Poll: How close to box speed do you shoot color negative film?

[alienmeatsack]

I personally like the look that some films give when over exposed a little. Some of my expired films like Kodak Gold 100 work wonderfully if you shoot them at 50. They go from "normal view of the world and a little grainy" to "feels like this was shot in the 80s and grainy".

I think it's really up to you, your preferences, the film being used, it's age and how its developed. I do try to shoot a little over as others have said, exposing for the darks and shooting for the lights, so my shadows have detail. I don't always have this option when I handhold in less then perfect lighting conditions though.

If there's a particular film you use a lot, take a roll out and test shoot it. Do a normal exposure, then do a few 1/3rd or 1/2 stops over exposure of the same shot. Then see what you get. If you like it, use it that way.

 

[DNG]

Seems like if I develop for Box Speed, but shoot at 1+ stops, I get a good negative... I do take a test roll with any new film I try. From -2 stop to +2 stops, and develop for Box Speed according to the Master Developer Chart App.

It seems a +1 EI is always the best test negative with me anyway.

 

[Nicollasera]

I usually shoot close to box speed but do meter on the shadows. When I shoot expired and really expired I over expose 1 stop or more.

 

[02Pilot]

Accepting the limitations of the overly-general question, I still find the results very interesting, especially when paired with the comments regarding particular films. It seems that (thus far, at least), while the majority shoot at box speed, close to half the respondents intentionally overexpose by up to a stop. I wonder if at this point it would be productive to close this one and create new polls for specific emulsions in order to build a more useful data set. Thoughts?

 

[Aristophanes]

Portra 400 @640-1000 routinely.

Handles it w/o a sweat.

 

[jwicaksana]

Fuji Superia 200 at box speed, Portra 400 at box speed or 800, never mind changing it mid roll, Fuji 160s at 50 and Ektacolor 160 at 100, the latter two were on medium format.

 

[Balto]

I shoot fuji pro 400 @ 200 and develop at box speed most of the time, love the results.

 

[Pioneer]

I almost always shoot color negative film at box speed unless it expired a long time ago. Then I will over expose by a stop and check the results.

 

[Canyongazer]

I wonder how many know the accuracy of their meters?
If you shoot only negative film, color or black and white, and use no methods for post exposure evaluation other than "That looks OK" , you don't know what film speed you are actually using---irrespective of what you have set on your camera.

Remember, too, if you say "I shoot it at 400 but overexpose a stop." really means you are shooting it at 200.

IMO, the best "default" position for any negative film is Plus 2/3 stop until proven otherwise.

 

[sepiareverb]

Usually at box speed here. I prefer several films a bit slower than box speed- PanF at 40, Ortho25 at 20, and like HP5 at many speeds depending on the situation: 50, 400 or 800.

 

[kossi008]

When I use my rangefinders, at box speed.

However, my old Canon AT-1 is consistently one stop over in the measurements (always has been). So I have to counter that by apparently over-epxosing by one full stop, when I am actually again using true box speed.

 

[msbarnes]

+5

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