Velvia

Infobox Photographic film
name = Velvia
code = RVP
maker = Fujifilm


speed = 50/18°
format = 35mm, 120, 220, 4×5 in, 8×10 in, 13×18 cm, Super 8^†, 16mm^{† †}Third party
type = s
balance = d
process = E-6
grain = RMS 9
latitude = ±½ stop
saturation = very high
app = Nature
start = 1990Infobox Photographic film
name = Velvia 100
code = RVP100
speed = 100/21°
format = 35mm, 120, 220, 4×5 in, 8×10 in
grain = RMS 8
latitude = ±½ stop
saturation = very high
app = Nature
start = 2005Infobox Photographic film
name = Velvia 100F
code = RVP100F
speed = 100/21°
format = 35mm, 120, 220, 4×5 in, 8×10 in, 9×12 cm, 13×18 cm
grain = RMS 8
latitude = ±½ stop
saturation = high
app = Nature
start = 2002

Velvia is a brand of daylight-balanced color reversal film produced by the Japanese company Fujifilm. The name is a contraction of "Velvet Media", a reference to its smooth image structure. It is also known as RVP, a classification code meaning "Reversal/Velvia/Professional series".

Velvia was introduced in 1990 and quickly replaced Kodachrome 25 as the industry standard in high-definition color film.Fact|date=July 2007 It had brighter and generally more accurate color reproduction, finer grain, twice the speed, and a more convenient process (E-6). Kodachrome 25 fell out of popularity a few years after Velvia was introduced, and Kodachrome 64 and 200 have followed more slowly. Many photographers credit Velvia with ending the Kodachrome era.Fact|date=July 2007

Velvia has the highest resolving power of any slide film.Fact|date=July 2007 Assuming high-quality optics, a 35 mm Velvia slide can hold detail up to 160 lines per mm [cite web | url=http://www.fujifilmusa.com/JSP/fuji/epartners/bin/Velvia50AF3-960E_1.pdf | type=PDF | title=FUJICHROME Velvia for Professionals (RVP) | publisher=Fujifilm | date=February 252004 | accessdate=2007-06-10] , a resolution equivalent to around 22 megapixels on a full-frame sensor.

Appearance

Velvia has very saturated colors under daylight, high contrast, and exceptional sharpness. These characteristics make it the slide film of choice for many nature photographers, including such respected artists as Rodney Lough Jr., John Shaw, Steve Parish, Peter Lik, and the late Galen Rowell.

Shaw, who is known for his extreme close-ups of flowers, has praised the film for its accurate reproduction of the color purple, which has been a difficult color to accurately capture on other films. This was a major issue with Kodachrome, which tended to render purple objects as blue.

Velvia's highly saturated colors are, however, considered overdone by some photographers, especially those who don't primarily shoot landscapes. Its tendency to oversaturate skin tones makes it unsuitable for portraits, because it gives pink or brown skin a red cast. Velvia is referred to as "Disney-chrome" or "Crayola-chrome" by some detractors.

Speeds

The original Velvia is an ISO 50 film. However, many photographers manually set their cameras to an exposure index (EI) of 40 or 32 to over-expose it slightly (one or two thirds of a stop respectively) in order to yield less saturated colours and more shadow detail.

In 2002, Fuji introduced Velvia 100F, which offers similarly saturated colors but much lower contrast.

In February of 2005, Fujifilm announced Velvia 100 as a replacement for Velvia 50, which was being discontinued. Velvia 100 is about as saturated as the original 50 version but has lower contrast. The newer speed also has finer grain (an RMS granularity value of 8), and uses the color correction layers found in Provia 100F.

In October 2006 Fujifilm announced the production of a new Velvia 50 film, tentatively named "Velvia II". [cite press release | title=Fujifilm to Re-Introduce Fujichrome Velvia | publisher=Business Wire | date=November 11 2006 | url=http://home.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/index.jsp?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20061114005918&newsLang=en
accessdate=2006-11-19] Fuji revealed that the original Velvia 50 had been discontinued due to difficulties in obtaining some of the raw materials needed to make the emulsion. Fuji had reportedly been inundated with requests to continue making Velvia 50 since announcing the discontinuation. Due to this demand, Fuji R&D worked to create a new emulsion which substituted different materials in its manufacture yet retained the appearance of the classic Velvia. The new Velvia film became available around the middle of 2007.

Long exposure issues

A problem with the original Velvia 50 is that it suffers from the effects of reciprocity law failure much more than other films. Exposing the film for as little as 16 seconds will produce a marked color shift, typically to purple or green, depending on shooting conditions. Anything over four seconds requires the use of blue color correction filters if correct color balance is required, and anything over 32 seconds is "not recommended" by Fuji.

Velvia 100 is much better with longer exposures. A 2.5B color compensation filter (CC0025) is sufficient to correct the color shift of an eight-minute exposure for Velvia 100.

Velvia in cinematography

Many commercials have been shot on Velvia film stock, but it has rarely been used for feature films. When used for movies, it is usually for shooting stock landscape shots and special-effects background plates. One example is the 1998 film "What Dreams May Come", which took place largely within a painting.

Since 2006, Velvia 50 D (also sold as "Cinevia") is available in Super 8 via three independent companies, "Pro8mm" in the US, and "GK Film" and "Wittner Kinotechnik" in Europe. However, demand for it is higher than those companies together are currently capable of properly supplying. Spectra Film and Video has also been loading Fuji Velvia into Super 8 cartridges and for 16mm. They recently modified the Kodak-supplied cartridges to ensure a smoother transport of Velvia film through the cartridge.

Fuji discontinued the Velvia motion picture film stock in 2006 and replaced it with a color negative stock called Eterna Vivid 160, which produces roughly the same color effect and is more easily processed.

References

External links

* [http://www.fujifilmusa.com/products/professional_photography/film/fujichrome/index.html Fujichrome products page]
* [http://www.opanda.com/en/df/ DigitalFilm] : an imitator for Fujifilm Velvia (RVP) & Kodak B/W T-Max 100
* [http://www.super8camera.com/filmstock.html super8camera.com] for Velvia samples & other super-8 stock.