Film speed advice for Oz light

[OurManInTangier]

I'm flying down to Oz next week and will be buying my film for the trip in the next few days. I'm planning to just buy mono as I can use a digi camera for any colour shots.

I'd appreciate any advice on good film speed for Oz light in winter. I tend to shoot ISO 100 Delta in Europe during summer which gives me 1/1000 at f4 to f5.6 in full sunshine. I use this as I like to use an aperture of around f4 to seperate the background whilst keeping enough for context. Do you think 100 will be okay or should I use some PanF 50 or similar?

I'm also planning to take some Kodak CN 400 ( the C41 stuff ) which I'm hoping will give me some flexibility.

I'm also in San Francisco but assuming light intensity won't be as harsh...if I'm wrong I'd love to know.

Many thanks

 

[mfunnell]

I think you'll find that the light in Oz can be pretty bright, and harsh, even in winter (though this obviously varies with weather). I've tried varied strategies for dealing with this such as, when I've been serious, loading two different Hexar RFs (with 1/4000th top shutter speed) with two different films for outdoor/indoor/dusk/dark, varying the film used during the day. But for more casual shooting with my M3, which is what I'm mostly doing these days, I use a 2-stop ND filter and load with nominally ISO 400 film (XP2, BW400CN and, more recently, Tri-X). That seems to work well enough for my purposes in winter. So, mostly, its filter on for outdoors, filter off indoors and early/late in the day. In summer, in the past, I've used the ND filter and shot Kodak Gold 100 or Gold 200 film, with the intention of converting to B&W (which I find those films do well). But now that I'm mostly developing my own I'll probably need to find some other approach.

Which doesn't matter to you: coming here in winter you might want to shoot a combination of 100 and 400 speed film, or use an ND filter and work with 400 film only (and, with something like Tri-X, give yourself the option of pushing a stop or two for really dark indoor or night shots).

...Mike

Oh, and P.S. - bring film with you! Film is really really expensive here in Oz. I order most of mine in from the US, in bulk. Even with air freight it is much cheaper.

 

[daveywaugh]

Where in Australia are you traveling? Full sunshine in winter is generally very bright, but obviously amount of light depends on where you are going. Most of Australia gets their rain in summer but Tasmania for example, is wetter in winter (and obviously receives less daylight anyway at this time of year). I'd think there you'd be shooting 400CN most of the time.

Queensland, NT, and WA are generally fine with ample sunshine that's clear and 'cutting' in winter - perfect for your 100 I'd say. I'm currently living in central Australia and there's plenty of light. I just metered outside at 4.15 in the afternoon with a grey card. ISO 100, f4 @ 500. Have a great trip!

 

[ChrisN]

Personally I like 400 iso as my standard, but I see you like fairly wide apertures, so you can probably get away with 100 iso most of the time, and have a few rolls of 400 iso in case of heavy overcast conditions. Pan-F is lovely stuff but I reserve that for tripod work.

 

[mfunnell]

14:30 this afternoon at Strathfield station in cloudy Sydney, I metered (in shade) 1/500th @f8 ISO400, but shot at 1/250th to bring out shadowed detail under platform roofs (no filter used).

...Mike

 

[Keith]

Pan F50 is my favourite film for bright light and if it's a little duller I expose it at 100 and push the developing.

Good advice about not buying film here too ... it's a rip off! I've never bought film in this country ... always off the net from Freestyle or B&H etc.

 

[alan davus]

In Oz I virtually never use film faster than Asa 160. Plenty of good advice above especially about bringing your film with you. Like Keith, I gave up buying film here years ago. Have a great holiday.

 

[daveywaugh]

Like Keith, I gave up buying film here years ago.

Don't mean to highjack the thread, but where do Aussie's buy their film OS? Keith mentioned a couple, but whenever I look, the postage seems ridiculous. I am guessing the trick is just to buy bulk.

OurManInTangier... why don't you bring in a few hundred rolls of Ektar, sell em' to us Aussies, and pay for your trip ;-)

 

[wongyboi]

The upcoming week is suppose to be clear skies in Sydney (If that's where you are going). I would go with 100 speed film. I have been shooting with my Leica M6 in cloudy weather and ISO100 is probably best.

 

[mfunnell]

I missed out on ChrisN's latest group order from Freestyle by way of procrastination, so ordered from B&H (as Adorama was out of Tri-X: how can a photo store, especially that one be out of Tri-X?).



...Mike

 

[OurManInTangier]

I wish it were a holiday, unfortunately it's work...though I'm getting a weeks free stay in the 'posh' Bloomfield Lodge at the end of it!

I'll be in Perth, Adelaide along the coast road to Melbourne and Sydney before heading up to Cairns and onto Bloomfield. Sounds like a mix of 100 & 400 should do me well enough. I've read here before about film prices out there, it amazes me that the UK is actually cheaper for something at last, I'm so used to our ( correct ) reputation for being really expensive.

I'll stock up here and have 100 in one M6 and 400 in another, hopefully this should cover most lighting conditions.

Thanks for the advice

 

[OurManInTangier]

Mike - looks like you've got enough film for a good days shooting there 😉

 

[john341]

Stick with 100asa film. Its fine for Australia as the light is quite bright, and a bit contrasty, and I concur, bring b/w film with you as it can be expensive and somewhat hard to find in some spots. Bon voyage!

 

[mfunnell]

I'll stock up here and have 100 in one M6 and 400 in another, hopefully this should cover most lighting conditions.

I think that will do you nicely.

...Mike

 

[Benjamin]

Surely you can just push or pull each roll of film as required?

 

[OurManInTangier]

Don't remind me of all the weight I can pile on in the next month, Oz portions followed by a week of Stateside portions and I may need to fly home as freight!

 

[mfunnell]

Don't remind me of all the weight I can pile on in the next month, Oz portions followed by a week of Stateside portions and I may need to fly home as freight!

Doesn't matter, as long as you fly home as happy freight :angel:

And do allow for some rolls of whatever colour film you like, to supplement your B&W, as there will be times you'll be glad of it (I'm thinking especially of the Great Ocean Road as you travel from Adelaide to Melbourne).

...Mike

 

[fixbones]

My 2 cents from Tassie.

ISO 100 will do just fine. Frankly this winter has been pretty sunny for us. So yeah... ISO 100 wiil do just fine.

ISO 400 will perhaps 'buy' you more shooting time dusk/dawn and depending on whats your cameras top shutter speed, you might want to consider bringing an ND4 perhaps.

 

[fixbones]

mfunnell: I missed out on ChrisN's group order too..... I can see you compensated for it really well =D

 

[Merkin]

When i went a decade or so ago, I took 200 speed color film, which doesn't really help except for the c41 stuff which I think tends to come out better when shot at 200. I would probably err on the side of speed, so I would probably haul 400 speed film if you only want to take one type of b/w film.