How does one shoot with a slow film say iso 50 to 100 ?

[LKSC]

Sorry if it's a bit obvious, but one can effectively use a wider than normal (50mm) focal length at much lower shutter speeds handheld, and therefore in lower light indoors. With a 24mm, 1/4 and 1/2 second exposures are always manageable handheld.

Kodachrome 64, Natura Black (24mm):

 

[Trius]

Lloyd, that is absolutely wonderful. Well, Kodachrome is always wonderful. 😀

 

[jpberger]

Try using a length of elastic shock cord for a string tripod-- works better than a regular cord. Also really good flash photography does not necessarily look like flash photography-- bouncing off ceilings and walls/gells and gobos etc create a lot of possibilities. People who disparage flash photography often just don't know enough about it (I'm including my former self in that characterization.) A incident flash meter is a handy thing to have. Can also do some interesting things with panning, motion blur, improvised camera supports etc.

 

[ssmc]

A few other tips that have worked for me (indoors):

- try to brace yourself against a door frame or wall corner; even sitting in a chair can help, and you may be able to brace your elbows against your knees or the furniture

- Relax! I find that the harder I concentrate on staying absolutely still, the more likely I am to start to get "microtremors" in my hands from the muscles tensing up

- try to time the shot between breaths, when you are fully exhaled. I don't recommend holding your breath as I've found this can make my heart beat harder - no joke, it's visible through the VF using a 50mm lens (maybe there's something wrong with me!)

- just like the advice for guns, squeeze the shutter release, don't "push" it. Even with my DSLRs and their electronic releases I find that a continuous stroke, not releasing the pressure until the release button travel has bottomed out and the shot is over, works best

BTW I agree with the other comments about that kitchen shot - it's great, and the combination of sharpness and motion blur makes a very compelling image.

B&W film has a lot of exposure latitude. Unless you are committed to a particular ISO100 emulsion maybe you could experiment with some 400-speed stuff and see how it goes? I find that with bodies that top out at 1/1000 or so, the use of a contrast filter outdoors cuts the film speed to an effective ISO100-160, so there's no need to stop down excessively, and you can always keep a deep 3x filter like R or X1 on hand to get into the ISO50 range and shoot almost wide open in daylight if the situation calls for it.

Regards,
Scott

 

[cambolt]

I don't do a lot of low light photography these days, and my M2 always has ISO 400 film in it. However, I got a lot of practice hand holding at slow speeds in my digital days. If you have a DSLR, just set the shutter to 1/15 at ISO 100 or whatever, then just practice shooting away. I have handheld 1/4 with a 35mm lens before with usable results.

 

[TXForester]

Improvise support. Use a table or other flat support. A wall, or other vertical support.

Open a door into a room and put the camera against the edge of the door. This would also allow you to pan the camera by swinging the door giving you more options where to point the camera.

 

[raytoei@gmail.com]

i dunno if this is practical or workable or not, but i read somewhere that indoor/night shots and outdoor images can have different development time even for the same ISO. ie. indoor/night images can benefit having longer development time and vice-versa.

raytoei

 

[NLewis]

Consider a tiny tabletop tripod, maybe a cable release. You can fit both in your bag no problem.

Another thing is: past about EV3 or so, it makes sense to the eye for things to be dark. Thus, instead of trying to expose for 18% grey, if it's real dark, just set for EV3 (f/1.4 and 1/4th at ISO100) and let anything darker just sink into the blackness. You could do the same thing at EV5 (1.4 and f/15 at ISO100), it will just look darker on film than it did to the eye.

 

[raytoei@gmail.com]

NLewis: agree, if it's dark, it's dark. 18% gray may be impossible.

 

[Calzone]

Add some weight to your camera. A Nikon F3 with motordrive is more stable than a F3 without. On my Leicas both M-bodies have TA Rapidwinders and TA Rapidgrips. The added weight helps balance and steady the camera, and for me a heavy camera is a steady camera.

