So you like Velvia, the rich bright colours, but you don't really like the way the Velvia 50 over saturates those colours. Well then Velvia 100F is for you! When the original Velvia was canceled in 2005 Fuji began working on a replacement (we know it as Velvia-50), but first Fuji released what they believed would be the replacement. The colour reproduction on Velvia 100F is bright and rich, exactly what you'd expect from a product with the Velvia name, but without the deep over saturated look, the colours are much more natural.
When I first took this film out for a spin I used it in both outdoor and indoor environments, both of which it excelled at, even in the low light situations of an abandoned power station.
This film is perfect for both outdoor landscape shots and architecture work as with the zero grain produces sharp details.
Grain. There's no grain at all. Resolution power on the top. Sharpness is great, too. Colors are subdued compared to Velvia 50, flesh tones are better, but (in my opinion) not perfect. Gray tones are better than 50, show more detail. Overall, the colors are GOOD. Not great, see below.
Weaknesses:
One: actually, it doesn't deserve the name "Velvia" on the box. Reds are not really Velvia-like reds. If you shoot something at 50 and 100F velvia the same time you'll notice that what was red in the real world and remained red at the 50, that will orange in the 100F. Various browns are turns to grayish, compared again to the 50. This is not really a defect, it gives you GOOD colors. But not really if it compared to its predecessor.
Similar Products Used:
Velvia 50, Provia 100. These 2 films are similar from Fuji. If you love both of them, give it a try, because this film is "mixing" the 2 others' specialties.
In one word - Awful !
Just what is Fuji trying to do with this film ? Velvia 50 has a purpose ..Disney colors. And Fuji Provia 100F is the finest general purpose film on the planet. Fine grained and just enough saturation, but not too much. Where does Velvia 100F fit in ? Nowhere.
I got burnt by Velvia 100F a year ago on a trip to Monument Valley. It has the ugliest brown/red brown palette you can imagine. Don't photograph red rocks with it..you will regret it for the rest of your life! And beware, when photographing anything red..especially red rocks at sunset. If the redness crosses a (not very high) threshold, it will max out. When I saw the mittens of Monument valley as they came out on film, I almost threw up. There were big dabs of red where there should have been detail. I initially blamed it on a bad batch of film, but just a few days ago like an idiot I decided to gave it another shot, and this time on 4x5. And sure enough, everything that went wrong last time did so again.
My two cents -- if you want Disney colors, shoot Velvia 50. If you want nice looking natural colors go with Provia 100F and saturate in Photoshop if you like. There isn't anything better. And finally for near exact tone reproduction there is Astia 100F - another brilliant emulsion from Fuji. Just stay away from Velvia 100F.
Strengths:
Fine grain.
Weaknesses:
Color palette
Similar Products Used:
Provia 100F, Astia 100F, Velvia 50, Kodachrome 64 (this is the worst)
Tried out a few rolls of this film at the Cincinnati Zoo's flower exhibit this spring, and won't go back to anything else for outdoor photography. I rated at ISO 80 and processed normally... the colors were perfectly vivid without being overdone, sharpness and grain are the best available.
As a seasoned amateur photographer, I like Velvia 50 a lot.
On the other hand, I LOVE Velvia 100F. It's my favorite slide film. Why? The colors are rich, warm, and vibrant and it's crisp and sharp. Even the skintones are adequate (but still no match for other, less saturated films).
If you like Velvia 50, give Velvia 100F a try. You'll love it!
Strengths:
Rich, warm, vibrant colors
Crisp and sharp
Weaknesses:
Skintones just adequate
Similar Products Used:
Fujichrome Velvia 50 (see my review)
Kodak Elite Chrome Extra Color (see my review)
Sample Images
More Products from Fujifilm
Link to this page
5 of 5
4 of 5
1 of 5
