Films for scanning was Re: filmscanners: RE: filmscanners: Was New Nikon performance, now dust

["Rob Geraghty" <harper@wordweb.com>]

"Raphael Bustin" <rafeb@channel1.com> wrote:
> First off, Supra is a C41 print film.  Superia,
> as I recall, as an E6 positive film.  Fuji's
> "equivalent" to Supra might be Reala, perhaps.

No.  Superia is a C41 print film.  At least in Australia, all the Fuji
retail (non pro) colour print films are called Superia.  You're thinking of
Velvia, Astia, Provia or Sensia.  Dunno what Fuji's obsession with "ia" on
the end of the name is.  Maybe it's significant in Japanese.

> 2nd -- Supra 100 is pretty cheap when purchased
> from BH Photo.

Which is great if you happen to live in the USA.  Here in Australia I can
buy Superia 100 at just about any supermarket, K-mart or Target store, and
it's cheaper than Supra.

> I get it in 10-packs from BH Photo, for something
> like $35 a box. That's for 36-exposure rolls (the only length
> offered.)

I forget what I paid for my box of five rolls.  I think rolls of 36 exposure
Superia are around US$2.50.  Rolls of 24 are relatively cheaper depending on
how and where you buy them.  I'm not trying to talk anyone out of Supra.  I
recommend trying it and comparing.  For me it's not worth the expense.  I
still have a roll or two I haven't used yet.  I'd love to try Supra 400
because it's supposedly optimised for scanning, but I don't want to buy 5
rolls of it.

FWIW I scanned a frame off a recent roll of T400CN and in the midtones there
is no significant grain visible at 2700dpi.  There's something like grain in
the shadows but as it's a C41 B&W neg film I'm not sure how to label it.
The grain appears to vary with the exposure to light, so the dark areas are
more grainy than the light areas.  I exposed the roll at EI250 rather than
the rated 400.  Colour C41 film grain doesn't seem to vary as much with
exposure to light.  I'll have to check some more.

Rob