Beginner ISO Tips?

Hello my name is Jazlyn, I am just beginning my film photography experience and I wanted to inquire more about ISO settings. I want to know how the different speeds of ISO effect the camera and the time of day to take pictures. Would a slower ISO of 100 or 200 allow for better bright day shooting and thus give me more flexibility in getting a blurred background at a open aperture and fast shutter speed? Thank you for your time and all responses are greatly appreciated!

. . . I am just beginning my film photography experience . . . Would a slower ISO of 100 or 200 allow for better bright day shooting and thus give me more flexibility in getting a blurred background at a open aperture and fast shutter speed?

 

Yes.

 

Film rated at ISO100 will typically allow this broad range of Apertures and Shutter Speeds to be used for a front Sunlit Subject:

F/16 @ 1/100s to F/2.8 @ 1/3200s

 

Film rated at ISO200 will typically allow this broad range of Apertures and Shutter Speeds to be used for a front Sunlit Subject:

F/16 @ 1/200s to F/4 @ 1/3200s

 

Note that you need to consider the fastest Shutter Speed your camera allows and if you want to use Apertures larger than about F/4~F/2.8 (for really shallow DoF), then you'll need to use a Neutral Density Filter - OR - you'll need RATE the ISO100/200 Film at a lower ISO and then PULL the negative processing to accommodate that change in ISO. Or (obviously) use a slower Film Stock, e.g. ISO50 if that is available.

 

WW

The lower the ISO rating for the film the more light that has to reach the film to expose it either by longer shutter times or wider apertures or both.

The higher the ISO rating of the film the less light that to reach the film to properly expose it either by smaller apertures or faster shutter speeds.

The Sunny 16 rule basically stated that a shutter speed of 1/film speed at f16 will give an accurate exposure.

Assuming your lighting is equal to this statement then 100 ISO film will be properly exposed at 1/125 (the closest shutter speed on many cameras) at f16.

Equivalent exposure for f4 will be 1/2000, for f2.8 the shutter speed will be 1/4000.

The same lighting with ISO 400 film will be 1/500 @ f16. Equivalent exposure for f4 is 1/8000, for f2.8 the shutter speed will need to be faster than most cameras are capable of so the use of a neutral density filter will be necessary.

Hey Jazlyn. Welcome!

 

 

 

Here is some additional information concerning image quality versus film speed.

 

 

 

The smaller/lower the ISO the ‘slower’ the film is (more light is needed to expose the film at lower ISO’s.) Low ISO films would be 25, 50, 100. Higher ISO films would be used for dimly lit situations, where you have less light and need more film sensitivity. Higher ISO film is more responsive to light. For use in these situations, you could use ISO 400, 800, 1600, 3200 films.

 

 

 

Also, the slower the film speed, typically you will have better color reproduction (that is, more saturated, in general, compared to faster films,) and finer/smaller ‘grain.’ If you are unfamiliar with ‘grain,’ think of ‘grain’ as grains of sand. Finer grain film shows very little to none of a ‘graininess’ to it, and higher grain films would show much more. Think of this you seeing from very tiny to very large grains of sand in your photos. Grain size is often used in B&W film as a desired effect. Kodak 400 Tri-X for example can show much in the way of grain. Typically, low ISO color films will show none to little, and with very fast color films, for example ISO 800, you may see some graininess.

Jazlyn, just to be sure: unlike a digital camera, you cannot adjust ISO per photo. You use one ISO setting for all of the roll of film.

The film itself has a nominal ISO value (box speed), which is the recommended ISO to use for you light meter. In case of colour film, it's best to stick with that recommended value. With B&W films, there is more flexibility (especially if you develop yourself), though if you're starting out, it's probably also just best to use the ISO speed indicated on the film initially.

Welcome Jazlyn.

Would a slower ISO of 100 or 200 allow for better bright day shooting and thus give me more flexibility in getting a blurred background at a open aperture and fast shutter speed?

In theory: "yes, but..." IDK where you are living, I here am in a pretty smoggy European city. While I could parrot "sunny 16" like the guys above, I simply can't believe into it. An average day grants me 1/125 sec & f8 a super bright summer day f11.

