These girls asked me to take their photograph when I told them the Hasselblad was a film camera. they had never had their photograph taken with film before.
While certainly not my first choice for film to be loaded into the Hasselblad while walking around looking for street shots, well, you use what you have. and once again, Kodak Ektar did not disappoint. I have used it in 35mm format, and in 120, well, it is a truly spectacular film. Crazy sharp, gorgeous colors, and it loves light. Ektar does not have the wide latitude of, say, Portra 400, or the natural looking colors of Portra 160. But it does have such a fine, fine grain, almost like slide film. Highly doubtful that Kodak will produce any new emulsions, and if anything, will keep discontinuing more. But their color offerings in medium format, while limited, are close to perfection. These were taken with the 80mm Zeiss.
The mailbox, a dying breed.
I am amazed that I still see blog posts from people grumbling that Ektar is difficult to scan. I think it scans beautifully. I do not use any color correction, but many photographers and bloggers still do insist on Photoshopping their film shots to a pulp. You see more soft, dreamy colors online than ever. These films have color that pops, not pastels. If you can get great shots out of the camera, aside from cleaning up dust, and scanning artifacts, well, I see little need to do so.
Even the 80mm is capable of amazing depth of field and gorgeous bokeh.
I think Ektar scans beautifully. And Personally, I see little need to pound pixels with Photoshop with Ektar. but your aesthetics may vary.
arthurpolaroid 