Does anybody regret E-64T?

[AMAT0R]

Well, I know, when E-64T was introduced as “replacement” of K40, many people were screaming “Nooo!” (me too). Later many people were writing here at this forum how poor and grainy E-64T is, compared to K40 (me too). And than there were some relations about E-100D – how wonderful this material is, and suggestions, that Kodak should provide it as Super 8 cartridges (I always agreed with it). Now the dreams came true, but E-64T will be discontinued. I’m very happy and I’d like to have a 100D cart in my camera as soon, as possible. But… E-64T was a (quite) good and only TUNGSTEN material. What will be now with shooting colour at artificial light? I’m an “archaic” movie maker – I make mostly home movies and project them. With E-64T I’m able to shoot indoors with 1000W halogen lamp (indirect light), ca. f/1.8-3.5 and get natural effect. But with ISO 25? I don’t want to make my family and friends blind, or burn the house And with professional productions – I think the work with ISO 25 will be now bit like with “Gone With The Wind” or “Cleopatra” I recently bought 20 carts of E-64T. Now I see, I should put them in a fridge, and use them only for indoor occasions. But what will be later? I think, that now the manufacturers like Wittner or Pro8 should to offer some colour reversal tungsten balanced material (maybe Fujichrome 64T?), in the same way, as they earlier used to offer 100D as Wittnerchrome 100D. What do you think about it?

[71er]

I actually like the warm light that a daybalanced film shows with artificial light. I once used the recommended blue filter for a Fuji film (photographs) for indoor shooting and I was quiet disappointed by the outcome, which was not natural but "cold". Maybe the alternative is to use a blue filter that brings the sensitivity of the E100D only down to 50 ASA, then you have it similar to the E64T and I'd expect to get warm colours.
No, I'm not sad about losing E64T.

[avortex]

I'll not miss E-64T, but Fuji 64T should be a must in the new Wittner's catalog, replacing their own repackaged 100D...

[woods01]

I miss VNF 125 more than I will 64T but I have grown to like it. I have an ongoing project that is all 64T. The grain is more intense and the colour more natural than K40, and it was those aspects that appealed to me. Not a beauty stock by any means though.

[richard p. t.]

'twas never a great stock. But for a reversal lab like mine, I am concerned about the loss of the last kodak tungsten balanced reversal film. I hope Mr Wittner will consider putting Fuji 64t into cartridges.

[gahoona]

After the demise of kodachrome , warm and lushius and pre-paid, personally 64t was a real downer. Jammed carts,( i threw 2 out) I never trusted the carts after that,(there is no love without trust).A blue cast, kind of unsentimental feel to it.
I look forward to the 100D.

[Shanec8mm]

I actually like this film if it is shot in very sunny conditions. I think that is the key to this film looking good. Also closer shots help to the film to look less grainy. The last couple rolls I have shot look pretty darn good. I will miss this film for it's ease of use in my Minolta. This camera metered it correctly ever time. Now to figure how to use the new 100D in my Minolta will be another story.

[BK]

Never got a chance to shoot 64T because still using my Kodachrome stash. Wasn't impressed at all with what I saw from a friend's projection...very grainy, very biased towards blue, not worth it unless I am desperate.

Good news with the 100D, it means we don't have to shoot with the cheap in camera plastic orange filter in place which is quite old now and degrade the image further in the optical path.

For indoor shooting you could use the daylight balanced LED lights available for video or just gel your tugsten lights to daylight.

Bill

[Angus]

I'll miss the ability to shoot under tungsten lighting. I do NOT like the over-red, over-warm tones one gets when shooting daylight balanced film under artificial light. I tend to like a picture on the cool side anyway - though I do find 100D pleasing. I shot a classic car show on Wittner's 100D a few years ago, in bright sunlight and it looked simply gorgeous...ditto some film at a wild animal park.

64T started out too grainy. I'm not sure if there was any change in the film, or if its the processing but 64T has got better. I suspect we've also become better at using it...long shots don't work so well but tight shots on 64T can look beautiful as can anything with a lot of colour and movement in it.

I miss VNF7240 for the same reasons that I miss E160. It was nice to have a colour reversal film which allowed true low light filming....both films (but especially 7240) could look great filming cities at night. I'll try 100D but I sspect it'll look way too warm.

I think we have to accept that colour reversal isn't quite so important any more. We're going to have one such film only available in super 8 and its going to be something Kodak have lots of...not something specifically made for the super 8 format.

[CHAS]

I'll miss the ugliness of both Kodak's 7240 and 64T. I found both stocks foul - but in a good, retro kind of way. The 100D is an excellent stock but I can see how people wanting to shoot Tungsten might be upset. Btw, I shot some of the Fuji 64T in 2005-06 that was packaged for Spectra briefly if anyone cares to see it, on this page:

http://www.westsiderfilm.com/clips.html

found the grain less noticeable and the colors more vibrant, IMHO.

[Angus]

For Kodak, 64T was the closest product to K40. Crucially it was tungsten balanced, and super 8 was always designed primarily for tungsten balanced products.

100D can probably be correctly metered by more cameras but I know Kodak has historically been reluctant to release a daylight balanced stock for super 8 use. However, with 64T being discontinued 100D makes perfect sense...and I know I can use it for 90% of what I do with super 8. Having that flexibility to go to artificial light without changing to a neg stock might be a pain but we're a practical lot and there is always a way. Shooting cities at night, or shots with time lapse and open shutter (something I enjoy) might still look fine on 100D...but using movie lights indoors will not work unless an 88 filter is applied...bringing the ISO rating down to 25, I believe.

In an ideal world we'd have several colour reversal stocks. Reality is going to be different.

[avortex]

Or you can use cold lights. In fact, they are very common these days.