Shooting in bars - film- what would your set up be?

[GarageBoy]

I shoot in dark locations quite often and while I love my F2AS with Type K (split/microprism screen), I can barely focus due to the dark screen and often miss shots.
Generally in places where I'm at F1.4-F2 1/60s ISO3200
I'm using Nikon 50 1.4 and 105 2.5 lenses

Is it time for AF, a later camera with a better screen/microprism spot? Should I get a type G or type H screen?

Thanks
I'd like not to waste my last dozen TMax 3200

 

[Corran]

I do this often. I really like my J screens personally. I love microprism spots if I'm going to use an SLR.

Even AF struggles in some of the situations I've shot in.

That said I personally prefer my Nikon SP rangefinder to an SLR. I've shot in places before with f/2, 1/30, and pushed TMZ to 6400.

 

[Roger Hicks]

RF time. M, 35 Summilux. Why mess around with the wrong camera, unless it's all you have?

His dictis (these things having been said), I got good pics with both the 58/1.4 and the 21/4 when they were all I had. Use what ya got.

Film: pushed HP5 or Delta 3200.

Cheers,

R.

 

[2WK]

Tri-x & 1600. Rodinal.

 

[Roger Hicks]

Tri-x & 1600. Rodinal.

Well, yes, if you really like high contrast and huge grain.

Cheers,

R.

 

[2WK]

I stand develop. Its actually not bad at all!

I follow this method.
http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showpost.php?p=927796&postcount=47

Cheaper than Delta 3200. 😉

 

[x-ray]

My MP can be just as hard to focus under bad light as an Slr. I have had very good results with my Nikon Df and 50 1.2. Film wise I'd go with something like an F100 with a 50 1.2 and 1600 film or push HP5 a stop or two.

 

[Gregoyle]

When it's really dark I like shooting f/2 on a f/1.4 lens so that I can do things like focus using the edge of the subject's face (high contrast vertical line so the split-image works) and keep the eyes in focus. This of course usually requires pushing the film another stop.

A 35mm f/1.4 lens at 1.4 has more DOF than a 50mm lens does at f/2 at the same distance. Another advantage of a 35mm lens is that you can usually shoot 1/30 without hand induced blurring. This is a potential 2 stop advantage, and allows the technique I mentioned above. If you go to f/2 you have enough DOF that you could even use the eyeball distance and zone focus method.

I don't know much about Nikon focusing screens, but I know in the Olympus world changing screens or switching to an OM-1 will get you a little more light to see by.

-Greg

 

[DamenS]

The Konica Hexar AF will auto-focus quickly with no light at all.

 

[rwintle]

Delta 3200, rated at 1600 if you have enough light, at 3200 if you need to. Expect grain. "Artistic" grain. 😀

EDIT - sorry, that didn't answer the question did it? I see you already have TMax 3200.

 

[msbarnes]

The Konica Hexar AF will auto-focus quickly with no light at all.

Yes,

 

[mfogiel]

Your best bet is a RF with at least a sharp 1.4 lens, so ideally for low light Zeiss Ikon+35/1.2 Nokton. Alternative would be F100 with some AF lens like sigma 50/1.4, but frankly, in B&W the Japanese SLR lenses are quite a disappointment. I'd go with Tri X or HP5+ in Acufine, Xtol, DD-X, or Diafine, if the contrast is high (light sources in the frame, etc).

ZI+Nokton 35/1.2
20090122 by mfogiel, on Flickr

 

[HHPhoto]

In such situations I can rely on the autofokus of my Nikon F6.
It is doing an excellent job.
Much better than any RF I've used so far.

Cheers, Jan

 

[Corran]

in B&W the Japanese SLR lenses are quite a disappointment.

Huh?? How do you figure?

 

[furcafe]

I'm not completely up on my Nikon focusing screen nomenclature, but I think I have the Type B (matte fresnel w/fine ground glass central spot) on my F2 (plain prism) & it works fine for me in low light (same as or darker than your example) using 50/1.4, 50/1.2, 35/1.4, etc.

Still prefer a good RF for available darkness, though.

I shoot in dark locations quite often and while I love my F2AS with Type K (split/microprism screen), I can barely focus due to the dark screen and often miss shots.
Generally in places where I'm at F1.4-F2 1/60s ISO3200
I'm using Nikon 50 1.4 and 105 2.5 lenses

Is it time for AF, a later camera with a better screen/microprism spot? Should I get a type G or type H screen?

Thanks
I'd like not to waste my last dozen TMax 3200

 

[GarageBoy]

Thanks
My main issue is that in the dark, there's not enough discernible contrast for me to see if the object is in focus, and certain microprism patterns still shimmer a bit when in focus
I'm hoping AF will help, or I'll give the full microprism screens a shot

 

[Bill Clark]

My experience, autofocus has a hard time working properly in dark venues. It can spend time searching, locking on to something I'm not interested in having in focus. Most of the time I turn it off.

If you develop your exposed film, another variable to help can be the type & length of time with the film developer.

 

[DamenS]

Hope I'm not beating a dead horse, or being too parochial here; but this is where the Konaca AF's infrared AF shines (pun not intended).

 

[Frontman]

I just picked up a Nikon F4 with a Sigma 24mm f/1.8 lens for this kind of shooting. The AF seems to work quite well in low light, and the camera has a "silent" shooting mode, which while not as quiet as the silent mode on a Hexar AF, is still much quieter than a regular SLR. The 24mm has an advantage over the 35mm Hexanon in close quarters (small restaurants and bars in Tokyo are indeed small).

 

[Alpsman]

For the dark time of the day: F or F2; Lens 50/1,2 or 1,4; Screen G2 or H2; Film Tri-X @ 800 or 1600 or Delta 3200 @ 1600 or 2300 developed in Promicrol.