Shooting while sitting is more stable than shooting standing. Also make a tripod out of your body whenever possible. Some times I crouch and anchor my elbow to my knee. Think triangles like feet spread and your shoulder braced against a tree, wall, building...

I even shortened my strap so that I can use it like two guy wires anchored under my elbow by locking my wrist straight. If I have to I can shoot with one hand if I had to. Again think triangle. Setting up a camera so it can be shot with one hand helps, especially when I can use two hands.

Practice, practice, practice.... I dry fire my cameras for exercise a lot. This helps to develope good technic shooting and also helps me nail focus under dim lighting.

Develope some upper body strength by doing pushups and pull-ups. Having some bulk that comes from strength helps me have the camera as an extension of my body. Generally I carry a camera via a wrist strap, at my side, ready to shoot. Also always have a camera with me so literally it has become an extenion of my body.

Also I would second going wide angle because this forces you to get closer to your subject. Remenber that light fall off follows inverse square law. If you double the distance you get one quarter the amount of light. If I half the distance I get four times the amount of light.

Cal

 

[goo0h]

Sorry if it's a bit obvious, but one can effectively use a wider than normal (50mm) focal length at much lower shutter speeds handheld, and therefore in lower light indoors. With a 24mm, 1/4 and 1/2 second exposures are always manageable handheld.

Why is that? OK, I'm dense. Because they tend to be smaller lenses? Wider DOF?

Somewhat related, is the VC 35mm F1.2 easier to focus with greater accuracy wide open than the VC 50mm F1.1? Or is it about the same?

 

[Calzone]

Amos,

Its more about subject distance. By going wide you have to get closer to your subject, and since light falls off in a non-linear manner getting closer means more light.

If you half the distance to your subject you quadruple the amount of light that your film sees.

If you double the distance from your subject your film sees one quarter the amount of light.

The amount of light that is hitting your subject remains constant, but the reflected light coming off your subject is greatly effected by distance.

Cal

Light falloff follows inverse square law. In areodynamics drag also follows inverse square law. The difference in drag between a car traveling at 50 mph and 100 mph is that drag will increase to four times at 100 mph even though the speed is just double. Its a rather dramatic nonlinear relationship.

 

[film nut]

In a photo class I took about 40 years ago, the instructor told me to turn the camera upside down, look through the viewfinder and hold the camera against my forehead , hold my breath and I could shoot down to 1/4 second and maybe slower. I tried it a few times and it seemed to work. I haven't had to resort to that routine in a long time, but it's there if I need it.

Mike

 

[Roger Hicks]

Why is that? OK, I'm dense. Because they tend to be smaller lenses? Wider DOF?

Smaller angular magnification on the film, so (say) 1/2 degree shake on the camera axis is 1/2 degree on the film at 43mm but 1/4 degree at 21.5mm. Conversely it's 1 degree at 86mm.

Cheers,

R

 

[Richard G]

I read an interesting variation on the string-pod: loop the string through the locking loop of a quick release plate. Not sure how well that would go with the non-central tripod bush of an M.

 

[ampguy]

ISO 50, ~ 1/4 second:

 

[Taynt3d]

I use 400 all the time in combo with a 3-stop ND I take on/off as needed, works perfectly and offers a lot of flexibility, including that nice Tri-X look wide open in the middle of the day, heh (helps to have an R3A with 1/2000 too of course).

 

[raytoei@gmail.com]

ampguy, wow.... did you turn your camera upside down against your forehead to shoot that ?

FilmNut: thanks. i put the XA upsidedown and the forehead does give it some support.... a bit silly but i think it works..let me try out a couple of shorts.

 

[goo0h]

I use 400 all the time in combo with a 3-stop ND I take on/off as needed, works perfectly and offers a lot of flexibility

What ND filter is that? I was just wondering about maybe getting one of those variable ND filters, but they can sure get expensive. However, if I do get one, would want a good one that's not going to flare too ridiculously, if that's possible....

 

[goo0h]

ISO 50, ~ 1/4 second....

Wow, that's incredible. Never would have thought that possible.