At what ASA/ ISO should I use ASA Nova B&W 125 film?

[kenri_basar1]

<p>Hello,<br>

I am very new to film photography esp. B&W Photography. I have acquired 10 rolls of Nova B&W Films which says ASA 125. It has expired in 2010. I want to use it with either Pentax MX or Nikon FM2n. My question is at what ISO stop should I Use it. At 100 or the stop in between 100 and 200 in the camera?<br>

Thank you.</p>

[larrydressler]

<p>2010 should still be good at 100. That is if it was not subject to extreme heat. If it was refrigerated or frozen 100-125. You can try it at 64 but I bet it is still good at 100. If I remember properly this was relabeled Ilford FP4+</p>

[kenri_basar1]

<p>Thanks a lot for the response. I loaded it in Pentax MX at ISO 100 at your suggestion.<br>

<br /> I am not knowledgeable about films but I found this: http://www.photo.net/black-and-white-photo-film-processing-forum/00VLAf<br>

<br /> May I know, what ISO stops in between 32, 64, 100, 200, 400, 800 and 1600 indicate?</p>

<p> </p><div></div>

[steve m smith]

<p>Between the markings in the 100s it is probably 1/3 stops.</p>

<p>e.g. 100, 125, 160, 200, 250, 320, 400, 500, 640, 800.<br>

64 is 2/3 stops down from 100 so there might be one mark between 64 and 100 and 32 is a whole stop from 64 so there are probably two 1/3 stop markings between them.</p>

[Bill C]

<blockquote>

<p>May I know, what ISO stops in between 32, 64, 100, 200, 400, 800 and 1600 indicate?</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Films are designed with a certain amount of sensitivity to light, and there is no requirement for it to be in certain increments. However, when groups such as ANSI specified methods for measuring sensitivity (ASA speed), they also specified that the reported speed value should be rounded off to a certain set of values, the ones named by Steve Smith.</p>

<p>The allowable ASA speed values are in nominal 1/3 f-stop increments. The numbers you listed are in full f-stop increments (doubling or halving), except for the jump between 64 and 100.</p>

[SCL]

<p>Also, film typically has a lot of latitude, so if you shoot plus or minus half a stop or so, only a trained eye would notice the difference. Much more important is learning how to meter properly.</p>

[JDMvW]

<p>Black-and-white films and color-negative films typically have wide latitude, as much a 2-3 stops in either direction. That's why the <em>Sunny-16</em> rule works so well without a light meter. ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunny_16_rule ).<br>

Slide film usually needs much tighter exposure, but it's unlikely to be a problem for a whole lot longer, unfortunately.</p>

<p>Your film is still a puppy, so I would also not imagine that any correction needs to be made in shooting it unless it has been severely abused somewhere along the line. Just shoot one of the rolls first, and you'll probably find it works just fine at the rated exposure, development, etc.</p>

<p>By the way, if you are a patriot, you should realize that this is probably Commie film from ORWO in the DDR. If this bothers you, pack it up and send it to me and I will dispose of it for you. ;)</p>

<p>A lot of SP's lovely shots of India are done on this film (his posts are listed at http://www.photo.net/photodb/user?user_id=3667779 ).</p>

[subbarayan_prasanna]

<p><strong>Kenri Hi!</strong> The Nova is an outdated film from the old ORWO. ORWO has revived production under a new ownership, [ORWO FILMOTEC; just Google for its website] but in the same factory and location. They produce some excellent films like the UN54. You will be better off buying a 100feet roll directly from Germany. It would cost you a lot less than buying old Nova rolls. sp.</p>

[larrydressler]

<p>The old 125 was Ilford FP4+ The newer stuff came online around the time the old stuff expired.<br /> I have a bunch of the old ORWO that was a gift the 125 and I know it was Ilford. Same development times. I use the New ORWO N74+ and the UN54 still I though get them from http://www.orwona.com here in North America.</p><div></div>

[glen_h]

<p>For Verichrome Pan, another ASA (or ISO) 125 black and white film, I have seen fine results from 30 to 40 year old film. That doesn't mean yours won't be bad, but there is a good chance that four years won't bother it much.<br>

For most uses, ISO and ASA are close enough. Also, both are specified in 1/3 stop units. Cameras and light meters should allow one to set values in 1/3 stop units, though most often with two dots between actual numeric values. <br>

One thing photographers learn through experience is how closely to believe the meter. Some situations require a little more exposure, some less. (For one, negative films usually do better with a little more, slide films with a little less.) Manual or match-needle metering gives the photographer a convenient time to make changes. <br>

In automatic mode, better cameras have a setting for an exposure shift, usually increasing or decreasing in 1/3 (sometimes 1/2) stop units. But in actual use, that is more difficult than the adjustment along with an external or built-in meter.</p>

[Bill C]

<blockquote>

<p>For most uses, ISO and ASA are close enough.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>glenn, the reason I keep referring to ASA instead of ISO is that the ANSI (ASA) system used the arithmetic numbers such as those listed (100, 200, 400, etc.). But strictly speaking, I believe that ISO speed requires listing both the ASA-style number, then a slash and the DIN-style number.</p>

<p>Since the DIN-style numbers have not been mentioned, and I didn't want to overcomplicate the discussion with the dual-number listing, I simply avoided the term "ISO speed."</p>

[kenri_basar1]

<p>Thank you all for your replies.<br>

A special shout-out to Mr. Subbarayan Prasanna.</p>

[glen_h]

<p>Yes, I wasn't sure what the OP was asking about.<br>

One thought was that her camera had half stop steps, or she thought it did, and wanted to know which to use. <br>

Many of use the left part of ISO only, and think of it similar to the way we used to use ASA. (Note that they don't sound all that different.) I don't know how close the actual process is between the two measurements, though. </p>

[subbarayan_prasanna]

<p><strong>Glen! </strong>Kenri is a smart girl from the State of Arunachal [AR] in the North East of India. She set up a business of her own after graduation. That is one of the prettiest landscapes in India, mountainous, cloudy, verdant and full of rivers and water falls. I have corresponded with her a couple of times on photography. sp.</p>