Two side notes:

1. Who on earth can hand hold 1/125sec?!? (You might get an acceptably sharp landscape using a wide lens but with portrait lenses I really recommend 4x focal length = 1/500sec for best results.)
    
   
2. Do you really want to extend the background blur into your subject? i.e. are you confident to nail focus wide open? - With a manual SLR I'd stop down 2 stops to hopefully hit it.
   

I have no clue what camera you grabbed. - A common not overly great choice might end shutter speeds at 1/500sec. 1/1000 is also pretty common, some (better?) models might do 1/2000 and those built for bragging rights 1/4000 or maybe even 1/8000sec. Anyhow: You posted in the B&W forum! A nice day tends to come with beautiful clouds in the sky. - How do you get those into your picture? - I'd mount an orange filter, which eats 2 f-stops.

That means: 1/100 & f4 to start with maybe f-5.6. - Ooops! My worst zoom is already wide open! There is bright sunlight but I can't handhold my long telephoto lenses. When I look at my MF cameras I am pretty doomed too! - Where is my tripod?!?

 

You happen to own fast primes and no filter? At ISO 100 I'd be at 1/500 and f4 without filter and f2 with filter mounted.

 

I'm not sure what you are planning to do photography wise with what kind of camera. - I suggest opening your DOF calculator and crunching a few numbers. - At a subject distance of 2m my 90mm portrait lens gets 6cm DOF at f2 and 11cm at f4. - It is not easy to hit a person's front eye with manual focus under those conditions.

 

If I load film these days, I'd fancy playing safe. Film is not as cheap as it used to be anymore and running through a roll of 35mm to end with maybe 3 portraits in focus, one of them nailing a somewhat presentable facial expression does not feel worth it, when I am considering that the wide open spray and pray approcah would be significantly cheaper to do on digital and maybe even more succesful when I am picking a camera with kind of functional AF. - YMMV. I've been into this for 3 decades now and also watched others picking up the hobby. It is absolutely normal to burn 20 +x rolls to generate Lomographic trash in available darkness. (Lomography's motto used to be "Out of focus instead of autofocus!" The movement was about far from sharpness obsessed happysnapping.)

 

Suggestion:

1. Take a good day and your camera, read your meter what do you get? - Take notes. - Also wait for golden hour or decent afternoon light and note that down too.
   
2. Figure out what your kit offers and demands. (I assume for some cameras you might have to look up specs like their never displayed top shutterspeed, diagrams of their exposure program curves etc.) This step includes visualizing typical shots you like to take and consulting a DOF calculator too.
    
   
3. Do math or ask for help and figure out how limiting ISO 100 will be.
   
4. Acquire a 2nd body for that speciality stuff with low ISO.
    
   
5. Or even better: Do a test run with a used not overly expensive digital to figure out what you are heading for.
   

If you want to shoot lets say a 35mm f1.4 wide open, to isolate a sitting person against the background in bright light, you 'll even need ISO 50 or 25 - Pan F in Perceptol If your shutter only does 1/1000 sec.

If your wide open excessses get triggered rarely maybe ponder buying a 4x (= 2 f-stops) ND filter or another a bit stronger. They can be had cheaper than any unspectacular used 2nd camera body, when your lens diameter isn't too big.

 

In general I am loading ISO 400 (even into my leaf shuttered Retina with a 50mm f2) - For an average vacation with my handheld TLRs I might end pushing it to 1600. - YMMV, if you are shooting f2.8 IS or VR zooms on higher end AF bodies capable to power those up.

 

Slow film is great combined with studio strobes or tripods. But even for serious landscape work with LF I'd buy ISO 400.

Keep in mind that you need to get used to your film choice in the darkroom too.

Film isn't all that expensive compared to years ago, but you can't just shoot everything like some do with digital cameras.

 

About 50 years ago, I would buy 100 foot rolls from Freestyle (which seems to be still around) for $5.

Inflation adjusted, they aren't that much different today.

