Film cameras with automatic bracketing

OptiKen · Jul 25, 2017

I was looking at the Contax 167MT 35mm camera and saw that it has what it refers to as
"automatic continuous exposure compensation", what I used to refer to as automatic bracketing during my digital days. The camera will automatically take 3 shots at normal, over, and under exposure by predetermined amounts. In the past, I would combine those 3 into one very high definition picture. I don't know if you can stack the 3 negatives to print this way with film but automatically bracketing would same some time and frustration if you are not sure exactly what exposure would work best.

My question is what other film cameras offer automatic bracketing in that manner.

Thanks in advance,

Ken

Sim2 · Jul 25, 2017

For Canon, definitely: the EOS1, EOS1n, EOS1V
I'm thinking that the T90 might have the option but not certain – my thinking being that it was the basis of the early EOS cameras and had some functions that were v.useful that didn't make it across to the EOS line.
(Hasselblad 205/203 – not 35mm but... [35mm back?]) *hides*

tedr1 · Jul 25, 2017

With film negatives the concept of bracketing when exposure is uncertain is to arrive at the best compromise between blown highlights and empty shadows, one is able to make a choice of the negative having the quality preferred and print from it. I don't believe anything would be achieved by "stacking" film negatives but it might be something worth experimenting with if the longer exposure times are acceptable.

Sirius Glass · Jul 25, 2017

Nikon N75 and F100 provide automatic bracketing, but you should invest in a good light meter.

Paul Howell · Jul 25, 2017

Minolta 7, 800si, and 9, I need to check to see if the 600 does. The 7si and 9si requires a program card. Although no longer very usable due to problem with the pentaprism the Sigma SA 7 and 9. I think the Pentax MZ and PZ 1 also have auto bracket.

Chan Tran · Jul 25, 2017

A lot of the later film cameras can do that.

Theo Sulphate · Jul 25, 2017

Even the Canon Rebel G (EOS 500N) can do automatic exposure bracketing. This is a 1996 camera that sells for less than $20 today.

The Maxxum 7 (Dynax 7) has a sophisticated way of doing autobracketing as well.

OptiKen · Jul 25, 2017

OH MY GOSH!
Sirius' post lead me to check on my own Nikon N8008 and it, too, has the automatic bracketing feature. I bought the camera to have for when I was too old to be able to focus well (I know, judging from some of my photos that time may already be here). I haven't used it since it's purchase other than to play around with it 'film-less'.

CCLA · Jul 25, 2017

EOS 630, EOS RT, and maybe the EOS 3 also have bracketing.

claudio

narsuitus · Jul 25, 2017

My Nikon N70 provides auto exposure bracketing.

My Nikon F4 with MF-23 back provides auto exposure bracketing.

OptiKen · Jul 25, 2017

Obviously, I've been stuck in the 30's, 40's, and 50's camera-wise. I had no idea so many of the late model film cameras had automatic bracketing

Chan Tran · Jul 25, 2017

OptiKen said:
Obviously, I've been stuck in the 30's, 40's, and 50's camera-wise. I had no idea so many of the late model film cameras had automatic bracketing

Prior to the mid 80's there were very few if any cameras that had auto bracketing.

mshchem · Jul 25, 2017

F5, I have always used auto bracketing slide film. Isn't the HDR program on a digital camera much wider? When I auto bracket with my F5 I use 1/3 EV . Fujichrome is ruthlessly unforgiving.

CMoore · Jul 25, 2017

OptiKen said:
Obviously, I've been stuck in the 30's, 40's, and 50's camera-wise. I had no idea so many of the late model film cameras had automatic bracketing

You and me both i guess.....i had No Idea that ANY Camera did this.
I certainly bracket on occasion, but not enough to think it would be a "Valuable" feature.?
I understand what the OP is saying about digital.....kind of a "poor mans" High Definition trick maybe.?
Just goes to show how Little I Know...from reading these posts, it would seem A LOT of Film SLR were doing this.

Arklatexian · Jul 26, 2017

OptiKen said:
Obviously, I've been stuck in the 30's, 40's, and 50's camera-wise. I had no idea so many of the late model film cameras had automatic bracketing

Why I had cameras in the 1940s, 50s that would do that: automatically bracket whatever the meter called for. After I shot what the meter called for, I, would, automatically, shoot one stop over and one shot under. Almost always, the meter was correct so I quit doing it. End result, had more film to shoot....If you can stop your cameras from doing the same thing, you will have more film to shoot also............Regards!

