Dilemma - what film to carry

ericdan · May 23, 2014

Had an interesting experience last night. I left the office at 7pm after a nice sunset around 6pm.
Got on my 15 mins bus ride home and while on the bus it started pouring out of nowhere. Most people where concerned about not having an umbrella or rain gear. I was kicking myself for not having the appropriate film with me.
I had my GR1v and slide 100iso slide film loaded. absolutely useless in that scenario. I wish I'd had some Delta3200 or natura 1600 or something along those lines with me.
It was amazing how everybody was running around and going crazy in the unexpected heavy rain.
Too bad I missed this opportunity, but it made me think that I should carry an assortment of different films with me at all times.

What do you guys have in your bag when you go to work everyday?

ww12345 · May 23, 2014

I always try to push film in that kind of situation. Never know what you would get, but sometimes it would surprise you! Better than knowing you didn't get the shot.

That said, I float back and forth between HP5 and Arista 100 (my two favorite films). I can get pretty much anything with either of those. Maybe it won't be the best, but it will be an image...

ericdan · May 23, 2014

Right, so you're saying definitely always carry some b&w film that I can push in those situations?
The 100ISO provia I had loaded yesterday only goes to 400iso max I think. that would've still been difficult.

Tom1956 · May 23, 2014

Carry 2 camera bodies. A Nikon F2 and a Nikkormat springs to mind. Of course I'm biased.

Nuff · May 23, 2014

Have 2 films or change mid roll and keep track of the frame #.

Or as mentioned, have 2nd body with you. Or if you have MF camera you can have multiple backs.

the 2nd body can have black&white or provia 400x pushed to 800 etc and you can have 50mm f1.4 lens to get more light.

ericdan · May 23, 2014

I have the GR1v and an M6 with a 35mm f2.8.
both are rather compact. Maybe I'll start carrying both.
Switching mid-roll is not a bad idea, especially since these cameras start from different ends of the film.
I could use 36 to 20 on the GR and 1 to 19 on the M6 for example.
I think Tri-X or HP5 pushes to 3200 and is cheaper than Delta3200. Maybe that's an option.

Tom1956 · May 23, 2014

Tri-X doesn't push to 3200, but that's a subject for another thread. But if you're happy drinking the 3200 kool-aid, then more power to ya. Don't tell me--you push your film to 3200 and develop in Rodinal 1:2 million and develop for 36 years, stand develop with agitation the first minute. Heard it all before.

ericdan · May 23, 2014

Indeed, a subject for another thread...

trythis · May 23, 2014

Portra 400 is supposed to do well pushed to 1600 developed normally. I've had good results with 160 pushed a bit without knowing since it was a folder with limited speeds available and no light meter at the time.

Nuff · May 23, 2014

If you can get 50mm f1.5 summarit it would be great and 1600 should be enough for most situations. A lot of people think it's a bad lens etc, but I like the way it renders.
Checkout Junko Nishimura's work. http://erickimphotography.com/blog/...iew-with-street-photographer-junku-nishimura/
It's 2 stops faster than your lens and you can get it for around $500. Then you can shoot iso 800 instead of 3200 or have 2 times faster shutter speed.
Either way, it adds to flexibility.

I do love Delta 3200 and shoot it in 135 and 120, I usually develop it at 6400, since I like more punch contrast.

I wouldn't swap rolls between cameras, too complicated and error prone. For example my rollei 35se has narrower frame spacing and it gets me 40 photos per roll.

ericdan · May 23, 2014

@Nuff, thanks! That's a good idea. 500 bucks is doable sometime down the road. Until the end of the year I am proabably stuck with the zeiss 35mm f2.8 I just bought. Surely, if I shoot Delta3200 at 6400 even my slow lens should be enough?!

Nuff · May 23, 2014

Should be enough, it will be grainy and I used it in dark karaoke rooms, although it was @f2 and 1/15, still with Leica and stead hands you might do 1/8th. So street should be even more doable. And in the photo you describe, I can see that motion blur would add to the photo dynamics.

ericdan · May 23, 2014

Haha! That's a solution!

ww12345 · May 23, 2014

Oh, didn't see you had slide film loaded... Personally, depending on where you were on the roll I would've bailed and popped in a roll of B/W. Not the best for every situation, but you can push the heck out of it. Like Nuff said - f2 is perfect for low light. Leica is even better... You can train yourself to shoot steadier, and get shots that you wouldn't have been able to get with an SLR.

StoneNYC · May 23, 2014

Yes HP5+ will push to 3200 well.

I just a few minutes ago posted an example...

(there was a url link here which no longer exists)

And I have heard Portra400 will push to 1600 as someone else mentioned. I don't shoot CN films, I prefer E-6 but perhaps it's time to start!

The natura1600 that doesn't exist anymore (I mean they don't make it new).

I always leave at least a roll of HP5+ (or currently Neopan400 till my stock runs out) for low light scenes.

BradleyK · May 23, 2014

My "glovebox M6" is always loaded with either HP5+ or Tri-X. While I generally shoot the two films at 200 ISO, both also do well (according to my standards...lol) up to 1600 (some might argue 3200).

StoneNYC · May 23, 2014

BradleyK said:
My "glovebox M6" is always loaded with either HP5+ or Tri-X. While I generally shoot the two films at 200 ISO, both also do well (according to my standards...lol) up to 1600 (some might argue 3200).

You keep your Mamiya 6 in the glovebox? It is that the Leica M6?

What's your car look like again?...

MattKrull · May 23, 2014

What about Tmax 400?
Kodak claims it has an extra stop of latitude in both directions, so you can shoot 200iso - 800iso all on the same roll.

StoneNYC · May 23, 2014

MattKrull said:
What about Tmax 400?
Kodak claims it has an extra stop of latitude in both directions, so you can shoot 200iso - 800iso all on the same roll.

800 is not enough for squat in low light...

Newt_on_Swings · May 23, 2014

Id shoot a few shots anyway, something might show. Switching mid roll is a bad idea, you will forget at some point and get overlap or worse, unintended double exposure or forgetting to cap the lens when quickly advancing to the intended frame you stopped at after reloading it. Or just carry a flash, it seems lots of people really are against flash these days but sometimes it's exactly what's needed.

ww12345 · May 23, 2014

Maybe not, but stuff may surprise you. I have a couple of example shots I use - both at f2, about 1/8 or 1/4 sec, one inside a nearly pitch black room, the other outside at night. ISO 100 pushed slightly (probably 1 stop or so.) I'll see if I can find them and upload them. They're perfectly fine. Not great, mind you, but in no way bad...

BrianShaw · May 23, 2014

Am I the only one who would think to use a flash in such a situation?

Newt_on_Swings · May 23, 2014

BrianShaw said:
Am I the only one who would think to use a flash in such a situation?

Ha! See my previous comment, your not alone!

Nuff · May 23, 2014

BrianShaw said:
Am I the only one who would think to use a flash in such a situation?

If the scene has great light and mood, why would you want to destroy it with a flash? The only time I would ever use flash is when I have light modifiers, can set them up, meter etc and after 1 hour take a shot.

BrianShaw · May 23, 2014

Newt_on_Swings said:
Ha! See my previous comment, your not alone!

I feel better now. I missed that in your prior post.

Dilemma - what film to carry

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