 

The result of that (this is when I was in about 8th grade) is that I have a lot of negatives that I never printed.

Shooting film and developing rolls isn't so hard, but it takes much longer to make the prints.

 

Many of those I now have scanned, and some are on Facebook where friends from years ago can see them.

(I have some back to 5th grade.)

 

Color printing is a lot cheaper today, even without inflation adjustment. I do remember when I

first started, that black and white reprints were USD 0.07, and color reprints USD 0.22.

Today, it isn't hard to get color prints for USD 0.15 or even USD 0.10 from digital image files.

(And that is for 4x6, instead of the 3.5x5 from years ago.)

 

But to keep costs down, you want to develop your own film, and after doing

that for a little while, learn to make your own prints.

 

Well, you can also get an ink-jet printer and print that way.

1. Who on earth can hand hold 1/125sec?!? (You might get an acceptably sharp landscape using a wide lens but with portrait lenses I really recommend 4x focal length = 1/500sec for best results.)
   

 

It might be time to cut down on the coffee :)

 

In all seriousness, I can easily get sharp images at 1/125 using a normal equivalent lens. If I step up to 135mm or so, I will probably shoot for 1/250 as a minimum with a higher speed if I can. I pull the tripod tripod out where possible for longer lenses(often even 200mm in 35mm).

 

Even with a medium format SLR, I can usually get acceptably sharp photos at 1/125(although I'll go faster if I can) with a 75mm/80mm(normal lens) and many of them can cause a small earthquake when the mirror flips up. Heck, I have handheld 4x5s that were taken at 1/125th and while they do show SOME motion blur it's not catastrophic.

Hi Jazlyn - Nice to hear you are getting into film. On the question of ISO - basically it is the film's sensitivity to light. A doubling of the ISO number means the film is 2x more sensitive to light; for instance ISO 1600 vs ISO 100 means that the higher ISO is 4x as sensitive as the lower one. This relates to shutter speeds in similar fashion, and each lens aperture in similar fashion, although the "numbers" for aperture don't double, but the intervals between the numbers marked on your lenses double as you go up the scale, ie 2.8->4->5.6 etc. The "sunny 16" rule (or "sunny 11" for some parts of the world which get less sunshine goes as follows: for f/16 on a sunny day, your shutter speed for proper exposure for subjects in the sun would be 1/ISO. So let's see how this works in the real world regarding choices you have. Let's pretend you have a film speed of 50 ISO on a sunny day - here would be some of your options for the same exposure:

f/16 at 1/50 sec

f/11 at 1/100 sec

f/8 at 1/200 sec

f/5.6 at 1/400 sec

f/4 at 1/800 sec

and so on. That's easy enough, but what if the day has a hazy sun, cloudy, really heavily overcast, or you are shooting something in the shadows? The "sunny 16" rule adjusts for each of these conditions. Film manufacturers used to print variations of this on the inside of each box of film, but not today when we are so sophisticated. The link I am about to show you takes all of these factors into consideration, and the product is free...it is called the "Jiffy Calculator" - you print it out, fold it and drop it into your pocket for reference and you will rarely need a meter: http://www.cppdh.org/download/jiffy-calculator-for-night-light-exposures.pdf . Although it is primarily for low light exposures, it also has sunlight scenes going down to nighttime scenes. Once you've used it a few times, you will pretty well have memorized your most common options. Good luck and enjoy working with film.

It might be time to cut down on the coffee :)

Arrgh! you caught me, Ben! - Anyhow: I totally agree with your list, but why or where is

If I step up to 135mm or so, I will probably shoot for 1/250 as a minimum with a higher speed if I can.

different from "1/500sec for best results"? Or are we splitting hairs over the incredible huge step between 90 & 135mm? If contact copying my 4x5" neg was all I am shooting for, I'd happily handhold 1/25 (yes 1/25, not 1/250) sec too.

Arrgh! you caught me, Ben! - Anyhow: I totally agree with your list, but why or where is

different from "1/500sec for best results"? Or are we splitting hairs over the incredible huge step between 90 & 135mm? If contact copying my 4x5" neg was all I am shooting for, I'd happily handhold 1/25 (yes 1/25, not 1/250) sec too.

