Help getting started with film

[Gradskater]

Thanks for your patience Skater.
So just to make sure, you were using 400 speed film, but you set your camera to 1200 for the shot. That was because you were shooting in low light right ? IOW it works the same as with digital. You have some flexibility.
But actually not that much. With my D90 I can go from iso 100 ( and below actually ) to at least iso 1600 without much noise. A D700 can do much better than that.
I had heard film has a higher dynamic range than digital.
For that, I guess you would need a different combination of film/developer ?

Exactly, 400 film, camera set at 1200. And yes, you have some limited flexibility, but you are right, not nearly as much as digital.
I think you might have dynamic range slightly wrong. dynamic range is the range of light and dark values within one frame. Many digitals, especially small point and shoots, can't handle bright and dark in the same frame, for example, an indoor shot with a sunny window in the background. Expose for the inside, and the window can end up being a completely washed out white square. Thats the lack of dynamic range. Film does a great job of handling light and dark within the same frame.

 

[kxl]

One final comment. Using a single roll of AP 400, you can rate each fraem anywhere from 400 and up if you plan to develop using Diafine. HOwever, be prepared to use quite a bit of Photoshop, especially for the frames you shot at 400.


If you are not planning to use Diafne, you ARE limited to a single EI for all frames in a single roll because development times willbe different at different EI's.


It is NOT like digital where I can switch from ISO 100 to ISO 1600 then down to ISO 400 for 3 shots in a row.

 

[fwellers]

Exactly, 400 film, camera set at 1200. And yes, you have some limited flexibility, but you are right, not nearly as much as digital.
I think you might have dynamic range slightly wrong. dynamic range is the range of light and dark values within one frame. Many digitals, especially small point and shoots, can't handle bright and dark in the same frame, for example, an indoor shot with a sunny window in the background. Expose for the inside, and the window can end up being a completely washed out white square. Thats the lack of dynamic range. Film does a great job of handling light and dark within the same frame.

Yes you're right. My bad. I knew that when I said it, but I guess it was getting late. <shrug>.
So is there some combination of film/developer that does better than the iso range you achieved in the test ? I know I know, this guy want's everything. hahaha.
Actually I am pleasantly surprised that one can get any flexibility with iso while using film. I was thinking that 400 meant 400.
But with fast glass, being able to go up to 1200 without unfixable issues should provide pretty much all the low light ability I would need. and being able to go down to 200 should handle as much daylight as I want.

Thanks again for all your help.

 

[fwellers]

It is NOT like digital where I can switch from ISO 100 to ISO 1600 then down to ISO 400 for 3 shots in a row.

But you are able to do that with Diafine though, right ?
And actually I said something wrong to GradSkater earlier. He told me but I forgot. for 400 film you can go up to ~1600 between frames, but you can't go below 400.

So I would probably want to use something like 100 or 200 film with Diafane, meaning I am safe in daylight, but can adjust iso to ~1200 for low light and fix clipped shadows in digital PP.

Do I have it right yet ????

Thanks !!