I've been thinking lately of going back to large format film rather than digital for many of my color images. The only problem I see in this plan is the lack of an establishment where I can easily get the film processed. The local custom lab -- E. B. Luce which until they closed up shop was one of the oldest professional custom labs in the country -- left a big gap in processing services. There are labs in Boston I can use. But I guess some will wonder why film what with my previous rants about how good my new Canon 40D is. I want big prints, and I've come to feel that my films scans are so good that large format film is superior to what I can produce with a digital camera. NOW WAIT....W A I T !! We are talking about a 10-mega-pixel camera vs. 4x5 color negs. No contest. I honestly believe that the 40D can out perform 35mm film when shooting form the hip while walking down the street. The scans I'm getting form 20-year-old color negs -- both 4x5 inch film and 120 roll film shot with a 6x12cm roll film back with the 4x5 -- scanned with the Epson V700 scanner are nothing short of spectular. Next trip out, I'm stocking some 120 and 4x5 color neg film. The above image was shot on Kodak Vericolor VHC in a 4x5 WA Ebony with a 75mm Super Angulon f/5.6 lens. It was the parking lot of the motel in Pendleton, OR where me and family stayed during our cross-country trip in 1988.
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Lots of changes in 20 years including color film. No Kodak Gold. Now Portra. And the cost of film is up but what isn't. Fuji film is less expensive than Kodak. You might not only need to find someplace to develop the film but also you will need to do some testing. I don't think you are going to find the same colors in current film choices. Of course you know how I am about testing but I think that the colors are more saturated...not velvia saturated but still not that rich but still delicate colors of K-gold.
I don't honestly know what's happening color neg these days except there are way fewer choices than 20 years ago. Of course, there is only Fuji and Kodak....like four choices altogether. But it will be spring before I'm out and about with a camera again.
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