ISO question

[declan]

I'm not to familiar with ISO and film, as far as I knew the ISO was the speed of the film at the time, which has morphed into the sensitivity of the sensor that I use in the digital world.

Which is great, but in shooting film I have not used anything more complicated than a point and shoot of the day. Now I am going to be shooting occasionally with a canon elan, as it uses the same lens as my dig.

So do I leave the iso at the speed of the film , ie if the film is an iso 400, I simply select the 400 on the camera and leave it, or can it be played with for different results.

Declan

[O|||||||O]

Yes and no. To start out, I would probably leave it on the box speed - but it can be set to whatever you want for different reasons.

Color negative film often looks 'better' over-exposed 1/2 to 1 stop. That would be a time when you would want to set the ISO to something other than the box speed.

(Note that a change in ISO usually requires a change in developing times, so if you're not developing your own film you may want to stick with (or close to) the box speed. Also, any changes you do would usually need to be applied to the whole roll.)

[O|||||||O]

What kind of film will you be using? I didn't get too specific in my first post, but the film you are using is a big factor in what ISO you choose...

Color negative (anything C-41 process) - you have a lot of leeway towards over-exposure. You can pretty safely shoot it at half the ISO on the box. It's often 'better' that way. Say you have 400 ISO film, you could set your ISO to 200 and process normally. You might like the results. Try this - shoot half of a roll at the box speed, shoot the rest at half of that. Compare the results.

Slide, you pretty much need to nail the exposure.

B&W - you generally have a ton of leeway, but it will require different developing times than you would use for the 'normal, box speed' exposure. If you're doing the developing yourself, this isn't a big deal. If you're sending it out, you need to be clear on what you want them to do. You'll likely have to pay extra too.

[declan]

Thanks for the info, for the moment i would be sending film out to be developed.

As for what speed, id have to do more research on what i would feel comfortable with. In days past with a p/s it was probably asa 100.

Declan

[tomrit]

If you are using a consumer lab just set the camera for the box speed. If you are using a pro lab, ask what they recommend.

100-125 film is most useful for general purpose daylight and flash use. For low light use 400 speed. For really dim light you might try the 1600 speed stuff. The stuff under 100 is really kind of specialized, you probably will not need it.

That is about all you need to know to get started.

[gsgary]

Get some Ilford FP4 or HP5 and you cant go wrong

[declan]

Well here I sit in the truck waiting for this rain to abate. Much to my amusement, since I have no idea why I bought it, but if anyone asks, I will simply claim ignorance. The film is actually a Kodak c-41 with an Iso of 800.

So if this rain goes away , seeing what develops should be interesting, as I never go above 500 for the most part in the digital world. That and actually look at what I buy on the next purchase.

Declan