Reading 4 x 5 color negatives

[jake_richardson]

So far I have shot about 9 images with a 4 x 5 camera....all landscapes. All at the

same time of day. ASA 160. When i get the negs back i ask the photo store people

how the look. they say 'thin'. underexposed or overexposed one stop.

 

so is missing the 'correct' exposure by one stop a big problem?

 

for 4 x 5 color film is it better to underexpose a stop than overexpose a stop?

 

i'm getting my first 8 x 10 print today so maybe that will help figure things out by

comparing the neg to the print.

 

generally i use 1/100 @ f22 asa 160 cable release + tripod for a landscape around

6pm.

 

thank you.

 

jake r.

[steve_levine]

"""is it better to underexpose a stop than overexpose a stop? """ Its actually best to correctly expose,and do neither one!Why are you having so much difficulty exposing?

[robert_davis2]

"1/100 @ f22 asa 160"

 

That doesn't compute. If it was mid day on a sunny day you'd be a little underexposed. Just using Sunny 16 to check your exposure it should be at best 1/80. But it's 6pm so 1/80 will be too fast a shutter speed.

 

How did you come up with 1/100 @ f/22?

 

The problem IMHO isn't that your off 1 stop it's that you've got nine negatives without one well exposed one.

[leonard_evens]

For negative film, color or bw, it is better to overexpose than to underexpose as long as you don't over do it. Modern negative films have quite a lot of latitude and highlights won't usually be wiped out with moderate overposure. Transparency film is much more critical, but there it is usually better to underexpose slightly than to overexpose, though a full stop might be too much.

 

You should be using an exposure meter. General advice about exposure can be misleading, particularly at something like 6 pm. I shoot a lot of landscapes, some at 6 pm, and I generally use ISO 160 film or close to it. It is rare that I would be able to use a shutter speed as fast as 1/125 at f/22. I suspect you are grossly underexposed, but it is impossible to be sure without being there and checking the scene with an exposure meter.

[jim_galvin]

I use Portra 160VC, usually half way between f/22 and f/32. My shutter speed ranges from about 1/5 to 1/25, to a second or so for sunsets. I find that ASA 100 is best for this film. Several of my shutters won't go as fast as 1/100! I's say you need to check your meter or meter technique.

[d_g]

you should check your lightmeter, and your lens (speed and accurate f stop scale !)

If you can't have your lens check locally, you should load a 35 mm camera with slide film,

and taking pictures with your 2 cameras at the same time...

[robert_hurd]

Hi, Jake,

 

I'm learning 4x5, so I followed the advice of some other forum posts and spend the extra dollars to take half- and full-stop bracketed shots (if an image is important to me), and then later process and review them one at a time.

 

I have enough to concentrate on in learning these tools to want the frustration of losing my hard-earned shot!

:)

 

Robt

[david_beal___richmond_hts.]

Jake, it depends on the film. However, until you have more experience with your camera and the specific film, don't guess -- use a meter. If you can, use an incident meter. If you have the money, buy a spot meter and read up on the Zone System (which is more limited for color negative emulsion than b/w, but that's another story). At least, use a general purpose reflectance meter. If you don't have one, you can buy a used Weston Master III for $30 or so on that on-line marketplace. If you have a 35 mm camera with a built-in meter, you can get a good approximation by fitting the camera with a lens as the same effective focal length as your lf (ex: 135 mm LF = approx. 45 mm focal length 35 mm) and setting the 35 mm to the same film speed.

 

Remember, too, that the film speed on the box is almost always NOT the real film speed. Fuji Portrait Films are notorious for requiring extra exposure: shooting NPH400 at 250 and NPS160 at 100 is fairly common. You need to experiment and see what works for you.

 

Good shooting.

 

David Beal ** Memories Preserved Photography LLC

[jake_richardson]

1/100 @f22 asa 160 i got a couple of decent exposures, and a pretty good print from

on of them, but i believe the time was 4:30 or so not 6.

 

i got in the habit of underexposing from using a digital rebel which to my eye tends to

overexpose by 1-2 stops, maybe even more depending on conditions. i am still using

the meter on the d-rebel and take a few pics as previews before shooting the crown

graphic.

 

so i will try 1/50 f22 and 1/50 f16. overall i am enjoying the differences with 4 x 5 to

digital.

 

with slower shutter speeds isn't there motion blur within the photo sometimes?

 

and what about windy conditions using a tripod?

 

i tend to want to use a higher shutter speed if there is a strong wind to stop camera

vibration.

[matt_kime]

In my experience, color negative LOVES to be over exposed. most photographers i know

shoot at least a stop over. i always meter for the shadows and have rarely had a problem

with over exposure.

[adam_hartzler]

I highly recommend a spotmeter. I bit the bullet and purchased a 1* spot attachment

to accompain my Sekonic L-358 (btw, no calibration is necessary mine is dead on.)

This took all the guesswork out of metering landscapes.