From: robertm@cres1.anu.edu.au (Robert McArthur)
Subject: Re: a question about Velvia
Organization: Centre for Resource and Environment Studies, Australian National University
Date: Tue, 21 Jul 92 08:35:32 GMT

In article <1992Jul21.005621.15990@odin.corp.sgi.com> donl@glass.esd.sgi.com (donl mathis) writes:
>
...
>There is little doubt that the dyes in Kodachrome and Velvia are
>different, and the dyes are all they have to work with when they're
>making color separations.  I might add a personal note, here -- I've
>found that in general, Kodak strives for accuracy in their materials,
>where Fuji seems to strive for excitement.  Fuji seems to be worshiped
>in some circles, and I think unjustifiably so.  I believe their
>technical expertise to be inferior to Kodak's, based on the lack of
>accuracy in their colors and the poor way it responds to variations in
>processing.  Fuji's colors are flashy, yes indeed, and they have
>squeeked a few more shades of green out of their films, but they are
>not as accurate as most of Kodak's colors.
...
>The bias against Velvia probably has to do with the lack of accuracy in
>the colors.  I'm not sure what kind of warranty you're thinking of.
>Certainly Fuji can't warrent the film as being "accept to everyone's
>taste." The job of their marketing and engineering departments are to
>make the film as acceptable to as many people in their target market as
>possible, but they certainly don't have any obligation or control over
>whether specific people like the results, anymore than you can offer a
>warrantee that people will like your pictures!

Ah, if any of that were only true ! (;-)  Down under here, it was the case
that, for some years, Kodak lost a large precentage of their chrome
following because their work was remarkably bad!  After having heard
of the wonders of K14 I took my first rolls with me on a short (3 week)
holiday.  The results were terrible.  Colours were washed out and simply
wrong.

Then, after much cussing as it will be a while before returning to that
place (if ever), I started on Velvia. Right.  Once you get used to what it
does for the colours (and, no matter what you say, all the reviews I've seen
agree that kodachrome don't have it down pat either.  Each to their own
tastes), I prefer Velvia.  IMHO.

Now, if you peruse the common photography magazines and note the film types
shot, and compare the colours etc., there dosen't seem to be a slant one way
or the other (perhaps very slightly towards fuji).

As to the story, well, Kodak noticed the shift in droves away from their
crappy K14 and have now rectified the problem with the processing equipment
and personel; and, according to others reports, are now back where they were
in terms of quality (though with a greatly reduced user base).  Still, the
turnaround for K14 in Australia is about 10 working days.  I can have my
Velvia processed by (one of) the most professional places in the country
and back in two days.

Anyway, just some notes from the Australian scene.

Robert McArthur

-- 
Robert McArthur			Centre for Resource and Environment Studies
	     				     Australian National University
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