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Old 17th December 2021, 07:11 PM
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Rob Archer Rob Archer is offline
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Default Pushing slide film

I've recently rediscovered slide film. I was given a couple of rolls of Fuji Provia 100F for my birthday earlier this year and, after 20 years of shooting almost exclusively in b&w I had a go, mostly with macro subjects plus the odd landscape. I was, to be honest, blown away by the colour and quality (the film itself, not necessarily my photography!). I also discovered just how little slide film there is on the market now. What there is is all 50 or 100iso as far as I can see. I'm planning a walking holiday (flood, fire and pestilence permitting) in Cornwall in February and would usually shoot 400iso or at least 200. I plan on sending my films off to be processed and most processors offer a pushing service. Does anyone here have any experience of Provia 100F pushed to 200 or 400? How does it affect the colour and grain? Is it worth bothering or should I stick with b&w?
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Old 17th December 2021, 10:21 PM
John King John King is offline
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Default Push Processing

I used to process E6 and on occasion I used to push process, but that was many years ago and used the Tetenal kit to do so. A 1 stop push is just about OK after that I personally think the colour saturation starts to drop off dramatically. You will loose shadow density and highlights will 'blow' more easily. Commercial processors such a Peak processing or AG photographic will be better positioned to give a definitive answer to your question.

Having said that colour slide film, if the image is 100% sharp, correctly exposed and correctly processed will beat any projected digital image hands down. There is just not the same luminosity with a PDI as there is with a slide. I have actually never seen a PDI as sharp as a 50 ISO Velvia slide, it is an incredible film - but for me just too expensive.

I believe Provia is the professional version of the discontinued Sensia (The manufacture was more carefully controlled to get the colour balance correct) That was my usual film and there was nothing wrong with that, although the new Ektachrome may give it a run for it's money,

Last edited by John King; 17th December 2021 at 10:27 PM.
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Old 18th December 2021, 01:04 PM
Terry S Terry S is offline
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Rob, I only did a little bit of slide work, in the past, as my photo club held slide competitions. Everyone that shot slides regularly, only ever shot their films at box speed. They did this, for as you probably know, you have to be spot on with the exposure to get a good projected image. Overexposure, even a little, would blow out highlights and the saturation of colours would suffer.

Personally, if I was to shoot slide film again, I would shoot at box speed. If I wanted to get some extra speed, then I would buy a film that gives it, rather than trying to push it. But as said, this is without any knowledge of doing it myself, but based upon the advise of people who had years of experience and who were big slide users.

But if you want to try it, maybe give it a go with a trial film and see how it looks before the big event. Also, as John says from his experience, 'A 1 stop push is just about OK', which is also something to consider.

And I would also take his advise and contact the processors you intend to use, to ask their opinion and get advice.

Terry S
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Old 20th December 2021, 09:21 AM
John King John King is offline
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Default Push Processing

This managed by altering the 1st development giving a different time, but all the other steps are the same.

Commercial push processing usually attracts an extra charge.
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Old 20th December 2021, 10:45 AM
Lostlabours Lostlabours is offline
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I used to push process regularly, usually Fuji 400 to 1600 it wasn't ideal but at the time there was no other choice when I was shooting Rock concerts. Later Kodak and Fuji released faster slide films designed to be shot at 800 or 1600 ISO, however these were modified 400 ISO emulsions and still had to be push processed but had better contrast and colour saturation. These were the first slide films to disappear.

But as above 1 stop push is just about OK, 2 with a regular film tends to get washed out, grainy, lower contrast.

Ian
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Old 20th December 2021, 11:43 AM
JOReynolds JOReynolds is offline
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Default pushed E4

I have no experience of the modern reversal films mentioned but the degraded pushed results described are identical to those I encountered in the seventies with 160asa High-speed Ektachrome. Most of the E4 processing machines of the era could add two or three minutes to the first dev time, depending on the cycle time, by pulling back a notch or two, rather than slowing down the cycle time. Theatre photographers used Ektachrome EH 160asa exposed at 400asa, which gave low contrast, weak blacks and blown-out highlights but a relative absence of camera-shake.
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Old 22nd December 2021, 02:16 PM
John King John King is offline
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Default Push Processing

Rob, I have just ordered some items from AG Photographic and in their own processing lab they charge £5.49 for dev only for Slide film at normal speed. For a 1 stop 'push' it is another 50p extra.

Slide mounting is extra but didn't ask.
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