mfogiel
Veteran
For general outdoors shooting at ISO 200, in contrasty light ISO 100, for close portraits in soft light ISO 320-400
Gaspar
Established
If I am shooting people I will actually underexpose because white skin is almost 2 stops lighter than neutral grey. I usually set the film at the rated ISO but addapt compensation to suit situation.
dmr
Registered Abuser
Almost always I use the box speed. For most subjects, it works for me.
However, I will occasionally expose 400 as if it were 800 when doing things like the Las Vegas Strip where there are highlights with a lot of detail and most of the scene is darker. This helps blowing out highlights when using the GIII in auto mode.
Roger Hicks
Veteran
Very true! But of course this is a metering question (and therefore an entirely valid answer to the original query) rather than an ISO speed question.
I suppose that one could spot-meter the lights and give (say) 4 stops more but this might be difficult...
The thing is, it's amazing how many people don't realize that ISO speeds won't work, every time, on every meter, for every camera, if you just set them blindly.
In fact I'd add that if I'm using my Pentax SV (with a 'lazy' shutter) I can set ISO 400 as 800, but with my wife's 35/5.6 Apo Grandagon on the Alpa I need to set 200 just to get the effect of 400 -- because, I think, of extra-high shutter efficency on the tiny absolute aperture.
Cheers,
R.
dmr
Registered Abuser
Yes, this is not an issue of questioning the film speed, it's adjusting the exposure, overcoming a "feature" of the averaging meter in the camera.
I regard the ISO film speed to be one of the more consistent variables in the whole exposure thing. Things like light and how the meter behaves appear to be far less precise. (Grabbing whip and looking for dead horse to beat ...) I sure wish there were available some kind of an accurate standard light source, something that could be used to check the accuracy of exposure meters!
Al Kaplan
Veteran
I prefer to use an incident light meter whenever possible. It meters the light, not the subject.
charjohncarter
Veteran
I'm with Roger, spot meter 400, though the lens 320.
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Brennotdan
Established
italy74
Well-known
Depending on the roll, if it's an NC and need sometimes a bit more saturated colours I just underexpose half stop (so it's iso 560, I guess), otherwise i let it at 400. I know some say that film rolls should be overexposed but to tell the truth I never understood why. Could you explain? Why looking for paler colours? Or there's something else to consider? Let me know thanks
Roger Hicks
Veteran
Dear Dino,
With neg film, you'll normally get less saturation by underexposing the neg; it's the print that needs to be underexposed, preferably with a generously exposed negative. Sure, underexposing slides will give more saturation (and overexposing will give weaker colours) but if you get pale prints from overexposed negs it just shows that the auto printer isn't doing its job properly.
Cheers,
Roger
italy74
Well-known
Hi Roger,
thanks for your lines, effectively I always underexposed slides for the same reason
I'll try and see how it looks.
thanks for your lines, effectively I always underexposed slides for the same reason
I'll try and see how it looks.