed shots I got from this roll. The first one below is okay too, but then they’ll get progressively worse to show you how things can change when shooting slide film in just slightly different or sub-optimal light. In 2008, Kodak released the Ektar film we have today, which only comes in ISO 100. Despite the name, it’s not the same as the old stuff. Indeed, it’s not even of the same lineage.

A wonderful holiday film - any trip where you're expecting lovely sunshine (beaches or mountains!) deserves a roll of Kodak Ektar Landscape photographers and those looking to shoot random things should also be aware of the types of light that you’re shooting in. Of course, lots of landscape photographers like going and shooting when the weather is cloudy due to getting the most contrasty elements in the sky. If you’re going to do this, use a Graduated ND filter and ensure that enough fixer is used in the darkroom. Image Quality An easy way to get excellent results with Ektar is to photograph scenes that aren’t busy, with minimal textures/fine contrast, perhaps overexposed by one stop. When not to shoot Kodak Ektar. I’ve been shooting Ektar on and off for the past five years while living in Thailand and Canada with a few different cameras. I’ve had a set of photos damaged during development, and my understanding of the scanning process challenged more than once. So take note: this film will perform its best under certain conditions — but not always .

Table of Contents

Recommended uses of Ektar 100, in Kodak’s words and not mine, are nature, travel, outdoor, fashion, and product photography. Note that this list doesn’t include portraits.