[Frameworks] Ektachrome 100D

From: David Tetzlaff (email suppressed)
Date: Mon Jun 28 2010 - 13:39:34 PDT


On Jun 28, 2010, at 12:51 PM, Pip Chodorov wrote:

> C.J. Johnson, world product manager at Kodak responsible for
> Super-8, is excited about the new Ektachrome 100D, though he
> realizes it's impractical to configure the cameras. I suggested he
> at least include a blue filter in the box for indoor filming,
> because the cameras are all equipped only with orange filters for
> Tungsten-balanced stock,
> and he is considering.

The problem is that filters knock down the light and blue filters
absorb twice as much as orange. Tungsten stock worked as 'indoor/
outdoor' since it was at full ASA indoors where you need the light,
and got filtered down outdoors where there's lumens to spare. 100D
indoors with a blue filter is going to take a LOT of tungsten lighting.

I would suggest that a better approach to using 100D indoors is to get
bluer artificial light. Many manufacturers offer CFL (compact
fluorescent 'bulbs') in 'Daylight' color. These vary in speced color
temp., some don't spec a CT at all, and the specs aren't necessarily
very accurate. They also don't hit full brightness and color until
they've been on for a few minutes. But they're cheap, they don't take
much power, and don't generate much heat. You can find 100W
equivalents at most building supply stores (Lowes, Home Depot) and
even 150W equivalents sometimes. 150W and up to 300W equivalents are
available online. When I used to shoot Super8 (30 years ago) I carried
around several 300W incandescent photoflood lamps, and I'd often get
the lighting I needed by just replacing the standard bulbs in whatever
fixtures were in the room with these for the length of the shoot. Now,
I'd use 100D, and get a bunch of those daylight CFLs, and some
clamplights to throw up extra light and improvise any control
necessary (easier to do since they don't get that hot: you could make
a snoot out of a cardboard tube). I'd probably buy samples of the CFLs
from as many different sources as possible, and run some kind of test
to see which comes closest to a proper color temp for the stock. But
I'm guessing the results from most of the 'daylight' CFLs would yield
inaccuracies that still fall within a range of minimum acceptability.

Has anyone on the list experimented with these? Comments???

100D is very pretty. The last time I taught 16mm I was bummed that it
was only available on 400 ft. cores, (Kodak never missies an
opportunity to shoot itself in the foot) and it was pretty pricey at
that. But I told my students that if they bought any, individually or
collectively, I'd run it off onto 100' daylight spools for them. So,
some of them did, and they and i were quite happy with their footage.
For some reason, it seemed easier for them to get pleasing images in
color than with the B&W stocks....
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