Film and ISO

SpikeK6

SpikeK6

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This is really going to annoy me as I Probably know the answer. But never had to do this before.

The film I bought for my film camera is Kodak colorplus 200, now 200 is the speed of the film, but in the camera settings it allows me to change the ISO, now do i have to set it to 200 same as the film???

Thanks

spike
 
Hi Spike, does your film camera show ISO and not ASA then?
 
Generally yes, to keep things simple set your camera iso setting to the same as your film and unlike the world of digital you shouldn't adjust the iso midway through a roll.

There are all sorts of options to push and pull film speeds but we'll leave that for another day ;)
 
you don't HAVE to...

there's lots of reasons why you would want to do so - especially if you're just getting started with film. Basically, that's the speed that the film was designed to respond at.

But often we DO fiddle with the ISO settings on the camera - if we've found that (say) slide film works best for us under exposed by 1/3 stop for example, or if we haven't got a fast enough film in the bag for the conditions.
 
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I think it's so that the camera's light meter (assuming it has one) can determine the EV value - it needs you to tell it what speed the film is so that it calculate the exposure.

I'm assuming it's an old camera - newer ones could 'read' the ISO from the DX coding on the film.
 
SpikeK6 said:
This is really going to annoy me as I Probably know the answer. But never had to do this before.

The film I bought for my film camera is Kodak colorplus 200, now 200 is the speed of the film, but in the camera settings it allows me to change the ISO, now do i have to set it to 200 same as the film???

Thanks

spike
Click to expand...


With colour negative film, it's always best to err on the side of overexposure, so I personally would open up about a 1/2 stop or so with Kodak films. With Fuji (e.g., Pro 400H or 160NS), I don't hesitate to overexpose their films by 1-2 stops. You'll get more shadow detail and shouldn't have to worry about the highlights—negative film has amazing latitude and dynamic range. This is all personal preference though; you're free to shoot at box speed if you wish.

With slide film, your exposure must be more precise, as these films don't have the latitude of negative films.
 
Thanks for all the answers so quickly.
I had it in my head that the speed of the film dictated the ISO speed on the camera, I am surprised the camera did not set it itself.
This is my first roll of film since the throw away comp on here last couple of years. so be nice to have a bit more contole over how I am taking a picture.
Nick yes it shows ISO not ASA.
 
SpikeK6 said:
Thanks for all the answers so quickly.
I had it in my head that the speed of the film dictated the ISO speed on the camera, I am surprised the camera did not set it itself.
This is my first roll of film since the throw away comp on here last couple of years. so be nice to have a bit more contole over how I am taking a picture.
Nick yes it shows ISO not ASA.
Click to expand...

Remember, however, that all shots on the roll will be developed like they're ISO 200, no matter at what ISO you chose to shoot them, unless you ask the lab to pull or push the film.
 
skysh4rk said:
Remember, however, that all shots on the roll will be developed like they're ISO 200, no matter at what ISO you chose to shoot them, unless you ask the lab to pull or push the film.
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Ok all taken on board, its like starting out all over again lol. really looking forward to getting out with it though
 
Good thread this.
information :-)
 
SpikeK6 said:
Nick yes it shows ISO not ASA.
Click to expand...

Ok, sorry im still a bit 'old school' when it comes to film. I still always refer to the speed as ASA. Considering it was probably the 80's when it all changed over to ISO, im pretty behind the times :D

It also shows how old my film cameras are, as you still need to set the 'ASA' when loading a film.

With regards to your question, there is some very good advice ^^
 
Nikon_Nick said:
Ok, sorry im still a bit 'old school' when it comes to film. I still always refer to the speed as ASA. Considering it was probably the 80's when it all changed over to ISO, im pretty behind the times :D
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Well, for all intents and purposes, ASA and ISO are completely interchangeable, no matter which one your camera states.

Nikon_Nick said:
It also shows how old my film cameras are, as you still need to set the 'ASA' when loading a film.
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Your camera sounds new to me. Some of my old cameras don't even have meters, so there's no setting for ASA or ISO. ;)
 
skysh4rk said:
Your camera sounds new to me. Some of my old cameras don't even have meters, so there's no setting for ASA or ISO. ;)
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Blimey...and I thought I was roughing it ;):D

I appreciate that they are interchangable, its just the first time I ever used film it had ASA on the box, and its kinda stuck!
 
Willid1 said:
There was a system for cameras to pick up the ISO setting from the film canister, it was coded into the silver and black pattern you used to see on the side of the film canister.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DX_encoding

David
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I remember this, but it came along in the 1980s and I think I only had one camera that offered it. I suppose it was just another step in the - then - gradual progress towards greater automation.
 
