400 speed film choice for 1/2 marathon

My wife and several friends are doing a half marathon in December and

I want to do my best to capture them during the run. I mostly shoot

landscapes and natural light portraits with Fuji Reala. I have looked

on the Film and Processing board and there seems to be an equal split

between 400UC and the 400 Fuji NPs but I thought I would pose the

question to a more sports oriented group. I would like to capture the

bright colors of running apparel without making the skin tones

unpleasant if possible. Thanks.

Bill Tuthill and I go around a little about the speed (he likes it at 640), but I think Fuji NPZ 800 is the best 400-speed color print film made. Shot at 400, it gives rich color and swell shadow detail.

Are you sure you need 400-speed film? I recently shot photos at my daughter's cross-country meet using Superia-Reala (100 speed). Slower film allows you to use a slow shutter speed (say 1/15) so you can pan with the runners for a nice effect. Plus, you can more readily use shallow depth of field to isolate your main subject from what could be a busy background. But, if you want to stick with 400-speed film, why not use both NPH and UC400? Both produce vibrant colors and good skin tones, so I doubt you will be disappointed with either. And, it will allow you to compare the two for yourself.

I would use 400UC in rolls of 18 for a half marathon. If your wife and her friends were running a whole marathon I'd get rolls of 36.

 

Take some Reala too, just in case the sun is friendly.

 

Be well,

Personally, I don't like the effect of panning with runners. Their arms and legs will be moving in the picture but their torso may or may not. Maybe it's nice for one or two pictures, but not for a whole series. It's not like panning with cars.

Well, I agree with Joris in part. I didn't mean to suggest you should pan with all your running photos. By all means, try fast and slow shutter speeds and large and small apertures. My point is that a slower film more readily gives you the slow shutter speed option as well as the shallow depth of field option, since the marathon will presumably occur outside in daylight with little shade.

18 for half marathon and 36 for whole heh heh heh....Thanks for the suggestions. I will probably try both as suggested. One question about shooting the 800 speed at 400 or 640 do I need to tell my lab or just have them process as they normally would for 800?

"One question about shooting the 800 speed at 400 or 640 do I need to tell my lab or just have them process as they normally would for 800?"

 

No pushing or pulling- just shoot NPZ at 400-640 and process in a normal C-41 run. In my opinion, NPZ is a 400-speed film. At 400, you get good shadow detail and rich, but not distracting, color.