It has been a while since I have reviewed any rare film, and a recent gift of some expired Fujichrome Sensia 200 was perfect for experimenting with the bright sunny days we have enjoyed here in Munich. Here are my impressions of this film.
I tend to stick with colour negative film as it is more easily available and overall easier to shoot than slide film (colour positive film), but there is something very special about the negatives you get with slide films (effectively the actual positive image). You can find out more about the differences between these two film types here. A big thank you to my mate Jim for the film, who in addition to a wonderful analog camera collection has a substantial film fridge!
About the film
Fujifilm discontinued its Sensia line of slide films a few years ago, I never had the chance to try it so was quite intrigued by it. According to Fuji:
Designed for various conditions, indoor or outdoors. Good speed but also fine grain, brilliant yet natural colors, and remarkable depth and detail.
True-to-life color
Authentic color not matter what the subject.
Superior color gradations and balance
Captures subtle shading beautifully, with lifelike skin tones.
Superb grain and sharpness
Excellent for both projected images and prints.
About the shots
This film was shot with a recently acquired Nikon L35AF automatic point and shoot camera. In fact I picked up this camera for Oktoberfest which is coming up very soon (there is no way you will see me with a Leica around my neck at Oktoberfest!). I didn’t have any theme in mind for the shots, I just figured an ISO 200 film would do well with plenty of bright sunlight. The camera, whilst automatic, has a max aperture of f2.8, so fine for some low light shots too. It also has a flash if all else fails. My aim was to look for strong vibrant colours and see if this film produced some decent shots. And I wasn’t disappointed, surprising given it was expired film (diligently stored in a fridge by Jim I might add!)
As always, these shots are best viewed on a laptop or deskptop monitor. If using a mobile device, turning it sideways will show better shots. All photos are clickable for full screen viewing.
When you live in Germany you get used to pretty much weekly street festivals during the summer.
Really nice bright and vibrant colours!
The greens here are very dark compared to real life…but I still like the shot.
An open air theatre in one of Munich’s many city parks.
Nice detail in the shadows too.
Sunrise.
I was impressed this shot came out as well as it did as slide film is notoriously difficult for correct exposures, and given this was taken with an automatic point and shoot I think I was quite lucky!
I like the different shapes in this shot, although very difficult to get a decent shot with such a high dynamic range. Of course this being both slide film and ISO 200 it isn’t perfect for this type of shot.
And at, or just after sunrise, comes…rowing!
My cycle home from the rowing club.
A riding school right in the middle of the city that also has a fancy restaurant overlooking it, very cool.
Nice bright blue skies too. Not as crazy blue as Fuji Velvia film, but close.
Nice architecture.
All the road signs in Munich have this old looking font…I think it’s great!
Really nice lighting here, not bad for a handheld shot.
Back to the street festival.
Local dancing schools putting on a show.
Time for a drink.
BEER FIRST!
I like how this shot came out, even if the shadows are very dark…it adds to the overall feeling of the shot.
Photo of a photo being made.
I didn’t quite get the focus on this shot, but given it was from an automatic point and shoot I can’t really blame myself.
One of my favourite shots of the roll. Really nice colour balance and super sharp.
Overall observations
I am lucky Jim also gave me an ISO 100 version of this film, because I really enjoyed shooting it! I am surprised but how well the shots came out given it is expired film and I used a very simple point and shoot camera. Some really nice colour reproduction and also the film faired really well (for the most part) in very low light situations.
I don’t know the history of this film well enough, but I suspect this slide film was probably marketed at the consumer market below the professional Fuji Velvia film. Overall it seems like a really decent film for everyday shots in relatively bright situations. Fingers crossed the Sensia 100 roll is as good as this one!
There are plenty of more blog posts in the pipeline, including camera reviews, more rare films, and of course the bright colours and fun of Oktoberfest!
See you next time!
Neil
