david_a._wong Posted October 31, 2004 Share Posted October 31, 2004 Hello all, I often hear the term "Contrasty" film used quite a bit. "This film is more contrasty than that one." "Use a more contrasty film in this situation." Etc. Does anyone have a comparison of what a scene looks like (preferable the same scene) when taken with film that is "contrasty" vs. film that is not? Thanks! David. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steven_clark Posted October 31, 2004 Share Posted October 31, 2004 Contrasty film will have a pronounced tendency to make light tones lighter and dark tones darker. In many cases you will have to sacrifice detail in either the highlights or the shadows because of this especially situations that already have pronounced deep shadows. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jsbc Posted November 1, 2004 Share Posted November 1, 2004 Most people opt for non-contrasty film, esp. negatives. If one has a non-coated lens, will using a contrasty film help? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bob_shop Posted November 1, 2004 Share Posted November 1, 2004 Some people like a bit of fuppin' contrast though ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oscar_van_der_velde Posted November 1, 2004 Share Posted November 1, 2004 "If one has a non-coated lens, will using a contrasty film help?"<br> <br> Yes, at least a little. With my Canon 75-300mm telezoom, contrast, sharpness and saturation are pretty weak at the long end. If I scan it, there are even no blacks and whites by far. A contrasty film would for example make the darker tones darker and counteract the lack of contrast. Using Velvia with soft contrast lenses may actually result in fairly natural looking images, that would have been over the top using prime lenses.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cliff_gallup Posted November 2, 2004 Share Posted November 2, 2004 Try shooting with Fuji Neopan 1600. That's about as contrasty as it gets. It depends a little on the lighting conditions, but the results are usually quite stark. Black blacks and white whites. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
david_a._wong Posted November 2, 2004 Author Share Posted November 2, 2004 Hi everyone, Thanks for the responses. But can we get back to my original question? I had asked... "Does anyone have a comparison of what a scene looks like (preferable the same scene) when taken with film that is "contrasty" vs. film that is not?" Some how someone asked a question in MY question and it got lost. So here goes again. Thanks. David. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dan_sapper Posted November 2, 2004 Share Posted November 2, 2004 Sorry I don't have an example to share. However, look at a picture on your computer monitor or TV, then adjust the contrast. A good picture would be of a bride in a white wedding dress and a groom in a dark suit or tuxedo. You will learn what high contrast and low contrast look like on a photo. Pay attention to the detail in the darker areas of the image, such a brown hair losing detail with high contrast (blocked shadows). Next look at the highlight areas, such a white fabric on a wedding dress, which will lose detail with high contrast (blown highlights). Finally, see if you can find a setting on your monitor which will preserve the detail in the wedding dress fabric, while also giving detail in the dark areas (suit buttons, lapel, or dark hair). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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