Slide film processing and mounts

[ChrisR]

Hi, I'm thinking of trying slide film again on my resourrected Pentax ME. The first experiment with Fuji Superia 200 negative film wasn't very successful scanning on my Plustek 7500i, and looking back at old negative films, they're all a bit dowdy. But quite a few of the old slides scanned really very well.

However, while Kodachrome and Ektachrome mounts were always excellent (and only occasionally out of sequence), my older Fuji etc mounts were always horrible plastic, unnumbered, and sometimes coming apart. What could I expect with modern Fuji transparency film?

Also, did I see somewhere that slide processing is included in the film price? (Sounds too good to be true, might have been a reference to a Boots promotion on its old film.) Are recommendations on processing transparency film the same as for negatives?

 

[Thmaga]

Fuji dont make process paid film anymore since discontinuing Sensia film. Though there are some stocks still around.

http://www.7dayshop.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=777_1&products_id=5778
Film that includes processing will usually state it clearly. My Fuji slides come back un-numbered in plastic mounts.

Boots slide film is re-badged Sensia and comes in process paid varieties too.

When i shoot Velvia 50 I send it to Club 35 and I'm always pleased with the results.

Dont totally discount Negative film though! Ektar 100 is a superb film with saturated colours and little grain.
The new Kodak Portra is very nice too.

Sensia Slide (processed by Fuji scanned at college)

Velvia 50 Slide (club 35 process and scan)

Ektar 100 Negative (Club 35)

 

[AJQS]

Mathers of Lancashire I'm sure were offering various fuji films with processing included, although I may have read it wrong...

 

[ChrisR]

... quite a few of the old slides scanned really very well.

Since starting this thread, I've shot a roll of prepaid Sensia, and been quite pleased with the results. They came back in nice (un-numbered) plastic mounts, and I scanned them myself on my Plustek 7500i (to cut down on the additional cost). Here's a sample, with some PP:

Now I've bought a roll of Velvia 100 and a roll of Kodak Elitechrome Extracolor 100. The latter went into the Pentax last night, but I haven't shot with it yet. Neither of these are prepaid, of course, so I have to decide where to send the film and what to ask for.

Annoyingly Photo Express (whom I normally try to use, as they have a decent resolution default scan) don't do E6, so I have to use someone else. This probably means I'll be scanning myself.

The (mounted) slide scanner on the Plustek is fragile, and I'm down to 3 working spaces on the holder, which slows things down. I haven't used my slide projector in over 20 years; it's probably a 1970s Leitz somewhere up in the loft with an Australian plug on it.

My question is, do folk generally get their slides mounted, or leave them unmounted in strips like negatives? Leaving them in strips would make it easier for home scanning, and give visual access to frame numbers (lost with the plastic mounts). But it would be disastrous if you ever wanted to actually project the slides.

I noted a comment from someone recently about the wondrous quality of projected slides, that gave me pause. OTOH the sheer faff of setting up a slide projector means it wouldn't happen very often, even if I got interested in the idea (and the projector worked!).

So, I'm interested in what other folk who shoot slide film do in relation to mounting or not?

 

[trevorbray]

Hey Chris.
I shoot mostly Velvia which I have processed and scanned by CC Imaging.

I don't have them mounted since I don't have a projector. CC do a really good job, very clean trannies and pretty good size scans.

I shoot some 35mm but really getting into 120 now.

 

[robhooley167]

CC do a really good job, very clean trannies.

Cracks me up every time, i'm so mature :nuts:

 

[ChrisR]

Hey Chris.
I shoot mostly Velvia which I have processed and scanned by CC Imaging.

I don't have them mounted since I don't have a projector. CC do a really good job, very clean trannies and pretty good size scans.

I think it was CC Imaging that did the process-paid Sensia, and yes, they did a good job on that, too. I do find their web site and pricing structure confusing, though. For instance, if you just get C41 processed, a roll of 35mm costs £4.50, while E6 or BW are both £6. So far, so good. But if you go to the page that includes process and scanning, you find no differentiation by film type, but you'll pay £11 for a 6"*4", £12 for 7*5 and £14 for 9*6 (except you don't get the corresponding prints; they are an extra £6.50-£13.50!). I don't really know from this what resolution I'd get (in terms of dpi on the 35mm image). So it looks like I would be spending between £5 and £9 for the scanning. But then... elsewhere it refers to a £10 package: send a slide film for process and scan, get a free (Sensia presumably) slide film back, send it in again for £10... I couldn't see this on the price page and have even less idea what scanning resolution I'd get!

But thanks for the comment on not mounting. Reassures me. I suppose I might take a different view if I was documenting a holiday etc (although I'd probably use the X10 for that), but I'm never going to project my current efforts aimed at learning and skills improvement, am I!

 

[Bud]

Now I've bought a roll of Velvia 100 and a roll of Kodak Elitechrome Extracolor 100. The latter went into the Pentax last night, but I haven't shot with it yet. Neither of these are prepaid, of course, so I have to decide where to send the film and what to ask for.

My question is, do folk generally get their slides mounted, or leave them unmounted in strips like negatives? Leaving them in strips would make it easier for home scanning, and give visual access to frame numbers (lost with the plastic mounts). But it would be disastrous if you ever wanted to actually project the slides.

So, I'm interested in what other folk who shoot slide film do in relation to mounting or not?

Hi Chris,


I have been having my films cut in strips, then i mount them myself in Gepe metal mask mounts. I have a dislike for the plastic mounts the labs use. Also the price now for process and mount from a lab is getting steeper, due to the RM increased postal charges... Peak are the cheapest i've found to return film in a plastic storage box. I find it a lot easier and quicker to review the film in strips, then i know which one's to mount or discard.

 

[freecom2]

I treat slide film (both 35mm and 120) like negatives - strips of 6 or 3 images (35mm or 6x6) and filed as normal. Easier to scan, and the workflow stays exactly the same.