Sorry to make you guys sound old but in the early 80's i was still at school, no interest in photography only music and girls lol, not very sucessfull with either I might add.
Then it was bikes then cars then women, well you all know how it goes:D
 
SpikeK6 said:
Sorry to make you guys sound old but in the early 80's i was still at school, no interest in photography only music and girls lol, not very sucessfull with either I might add.
Then it was bikes then cars then women, well you all know how it goes:D
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Dude, I was born in the 80s; I just prefer to use film cameras, old and new.
 
When I was a lad we didn't even have cameras.... just a piece of slate and a stylus.....and you tell the kids of today that and they don't believe you.
 
Wish my dad had of been into photography, and now your making me feel old being born in the 80's lol.
And as for the slate and stylus, well too far back lol
 
Not sure if its still made but Ilford produced a very special Colour film which had tremendous lattitude and you could change film speeds throughout the roll, start at 100, go to 400, go to 200 and go back to 100 all on the same roll. It used B&W technology but produced colour negative.
Alternatively buy a MF camera with removable backs :)
Bought my first film camera in '78 (Praktika, followed quickly by the highly advanced Canon AE-1, been a Canon man ever since)
Matt
 
MatBin said:
Not sure if its still made but Ilford produced a very special Colour film which had tremendous lattitude and you could change film speeds throughout the roll, start at 100, go to 400, go to 200 and go back to 100 all on the same roll. It used B&W technology but produced colour negative.
Click to expand...

Do you mean http://www.ilfordphoto.com/products/product.asp?n=11

Using colour neg technology to produce B&W negatives. I liked it a lot but was more expensive than home developed B&W film.

David
 
TheBigYin said:
you don't HAVE to...

there's lots of reasons why you would want to do so - especially if you're just getting started with film. Basically, that's the speed that the film was designed to respond at.

But often we DO fiddle with the ISO settings on the camera - if we've found that (say) slide film works best for us under exposed by 1/3 stop for example, or if we haven't got a fast enough film in the bag for the conditions.
Click to expand...

:agree: with setting to 200 ISO to start with,but years ago i always set Kodachrome 64 at 80 ISO,and would quite often push or pull B/W or slide film,but i didn't so much with neg film :)
 
MatBin said:
Not sure if its still made but Ilford produced a very special Colour film which had tremendous lattitude and you could change film speeds throughout the roll, start at 100, go to 400, go to 200 and go back to 100 all on the same roll. It used B&W technology but produced colour negative.
Alternatively buy a MF camera with removable backs :)
Bought my first film camera in '78 (Praktika, followed quickly by the highly advanced Canon AE-1, been a Canon man ever since)
Matt
Click to expand...

I have at times pushed film on the go, Kodak Ekdachrome was good at this, the 160 tungsten for indoor lighting could really be pushed :)
 
There was also the option of noting the number of frames, rewinding the film so that you could load a different one; and using up the original film another time. I usually left the leader sticking out to make it easier.
 
MatBin said:
Not sure if its still made but Ilford produced a very special Colour film which had tremendous lattitude and you could change film speeds throughout the roll, start at 100, go to 400, go to 200 and go back to 100 all on the same roll. It used B&W technology but produced colour negative.
Alternatively buy a MF camera with removable backs :)
Bought my first film camera in '78 (Praktika, followed quickly by the highly advanced Canon AE-1, been a Canon man ever since)
Matt
Click to expand...

Many modern negative films have this sort of latitude. With Kodak Portra or Fuji 400H, for instance, I shoot shots at many different ISOs on the same roll, develop it normally, and you would never even know it when looking at the scans or prints.
 
MartynK said:
There was also the option of noting the number of frames, rewinding the film so that you could load a different one; and using up the original film another time. I usually left the leader sticking out to make it easier.
Click to expand...

I love the EOS-3 for that, you could set it to "leader out rewind" and it did it automatically. Just note the last frame used and swap. And because the autowind was so predictable (I think it actually used a sensor on the sprocket holes to ensure consistent spacings) you could drop the film back in afterwards and just bang off however many frames needed in manual mode at 1/8000th sec with the lens cap on and viewfinder covered, and you were back up and running again.
 
MartynK said:
There was also the option of noting the number of frames, rewinding the film so that you could load a different one; and using up the original film another time. I usually left the leader sticking out to make it easier.
Click to expand...

I done that a few times,their used to be a setting on my Nikon for auto rewind that left the leader out :)
 
I must say, I've started ignoring the meter and trying to work out the exposure using the sunny16/11 stuff, worked quite well so far



Andysnap said:
When I was a lad we didn't even have cameras.... just a piece of slate and a stylus.....and you tell the kids of today that and they don't believe you.
Click to expand...

You, sir, are my new hero :D
 
but surely now changing film mid roll indicates you need more cameras ;-)
 
^^^ WHS the only reason for not having more cameras is an angry and armed Mrs Snap (current).
 
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