Medium

Thanks very much for your tip - I'll check it out. (Sorry to have only just spotted it - I've been away.)

Hi Gary, Thanks for your additional tip. The Provia arrived back today and, guess what, the shot I took at +1 did the expected job - but only just! Thanks for the warning about the corrections made to prints - I'll scan the negs as you suggest, and hopefully improve from there. Best wishes! David

For my initial test a few days ago (one person kindly standing in the speaker's position and another in the background) I did what I might call the simple approach for the film I had available: Provia 100F (which I knew was not ideal but it saved me having to wait another week for the theatre to be available), and I set the back of the 5650 to the N setting on 100 (no diffuser used). For 10 metres it indicated aperture 5.6, so on the test I tried that, and also a wider aperture (4) to see if that improved things. I am hoping to get the processed film back today, and have already ordered some Portra 400. Last Wednesday's test may only confirm what I already suspect; that I am too close to the edge of the envelope, and it will be the Portra that should now give me the scope I need. The aim is to give my writer's society some better shots than they have right now to show around: we have a lot of shots taken on small digital cameras but as you might expect they are nothing to write home about. And exposure was one thirtieth, as suggested by the manual.

Just wanted to come in on the discussion that has developed from my 'simple' question. All of the above, highly informed, debate has been fascinating and every respondent has given me food for thought and a list of things to try out. Yup, did test the flash gear beforehand - worked fine (quality capacitors, clearly) and the suggestion of B&W film does attract - I'll check with my 'customer' and see what they think. And I am always happier with manual procedures - I know what's going on (or at least I think I do...) A big thank you to all - and I will be tuning in for any further comment.

Thanks very much for your additional comment; especially the warning about claimed flash performance - duly noted. I have actually carried out a test shoot in the theatre with Provia 100F - all I had in the fridge at the time - and I used naked flash for the reason you stated; to get maximum distance. Results from processing expected in the post tomorrow or Monday. Yup, did wonder about how the stage furniture and the human faces would come up colour-wise, but fortunately this exercise is more documentary than artistic, so if it all comes up looking adequately lit then we will probably be happy. Now, the Christmas costume ball will probably be more exacting... Best, David

Thanks very much for all your replies - looks like Portra is it, and I will try it without flash. Your help is very much appreciated. Best, david

Good day, good people, I hope someone can help. I am a irregular medium format user, and I use my P67 with Fuji Provia 100F for outside photos; landscape, historic monuments etc - the kind of things you encounter on holiday and may wish to enlarge greatly. Recently, I have undertaken to try to take some decent shots of the interior of a lecture theatre while a speaker is standing on the stage addressing the audience. Plan is to take some shots from the side of the front tier of seats and get an oblique view of the stage, showing the speaker and other, supporting speakers sitting behind him/her. I will be using my trusty old National PE-5650 flash gun (for the first time in years), which will probably light up the scene from the required distance (10-15 metres) but I reckon a 100 film will leave me with very little room to play with aperture. So, I wondered if anyone could advise on a make and type of colour negative film (200 - perhaps 400?) that will do a decent job on stage furniture and human faces. Any advice will be most welcome - apart from "get a Hasselblad"... Thanks! Dave