Kodak Ektachrome E100 .
Kodak Ektachrome E100 is film with very few peers. It’s a color-reversal (slide) film that is readily available. The once ubiquitous slide shows are a thing of the past for a variety of reasons, but the dwindling supply of reversal film is one of them.
Ektachrome almost had the same fate as some of its peers. Between 2009 and 2017 supply dwindled as its lines were discontinued. Then in 2017 Kodak rereleased it in 35mm and Super 8 formats followed by 120 and sheet film a few years later. What we get is a film that has no real competition.
It’s a wonderful landscape film. Lots of detail, sharp as a tack and very fine grain. It renders colours beautifully, but tastefully. Kodak says it’s daylight balanced but it does look coolish. Colours warm up if overexposed, but be careful — this is not a forgiving film. It can handle 1-2 stops of overexposure with highlights still visible, but three stops over is not advised. It’s even more punishing under-exposed. At one stop under the shadows are very dark.
Some photographers find it a bit too cool and use a warming filter to bring it closer to neutral or slightly warm. This is a subjective choice and is not necessary if over-exposing one stop.
If you want a colour reversal film this is about the only choice available at the moment. Ektachrome E100 is available from both Kodak Alaris and Eastman Kodak — same film, same emulsion, different packaging.
- + Landscapes
- + People
- + Travel in good light
- − Beginners or photographers without an accurate light meter — choose Portra 160
- − Those who want saturated, punchy colour — choose Ektar 100
- − Low light or failing light — choose Portra 800
more from their film.
Ektachrome E100 in 35mm delivers very fine grain — RMS 8 puts it among the finest-grained ISO 100 emulsions available, and at standard print sizes grain is essentially invisible. As a reversal film its exposure latitude is narrower than any colour negative — one to two stops of overexposure is recoverable, but underexposure is far less forgiving. Precise metering is not optional. In good light, rated at the box speed of ISO 100, the film rewards careful exposure with clean, bright highlights and deep shadow detail — the low contrast tone scale helps here, preserving detail at both ends of the range. Reciprocity failure is genuinely outstanding: no compensation is needed for exposures from 1/10,000 to 10 seconds, making it reliable across a broad range of shutter speeds.
Push processing is unusually capable for a reversal film. Rated at EI 200 for a one-stop push, the difference in grain is almost imperceptible and the results are entirely dependable — many photographers rate it here as a matter of habit. A two-stop push to EI 400 produces noticeable but acceptable grain with enhanced contrast. A three-stop push to EI 800 is achievable and produces results that are coarser and more contrasty, but usable, particularly in soft or even lighting where the compressed dynamic range doesn't punish you. Avoid high-contrast subjects when pushing more than one stop. Scanning this film benefits from its low contrast at box speed — it scans cleanly with good detail in both shadows and highlights, though pushed results have a more pronounced grain structure.
Allow refrigerated rolls to warm to room temperature — typically 30 minutes or more — before opening the sealed packaging, to avoid moisture condensation on the emulsion. Process as soon as possible after exposure; unlike colour negative film, delay between exposure and processing is more consequential with reversal film.
### 120
In 120 format, Ektachrome E100's very fine grain (RMS 8) essentially disappears at standard print and projection sizes — the larger negative area means grain is a non-issue for virtually all shooting situations. The film's exposure characteristics are the same as in 35mm: a low contrast tone scale with good highlight and shadow retention, daylight colour balance, and the same outstanding reciprocity that requires no compensation between 1/10,000 and 10 seconds. These are emulsion properties and are format-independent. However, the narrower latitude of reversal film demands careful metering regardless of format — there is very little room for exposure error, and negative shooters may find the discipline unfamiliar.
Push processing behaves identically to 35mm: a one-stop push to EI 200 is clean and reliable; two stops is workable; three stops to EI 800 is at the edge of what produces commercially viable results but is achievable in soft lighting. When pushed, contrast increases. Keeping subjects in even, non-contrasty light manages the compressed dynamic range.
120 rolls of Ektachrome should be allowed to warm from refrigeration before opening — given the mass of a 120 roll, allow at least 30 to 45 minutes at room temperature before opening the sealed foil wrapper. Process promptly after exposure and store processed transparencies away from strong light in a cool, dry environment.