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Technique - To push or not to push


bill_oneill

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In the low light conditions often encountered in nature photography I tend to push my film a stop or even two to avoid shutter speeds which may allow camera shake to affect the image. I find a grainy, yet sharp, image more appealing than a fine grain but slightly blurry image even thought the overall resolution might be the same. How do the rest of you feel about this? When you opt for more shutter speed do you tend to push a fine grain, slower film, or switch to a higher speed film in these situations?
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I use Sensia 100 and under the same circumstances you describe have had to push it one stop. For the most part I have been very happy with the results. The color and sharpness appear to me to be just as good as when shot at 100. Lumiere is also pushable with excellent results, if only I could get it. I have not tried the new Kodak replacement films. However I am looking forward to trying Sensia 2 which is marketed as a finer grain film than the regular Sensia.
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I have used Velvia pushed to 100 time and time again with excellent results. Agfa RSX100 also works really well pushed to 200. I have not yet tried pushing 2 stops.

 

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From the various nature photography books I have read from Lepp and Shaw, it seems that pushing film occurs on a fairly regular basis. I imagine it is mostly used when tele-extenders are involved.

 

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The only drawback for me is that I cannot use my Fuji mailers with pushed film!

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I carry Kodachrome 200 for times when I need the extra speed. As I've

said before, there's something about it I really like. Others

push 100 speed film with good results. It's really a metter of

personal preference. I don't know anyone who shoots ISO 200 Sensia

or Ektachromes. The ISO 200 speed E-6 films just don't seem to

have attracted the attention of the film wizards for some reason.

If Kodak or Fuji came out with an ISO 200 film comparable in

quality to current ISO 100 films, they'd have a real winner.

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Debbie, you mention that Sensia II is marketed as a finer grain film than the regular Sensia. I was unaware of this. The Fujifilm Data Sheets list Astia as Ultrafine grain and resolution as 1.6:1 as 55 lines/mm and 1000:1 as 135 lines/mm. Provia is listed as Exceptionally fine grain with resolution of 60 lines/mm at 1.6:1 and 140 lines/mm at 1000:1. I realize that lines of resolution and grain are different and that the terms Ultrafine and Exceptionally fine are not defined, but these data suggest to me that Provia is very slightly better at resolving image detail than Astia. I, perhaps wrongly, assume that the same apply to Sensia and Sensia II. Please help educate me if I am misinterpreting this.
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I wouldn't worry over small differences in manufacturer's data sheets.

The conditions under which their numbers are obtained are so unlike

those of the real world that small differences do not readily

translate into predictions of real world imaging quality.

 

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The only way to tell if there is any sensible difference between Sensia/Sensia II/Provia/Astia is to shoot it in the

field and look at the slides. You won't get that information

from the spec sheets. If you compare data from different film

manufacturers you will be in even more trouble! If I remember

right, according to

the spec sheets, Kodachrome 25 doesn't resolve any more lp/mm

than Sensia 400.

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  • 1 month later...

Just as a data point, I regularly use Fuji's Sensia shot at EI 200,

pushed one stop, when I'm mountaineering or climbing and don't feel

I can afford the weight of a tripod. In my opinion, pushing Sensia

gets it closer to the color saturation and contrast that I've become

addicted to in Velvia. Theoretically, you should come up with

grainier shots, but I haven't found it that noticeable unless you get

an enlargement larger than 11x14" and put your nose up to it. Of

course, I'm not shooting for submission, either, but personally I find it to be a very acceptible compromise.

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