Fujifilm Fujichrome Velvia 100 Slide Film
Fujifilm Fujichrome Velvia 100 Slide Film
Analog Film Review
Fujifilm Fujichrome Velvia 100 Slide Film
Velvia 100
Fujifilm Velvia 100 is a one-stop faster version of the popular film stock Velvia 50, and it offers everything you love about Velvia 50, but in a slightly faster form and it is a daylight film. While I typically shoot other ISO 100 speed slide films, such as Provia, Ektachrome, or Agfa Precia (discontinued), I was eager to give Velvia 100 a try and see for myself what all the fuss was about. And I must say, I was not disappointed.
Film Character
Velvia 100 produces stunning, vivid colours with excellent edge sharpness and separation of colour and tones especially sensitive to red colour. The fine grain is so good that it’s hard to detect, even when zooming in close. One of the things that sets Velvia 100 apart from Velvia 50 is its punchy colour palette and saturation. Unlike its sibling Provia 100F which carry more magenta when there isn’t enough light and looks more authentic. Velvia tends to be more true to colour. However, it produce orangey kind of skin tone. So I would avoid using it to do any portraiture. If you like Greg Girard’s work, probably this is the only film stock that can kind of mimic that look. This film is easily affected by white balance at night. It can be cyan and blueish or warm and orange.
Narrow Exposure Latitude
However, Velvia 100 has a narrow exposure latitude, which means that it requires precise metering and attention to detail in order to achieve the best results. Any over/underexposure or hard contrasty light can make your life miserable, so it’s best to use a good meter, either external or internal, to get the best results. And I would highly recommend you pay attention to the highlight. It is impossible to recover the details from the highlight. So I would recommend underexpose it unless you are doing some experimental shots.
It has minimum variation in colour and gradation during push/pull processing over a range from -1/2 to +1 stop.
Cross Processing in C-41
Despite its narrow exposure latitude, Velvia 100 is an excellent film stock for landscape and nature photography, where the colors of the environment can really be brought to life. While I didn’t try cross-processing Velvia 100 in C-41 chemicals myself, some photographers report that this can add an interesting creative touch to an image, resulting in slightly shifted colors. However, it’s important to note that this will make your slide film into a negative film. Ultimately, whether or not to try cross-processing is a matter of personal preference.
Discontinued in the US
Unfortunately, Fujifilm recently announced the discontinuation of Velvia 100 due to the presence of the chemical phenol, isopropylated phosphate (PIP), which is contained in the layers of the film, even in trace amounts. This has resulted in the discontinuation of both the sale and commercial processing of Velvia 100 in the United States to comply with the Environmental Protection Agency. While this announcement only affects the sale in the United States, it’s still a sad loss for photographers who love this film stock.
In conclusion, if you’re a photographer who wants to capture vivid, highly-detailed images with a film stock that requires precise metering and attention to detail, I would highly recommend giving Fujifilm Velvia 100 a try. Its excellent color reproduction and unique creative potential make it a top choice among professional and serious amateur photographers alike. But hurry, because this film stock is now only available outside US. And I highly recommend you try this at night because it will produce some magical shots!
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