 

I should have been more careful in my wording. My 135mm comment was about 35mm film-i.e. almost 3x the "normal" focal length rule.

 

Surprisingly enough, I find that I can often get at least decent results in MF using the reciprocal focal length rule or even slower as the camera is hanging from a strap and braced against my chest. I don't "do" prisms in MF in general even though I have at least one prism for both of my SLR systems(although I will use a 45º on a tripod sometimes for macro work as a matter of convenience) so I'm virtually always using the WLF. I have negatives that were taken hand held at 1/30th on a Rolleiflex that are acceptable at 8x10, although they do show some blur if you look close enough. I won't try that with a medium format SLR. My SQa isn't terrible, but I can feel the vibration from the S2a. On those, I consider 1/250th a bare minimum. The S2A will go to 1/1000, but the curtains move slow enough(flash sync is 1/30) that I can even see some strange artifacts from motion blur on it. Of course, it's also not as bad as my Speed Graphic, and doesn't induce things like the infamous oval wheels :) . In general, I only use the FP shutter in it for barrel lenses or the couple of lenses I've been given with dead leaf shutters.

I have many pictures at 1/15 and 1/8 on 35mm cameras. Sometimes it is dark, and the choice is that or not at all.

 

Without a tripod, there are other ways to keep the camera from moving too much. I might even have done some at waist level, while not looking through the finder. (Best with a wide-angle lens.) Not that the 1/focal length rule isn't valid, but sometimes if one is careful enough, and with a little luck besides, one can do better. (And with the appropriate correction for other formats.)

One of my favorite photos I've taken was on top of Montmartre in Paris at about 10:00 at night. Truth be told, I have no idea what the shutter speed was, but it was long. I set my Canon A-1 to aperture priority, set the 50mm lens to infinity and stopped it down a bit to get a little more depth of field. I then set the 2 second self timer on the camera, leaned my back against a wall, let the camera dangle from my the strap, an held my breath until I heard the shutter click closed. That camera will time shutter speeds out to 30 seconds-I'd guess this exposure was 15 or 20. I was surprised that it turned out as nice as it did.

For daytime ISO 100. During dask 300/400. At night or very low light not more than 800/1600.

Coming in late and without reading all the posts in detail, so excuuuse me, but some thoughts:

 

Film ISO is a 'starting point' not a constant. For example, many of us in the olden days shot ASA 25 Kodachrome at exposure index 32, in order to exploit the saturation of the film.

Nowadays, with C/N film, latitude is so great that a wide range of exposures is possible with useful results. Some of the chromogenic (C41 process) films like Ilford XP2 can produce usable results over an incredible range (by old film days standards).

Newer films mostly come up short, but some C41 films have good characteristics too. Experiment

Yes.

When I was in high school, our standard film was Tri-X at ASA/ISO 400. Standard daylight exposure was f/16 at 1/500 sec.

With some of our cameras having a max shutter speed of 1/500 sec, that turned the camera into a box camera. We only had ONE exposure setting that we could use, f/16 at 1/500 sec.

Switching to Plus-X at ASA/ISO 125, gave us just short of 2 stops more flexibility, with a standard exposure of f/16 at 1/125 sec. And we could also do f/11 at 1/250 or f/8 at 1/500 as alternate exposures.

 

But to get a blurred background you need to get to a larger aperture, and are going to have to either

- Go even slower, ISO 50 or 25, or

- Cut the light with a ND filer.

 

BUT, the slower the film the more difficult it will be for you to shoot in dim lighting, like in the shade or indoors.

Selecting film speed is a compromise.

There is no truly all-purpose film. It is like the old saying "jack of all trades, master of none."

 

Something to consider for later.

With the price of film cameras as low as it is now. You could also consider buying a 2nd camera body.

Put ISO 50 or 100 film in one camera, for outside daylight, put ISO 400 film in the 2nd camera, for shade/indoors.

 

gud luk