Film camera users. . .question

[episodic]

I don't have a film slr handy to test it, I just wanted to know can you shoot say ISO 400 film at ISO 1600? Without dx coding stickers.

I guess what I'm asking is can a film slr override the film's dx coding?

TIA for any and all information.

 

[McCarthy]

You want to shoot 400 speed in a can marked for 400 at 1600? Depends on your camera. You can do so if your camera lets you set exposure manually. Have it developed locally so they can adjust times when processing it though. Why are you wanting to do this, btw?

 

[OulOat]

Yes, if your camera is manual. But your pictures won't turn out as good.

 

[PHiuR]

ye, just set the iso manually and develop the film accordingly.

 

[episodic]

Diafine development requires that you shoot the film higher than it is rated to avoid overly contrasty settings or something. I'm trying to get together the stuff to develop in diafine.

Trying to understand how you would shoot ISO 400 film at like ISO 1250 - 1600 as it recommends.

 

[PHiuR]

uhh...

if you want to shoot iso400 film @ 1600 then you would simply shoot at a 2 stops difference.

If your exposure is f/5.6 @ 1/250th second at iso400
your exposure will be f/5.6 @ 1/1000th second at iso1600.

 

[episodic]

Originally posted by: PHiuR
uhh...

if you want to shoot iso400 film @ 1600 then you would simply shoot at a 2 stops difference.

If your exposure is f/5.6 @ 1/250th second at iso400
your exposure will be f/5.6 @ 1/1000th second at iso1600.

I still don't understand this 'stops' system. Sigh.


Do you have to know how to do this in your head, or can you simply tell the camera and have it do it?

I was looking a rebel's manual online, and it says the ISO is adjustable from 6-6400 - so can I just dial in the ISO I want and have the camera automatically adjust the exposure?

 

[PHiuR]

Originally posted by: episodic

Originally posted by: PHiuR
uhh...

if you want to shoot iso400 film @ 1600 then you would simply shoot at a 2 stops difference.

If your exposure is f/5.6 @ 1/250th second at iso400
your exposure will be f/5.6 @ 1/1000th second at iso1600.

I still don't understand this 'stops' system. Sigh.


Do you have to know how to do this in your head, or can you simply tell the camera and have it do it?

I was looking a rebel's manual online, and it says the ISO is adjustable from 6-6400 - so can I just dial in the ISO I want and have the camera automatically adjust the exposure?

You can just tell the camera to shoot (meter) for ISO 1600 no matter what type of film you use. So you don't have to know "the stops system" but it's nice to know it, especially since you're going to be developing your own film.

Most newer film cameras will automatically read the dx code and adjust the iso to the film can. So if you want to shoot each roll of film at a different iso make sure you reset it each time you load a new roll in.

 

[fuzzybabybunny]

Yup yup. When you get it developed, you have to specify "push processing." (push processing by two whole stops, from ISO400 to ISO1600, is really a stretch though)

http://photonotes.org/cgi-bin/entry.pl?id=Pushprocessing

Think of it this way:

You have ISO400 film in the camera. You're trying to shoot a scene, and you're at f/8 and it wants to shoot at 1/250s.

There are two ways to "shoot ISO800."

1. Set your film dial to ISO800. Even though the film is actually still ISO400, the camera now thinks it's ISO800 and adjusts the shutter speed to let in half as much light (one stop less) as before. So it shoots the picture at 1/500s.

or

2. Leave your film ISO dial at ISO400. Switch to manual mode and force the camera to shoot at 1/500s. Take the shot.


When you go and develop the film, specify that you want it to be pushed processed by +1 stop. If developed without push processing, your photos will come out too dark. Push processing will develop the film for longer than usual, making it lighter. You'll probably have to go to an actual photo lab to do this, not your typical Walmart or something.

MAKE SURE at the time of shooting you remember which frame you want pushed so that you can tell the developers this. Otherwise they will just push your whole entire roll, even the pictures you don't want pushed. Note that many developers will ONLY push an entire roll, and not parts of a roll.

http://photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=007Q1v&tag=

 

[ElFenix]

gosh, the bunny sure does know everything about cameras

 

[NoShangriLa]

Set the ISO manually, set the camera to shoot at +/- f-stop or shutter speed, or deliberately under expose using aperture or shutter speed in full manual mode. Then mark it as the ISO or + stops that you have expose it at for lab development.

