XPAN2 Long Exposure Qs?

[TimPrebble]

Planning to go shoot some long exposure test rolls this weekend and wondered if anyone
could offer advice from experience shooting long exposures with an XPAN2, for reciprocity?

I've shot lots of long exposures with my digital cameras (5D3 and a6300) using Lee Big Stopper 10 ND filter,
and I've just bought a Super Stopper 15 stop ND for both full frame 100mm and the Seven5 size for my XPAN....

So using a SuperStopper 15 stop their guide says a shot that meters 1/500th becomes 1 minute...
but then reading the reciprocity of TriX it says the compensation for a 1 minute is 9 minutes (!)
which is pushing the maximum bulb exposure I can do with an XPAN2

http://www.camramirez.com/pdf/P1_LongExposureAdj.pdf

I'd appreciate any sage advice - use TMax (with better reciprocity) instead?


I suspect the best thing I can do is to lock off a shot, and shoot half a dozen shots,
with fixed F stop & varying the exposure time all the way to maximum...
and see what works



Also intrigued by this comment:

"if you plan on doing a lot of night exposures, it can be worth your while to check out
Fuji Acros 100. There is no reciprocity effect until 120 seconds of exposure!
This means that Acros, though nominally slower, can be effectively "faster" at nightime
than some 400 speed films. Image quality is top notch."

is Acros still available?

 

[sevo]

So using a SuperStopper 15 stop their guide says a shot that meters 1/500th becomes 1 minute...

That is not reciprocity, it is just that 1/500 and 60s are 15 stops/steps apart. Filter manufacturers never gave figures for reciprocity, as these are film dependent.

but then reading the reciprocity of TriX it says the compensation for a 1 minute is 9 minutes (!)

Around that (which is actually not bad, most other films of similar type and vintage require about twice that).

I'd appreciate any sage advice - use TMax (with better reciprocity) instead?
(...)
Fuji Acros 100. There is no reciprocity effect until 120 seconds of exposure!
(...)
is Acros still available?

Acros is still around, the best film for long time exposures. T-Max 100 would be second best, with less than half a stop compensation to one minute. In colour, Provia 100F displays a reciprocity behaviour almost as good as Acros.

 

[TimPrebble]

as I said I've shot lots of long exposures digitally before
& understand the effect of the ND filter on exposure time.
sorry if that wasnt clear - its only film reciprocity
that I am asking about peoples experience with

thanks - I will try T-Max 100

 

[brbo]

There is no need for ND15 on XPan as you can easily pick a film with greater reciprocity failure so that you will still be limited by the longest bulb time on Xpan with "lighter" ND filter that will be both cheaper and better. Make the reciprocity failure work for you, not against you!

(Unless there is a particular scenario where you need to shoot close to wide open in the middle of the day and still have very long shutter speed)

 

[TimPrebble]

Sure, thanks - I also have a 10 stop and a 3 stop filter so will of course use whatever best suits the situation...

 

[giganova]

Just do a few test shots and find out.

Q: how will you avoid light leaks with a rectangular filter? Everything behind the filter needs to be sealed, which isn't as trivial as it sounds.

 

[brbo]

Q: how will you avoid light leaks with a rectangular filter? Everything behind the filter needs to be sealed, which isn't as trivial as it sounds.

Proper holder and filter. He's got Lee, so should be fine. I've used similar setup (regular (100mm) Lee holder with Haida 10ND filter) and there are no light leaks. Xpan seems to be light tight at the bayonet mount, too...

 

[TimPrebble]

exactly, the Lee Seven 5 system was apparently designed by someone working at Lee Filters who owns an xPan

 

[TimPrebble]

test rolls off to the lab yesterday, will post some results when I have them...

 

[Jake Mongey]

Shoot fuji acros 100 if youre worried about reciprocity as there is no compensation for times up to 120 seconds and only half a stop compensation for anything over that

 

[TimPrebble]

thanks Jake - one of the test rolls I shot was Acros

 

[TimPrebble]

Tmax100

 

[Huss]

Excellent result, but the horizon looks tilted to the left. Easy fix.
What was your exposure time?

 

[TimPrebble]

Thanks - yes I need to get my bubble on 😉
I think that one was 60 seconds, with ND10 Big Stopper...
lab scanned out of order, so a bit of detective work relating to my notes
(have discussed it with them & they have system in place now)

Each of the test shots I manually bracketed, so shot as metered compensating for ND
and then took a couple more extending the exposure time...

Pretty happy with the results and using Acros 100 or Tmax100 feel confident I can predict exposure...
but will still probably take a few exposures each time, as conditions change etc...

One problem i struck was the cable release misfired every second or third shot on my TX2...
I was using a physical cable release and have read of others having the same issue
but have since managed to track down a Hasselblad electronic cable release so that should hopefully avoid a bit of wasted film...

Heres two shot with Fuji Acros100

 

[Huss]

Very nice work.

 

[TimPrebble]

even some of the underexposed shots are interesting... not what i intended, but still...

underexposed TMax 100

 

[TimPrebble]

And another

 

[Huss]

Great stuff. Did u use the center nd filter? it doesn't look like u did.
The underepxosed ones have a moody feeling. I' d own it!
🙂

 

[TimPrebble]

I do have a centre filter on my 30mm lens... which all of those were shot with... not sure why i get some vingetting

 

[Huss]

Is the center filter different between the 30 and 45mm lenses?