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

[02Pilot]

I know that color film generally tolerates overexposure better than underexposure, but just reading various threads around RFF it seems there is little consensus on just how much, if any, to overexpose. So, recognizing that there may well be different answers for different emulsions, please try to offer a generalization if you can.

EDIT: I only now realize that my title was unnecessarily ambiguous. I was referring to color NEGATIVE film, not slide film. Sorry for the lack of clarity.

 

[Classique]

I use mostly expired film so I usually overexpose by a stop for 400 films but maybe 1/3 or none for anything slower.

However, I also noticed that fresh film also benefits from a bit of overexposure.

Funny thing is that the effect of overexposure differs for the film manufacturer. For Fuji films, I expose 1 stop over and for Kodak films by 1/3 for the best tone from the negatives.

 

[edge100]

Depends on the film.

For Portra 400 (my standard C-41 colour film), I generally shoot at box speed but expose for the shadows, thereby "overexposing" the highlights. Occasionally I will push Portra 400 up to 2 stops (3 if I'm really desperate), and employ the same strategy of exposing for the shadows.

For most other C-41 negative films, I will rate 1/2-1 EV below box speed.

Portra just deals with underexposure a lot better than other negative films, so I feel more confident exposing at box speed.

 

[alfredian]

Slides or negatives?

Slides or negatives?

The photofinishers I've gone to in the last few years say color negative suffer from underexposure, and seem to actually like a bit of extra light. Slides/transparencies are the opposite - go pale & blown out w/too much light, so shoot dead-on. If you don't really need the shadows, go under a half-stop. Depending on which film, you can increase saturation of not only highlights but mid-tones as well.

 

[mmartin09]

Depends on the film. I shoot mostly Portra 160 and 400 at 1/3 - 1 stop over. For the occasional 400H, 2 - 2 1/3 over.

 

[02Pilot]

Thanks for the votes and comments so far. I should have been clearer in the title and original post that I was thinking of color negative film, not slide film; I have made a note in the first post.

I am interested in the discussion of how people shoot specific films, as it will help to refine the results of the poll. Please keep the comments coming.

 

[jonmanjiro]

EDIT: I only now realize that my title was unnecessarily ambiguous. I was referring to color NEGATIVE film, not slide film. Sorry for the lack of clarity.

I edited the poll and thread titles for you.

Personally, I don't shoot much C41 film, but when I do I set the ISO to the box speed and expose for the shadows.

 

[Vics]

I like strong, saturated color, so when I shot Kodak Gold 200, I shot it at 125, and that seemed to work well. Now that that film is gone, and I'm shooting Fuji Superia Xtra 400, I'm shooting it at 250. The results on the latter aer not yet conclusive. Stay tuned.

 

[02Pilot]

I edited the poll and thread titles for you.

Thanks very much.

 

[Chris101]

I said at box speed. But I also overexpose when I want a lot of white and bright color. I don't think I ever push color film.

 

[sparrow6224]

Ektar I shoot at 64 if it's cloudy and 80 if it's sunny and 100 if it's really really bright. Any given roll will have frames treated each of these ways. I change it during the same roll. Typically when I walk out the door I'm at ISO64. Portra 160 I shoot at 125. The only Fuji films I shoot are chrome.

 

[Mablo]

All 400 speed C41 films I overexpose by one stop and expose from the shadows. For 100 speed films I shoot at box speed and just expose from the shadows.

 

[Sparrow]

... I'm happy to get within a stop or two, but I have a tendency to overexpose a bit anyway.

BTW I think everyone's trust in their light-meter's accuracy is touching ...

 

[thegman]

I voted +1, but the reality is I shoot over by more, and less by more. If I'm out at night, I'll take a shot knowing it's under by quite a lot, but if the highlights are there, they distract from the missing shadows.

I don't think there really is any such thing as correct exposure, it's correct if it turned out how you wanted it. I've got shots I like where the shadows are entirely missing, but the highlights look OK to me. I think I'm paraphrasing Roger Hicks there.

 

[Richard G]

Despite the concerns of underexposure, pushing me to be liberal with overexposure of at least 1 stop whenever I feel like it, I more than once exposed a roll of 200 Fuji Superia at 400 accidentally with no real problem. Quite liked the dark blue skies and deep shadows. Even with poorly remembered Sunny 16 and even forgetting what speed C41 I have in the camera it seems that reasonable results will still be had. Ektar is the one C41 film where I am very careful.

 

[paulfish4570]

box speed. i'm running superia 400 in my $3 nikon one touch. so i sort of have to take what the black box gives me; cassette indexing and all that. i like what i get from the camera's little brain ... 🙂

 

[Murchu]

box speed. i'm running superia 400 in my $3 nikon one touch. so i sort of have to take what the black box gives me; cassette indexing and all that. i like what i get from the camera's little brain ... 🙂

Apparently the DX coding can be changed, by scratching off, and using black marker to recode it..

 

[Roger Hicks]

Depends on the subject matter, the light, and how I'm metering. I normally try to err on the side of overexposure, but as much as +1 is only for when I'm feeling really lazy or stupid. And, as already pointed out, there is no 'correct' exposure. There is only 'pleasing' exposure.

Cheers,

R.

 

[rbiemer]

I mainly shoot Kodak Ektar for color neg. film these days and I shoot that at box speed.
When I was shooting Kodak's 400 UC, I shot that at 320.
Not sure if this add to this discussion but, I shoot BW400CN at 320 also.
Rob

 

[paulfish4570]

"there is no 'correct' exposure. There is only 'pleasing' exposure."

this is wisdom ...