Most film get quite grainy at 1600 ISO and quite contrasty, however films that are design to shoot at such speed would have better contrast.

 

[fuzzybabybunny]

My above post has been edited with the "MAKE SURE" addition after I was driving home yesterday and the question of film pushing just sorta entered my mind.

 

[Zenmervolt]

If the camera allows manual film speed setting, then sure. In fact, not a single film SLR I own can read DX coding, they all date from the time before cameras could automatically set that.

Now, if you shoot ISO 400 film at ISO 1600, you will be under-exposing by 2 stops. This will result in dark pictures. To an extent it can be corrected with negative film, but not always a full 2 stops. And if you're shooting slides, forget it. Being a half-stop off on slides can make the shot worthless, two stops off on slide film will result in slides that are far too dark to be useful for anything.

ZV

 

[Anubis]

Originally posted by: Zenmervolt
If the camera allows manual film speed setting, then sure. In fact, not a single film SLR I own can read DX coding, they all date from the time before cameras could automatically set that.

Now, if you shoot ISO 400 film at ISO 1600, you will be under-exposing by 2 stops. This will result in dark pictures. To an extent it can be corrected with negative film, but not always a full 2 stops. And if you're shooting slides, forget it. Being a half-stop off on slides can make the shot worthless, two stops off on slide film will result in slides that are far too dark to be useful for anything.

ZV

if you know what you are doing you can push ISO 400 B&W film nearly 4 stops, its gets really grainy and contrasty but if thats what you want it works fine

ill see if i can dig up a nice shot i have of Ilford 400 B&W films shot at 3200

 

[Eos]

Conversely, I always shot Fuji NPH (400 ISO) at 250 and processed normally. The colors were slightly punchier and the negs were slightly thicker, as would be expected.

Now, Ilford Delta 3200 I shot at 1600 and processed normally.

Here is a shot with Delta 3200 shot at 1600 ISO, although it was with a 6x4.5 camera, so the grain is tighter already.

I always shot Fuji Velvia at ISO 40 and Fuji Provia/Astia/Sensia at 80 ISO. Just the slightest overexposure was what I preferred.

 

[Zenmervolt]

Originally posted by: Anubis

Originally posted by: Zenmervolt
If the camera allows manual film speed setting, then sure. In fact, not a single film SLR I own can read DX coding, they all date from the time before cameras could automatically set that.

Now, if you shoot ISO 400 film at ISO 1600, you will be under-exposing by 2 stops. This will result in dark pictures. To an extent it can be corrected with negative film, but not always a full 2 stops. And if you're shooting slides, forget it. Being a half-stop off on slides can make the shot worthless, two stops off on slide film will result in slides that are far too dark to be useful for anything.

ZV

if you know what you are doing you can push ISO 400 B&W film nearly 4 stops, its gets really grainy and contrasty but if thats what you want it works fine

ill see if i can dig up a nice shot i have of Ilford 400 B&W films shot at 3200

I was assuming the OP was using color film. Typically if you're using B&W you've at least heard a bit about being able to push or pull it, and B&W has more lattitude than color. When I do B&W I shoot Neopan 1600; typically I expose it at ISO 1600, but it works anywhere from 400 to 3200 with good developing. (I do not have space for my own darkroom right now, so I tend not to get too ambitous since I'm relying on photo labs to do my processing.)

To eos: I definitely agree with the idea of playing around and just seeing what you like as far as exposure. 🙂

ZV

 

[NoShangriLa]

It will be hard to recover from a thin negative at 2 stops under expose because much of the detail in the shadow area will be lost, however push process under expose film by 2 stops from 400 ISO to 1600 ISO (generally require roughly 2X the development time) will recover some detail from shadow area but will sacrifice some detail in high light area by thicken the film. The affect of push process will greatly reduce the toe of the film therefore shorten the contrast range. Reversal film (transparency/slide film) also is affected by the push pull process and isn?t as forgiven as negative film.

B&W generally will have acceptable image with 2 ½ stops push pull range with careful development (my favorite push developer is microdol-x, but perceptol will do in a pinch). (my favorite film has to be Tri-X because it has an incredible long toe range and is relatively easy to work with, and FP4 come in second, and third was APX 25).

Today colour negative film (C-41) process is almost as good as B&W silver halide that produce quite good image at 2-2 ½ push pull stops (depends on the film).

Most reversal film (K-14 & E6) push pull range top out at 1 ½ push pull stop with little lost of colour and contrast range.