do you shoot specific types of film in specific cameras?

PentaxBronica · Sep 30, 2012

fstop said:
Most major manufacturers in the 70s and 80s weigthed meter to favor color print film or slide depending on the level of the market the body was aimed at.
Amatuer bodies were set to over expose slightly to favor print film where adavanced/pro bodies were set to under expose slightly to favor slide film.

Interesting - I have noticed better results with slide film in my KX or MXs but I put it down to their being manual. Without the temptation to just shoot on Auto mode (and with those fiddly buttons on the ME Super you tend to leave it in Av mode) you're forced to think about the exposure and see what range of readings you get from pointing the camera at different parts of the scene.

fstop · Sep 30, 2012

I was suspicious of exposure bias based on expected use in the mid 70s, sometime in the late 70s early 80s this was confirmed by Pop Photo editors.
I base film choice on shooting requirements and then pick a suitable body.

E. von Hoegh · Oct 1, 2012

destroya said:
for some reason i have been shooting dspecific films, B&W, color neg and slide in specific cameras. I don't know if its because i think meters in certain cameras do a better job than others with a certain film type, or its just OCD thing .

I find that my Nikon F5 works great with all slide films, better than any of my other cameras. for color neg I find that my f80, n90 and F4 all do a great job. for black and white I really like my FA, FE2 and N80 as well as the F5. So am I crazy? my girlfriend thinks so! based on the cameras I have I would love to hear what types of film you think would be best suited for a specific camera. Or is it all a waste, just shut and shoot. Also do you have a specific film that you only shoot in a specific camera like me.

my cameras are all Nikon. F5, F4s, N90, N80, FA, FE2 and an F. I have also been wanting a F100 but not sure it will give me anything different from the cameras I have. Maybe its just that i dont have it and want it. so would the F100 fill in any holes i might have?

thanksa and happy shooting.

Your camera doesn't care one little bit about which film is in it, as long as the film is the right physical size. Just make certain the meter, if it has one, and the shutter speeds are accurate.

nwilkins · Oct 1, 2012

I have only one 35mm and one medium format camera. I would like to shoot Delta 100 or Fuji Acros 100 in the FM2 since I don't like too much grain, but for what I use the Nikon for (indoor/lowlight) I am usually in need of more speed so I have just bought some Delta 400 to try and I hope that does the trick. I find Tri X and HP5 are too grainy in 35mm. If so I will stick to just Delta 400 for b/w.

I have two backs for the RB67 so I usually keep Delta 100/Fuji Acros 100 in one and then Tri-X/HP5 in the other. I find the grain is not much of an issue on 6x7 negs.

I have only ever shot colour on Portra 400 in the RB67 and was blown away by the lack of grain. So Portra 400 or Portra 160 (depending on lighting) would be my colour film of choice. It would probably make more sense to get an ND filter and just use Portra 400 for all colour stuff now that I think about it.

Mad4MF · Oct 1, 2012

I shoot good picture film in my F-1 and my Rolleiflex. I shoot bad picture film in my digicam and my Moskva-5.

Phillip

narsuitus · Oct 1, 2012

I use slide film and portrait color print film in my 35mm and medium format cameras.

I use black & white sheet film in 4x5 and 8x10 inch cameras and 120 roll film in medium format cameras because I have never been satisfied with b&w in small format cameras.

I have never used 220 roll film because I only have the darkroom equipment to process 120 film.

benjiboy · Oct 3, 2012

I don't use any particular camera for one type of film, all my camera meters are accurate so I use whatever body is empty.

Thomas Bertilsson · Oct 3, 2012

Kodak Tri-X 400 in a Pentax KX, Spotmatic, Leica M2, and Hasselblad 500.

Mike Wilde · Oct 4, 2012

I have too many cameras, particularly 35mm, and yes, I do feed certain cameras only certiain kinds of flim. Some may sit with a roll in them part used for more than 6 months.

I have started to put small masking tape labels on the film cans in my bag, so that I can transfer it to the camera back, and thus be more flezible with what goes into what.

I tend to feed slide film into auto only or mostly auto cameras (you know, the ones that are hell to use in other than fully auto), and b&w into ones that have more graceful manual exposure over rides, or are manual only cameras without built in meters.

E. von Hoegh · Oct 4, 2012

Wow. This is way too complicated.

I use the same accurate handheld meters for any and all cameras. As long as the shutters are good, the exposures are good.

I don't own an automatic camera, and own only one camera with a built in meter - I rarely use that feature. I use whatever film I wish in whatever camera I wish. Simple.

Yashinoff · Oct 5, 2012

I more select certain lenses for certain films. Camera bodies not so much, none of my mine (except the DSLR) have internal meters anyway, and I've checked and fiddled with shutters so I know what they'll do.

Bateleur · Oct 5, 2012

In the good old days when I shot slides (I do 100% black and white at present and this is not an intent for the future, just my present status ) My OM4 and its spot meter was the ideal platform for slides - it was a dedicated combination. Before the advent of the OM4 my transparency exposures were sometimes a rather hit and miss affair on my OM1!

newcan1 · Oct 6, 2012

I have a lot of unperforated Portra and Agfa Portrait. By necessity I only use certain cameras with that film stock, because most won't work with unperforated. I use a converted Nikkormat, and an old Russian rangefiner.

agw · Oct 8, 2012

When I still shot color slides, the F5 was for slide film, and the F3 for B&W negative. The F5's meter just works perfectly for color slide film.

MikeTime · Oct 8, 2012

Tri-X everywhere (or HP5+ as availability dictates), occasionally Plus-X (or FP4 as availability dictates). I tend to stick to one lens per roll to get some system into the whole thing.

dynachrome · Oct 10, 2012

I prefer to shoot slide film in a Canon F-1. The 12 degree metering allows me to find a mid tone and adjust from there.

zenrhino · Oct 10, 2012

I shoot Portra NC (my last few rolls, sadly) in my Hasselblad because the combination of that Zeiss look + Portra = awesome.

I've always been pretty fond of the combination of Tri-X and the Yashinon-DX lens in my Yashica GT, as well.

do you shoot specific types of film in specific cameras?

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