Theo Sulphate · Jul 26, 2017

CMoore said:
...
I understand what the OP is saying about digital.....kind of a "poor mans" High Definition trick maybe.?
...

Not high definition, but high dynamic range, often noted as HDR. The idea being to capture shadow detail, normal exposure, and detail in the highlights and them combine all three into an image which more closely matches what our brain is telling us the scene looked like. Just as our eyes can focus only on spot, but our brain makes us interpret most of our activity as if things are in focus near to far, so it is with our brain integrating all the light and dark we see. HDR tries to capture that in one static sandwich of three or more images. For the most part, it works.

Yet, people have taken this to the extreme. The world is now filled with digital HDR images that are so overprocessed it makes you want to grab a box of Tri-X and shoot it at 1600 in a dark Los Angeles alley.

iakustov · Jul 26, 2017

I often use auto bracketing with Contax G2. It has +-1/2 or +-1 stop options.

tim_walls · Jul 26, 2017

Sim2 said:
For Canon, definitely: the EOS1, EOS1n, EOS1V
I'm thinking that the T90 might have the option but not certain – my thinking being that it was the basis of the early EOS cameras and had some functions that were v.useful that didn't make it across to the EOS line.
(Hasselblad 205/203 – not 35mm but... [35mm back?]) *hides*

Pretty sure the T90 can't do it. As you say, the 1V can, although I've never tried the feature.

I can't see it being a great benefit for B&W given the latitude of the film. Black & White film is already HDR after all, with a significantly higher range than the final print.

I can see the value for slide, but multi-point spot metering (which the T90 does have, that being the reason it's my go-to FD mount camera for slide) will save you more film if your aim is simply to make sure you get the right exposure .

If one was desperate to recreate the horrors of HDR using B&W film, a single properly exposed negative then three bracketed scans would provide the source material (with a suitably decent scanner.) In the darkroom, the joy of your average Flickr tone mapped photo can be achieved by the application of extremely sloppy dodging & burning...

David T T · Aug 7, 2017

My Rebel Ti, made in the early noughties and purchased for ~$20, can do this.

My Olympus XA, from the 70s to the 80s, can not.

My RB67 continues to stare at me like I'm stupid.

That is all.

RalphLambrecht · Aug 7, 2017

OptiKen said:
I was looking at the Contax 167MT 35mm camera and saw that it has what it refers to as
"automatic continuous exposure compensation", what I used to refer to as automatic bracketing during my digital days. The camera will automatically take 3 shots at normal, over, and under exposure by predetermined amounts. In the past, I would combine those 3 into one very high definition picture. I don't know if you can stack the 3 negatives to print this way with film but automatically bracketing would same some time and frustration if you are not sure exactly what exposure would work best.

My question is what other film cameras offer automatic bracketing in that manner.

Thanks in advance,

Ken

bracketing is an attempt of the unskilled to arrive at the proper exposure.

MartinCrabtree · Aug 7, 2017

Nikon F5 will do it as well. And at 8FPS you'll be needing a lot of film. Only time I'd see using it is slide film with critical need. The in camera meter is good enough to get 99% of what I need.

Helios 1984 · Aug 7, 2017

My EOS 30 (Elan 7e) has this feature.

rrusso · Aug 7, 2017

RalphLambrecht said:
bracketing is an attempt of the unskilled to arrive at the proper exposure.

Agreed, waste of film.

Cholentpot · Aug 7, 2017

A2/e can do it. I've never used it because negative film is inherently HDR to begin with. With digital you need to bracket and combine at times because it's quite easy to blow the highlights.

With film you need to try to blow the highlights. It's not something you generally do by mistake.

OptiKen · Aug 7, 2017

RalphLambrecht said:
bracketing is an attempt of the unskilled to arrive at the proper exposure.

Yep...works for me

bimmey · Aug 7, 2017

This is why I use the Olympus OM 4 Ti for 35mm. The built in light meter allows me to fine tune my exposure for any given scene. I can determine if the range of brightness or darkness will exceed the tonal range of the film being exposed. One can accomplish this with hand held meters, I find it easier to do while composing the shot.

The only time I "stacked" film in the enlarger was was using a b&w neg copied from a slide to control contrast when printing Cibachromes.

Film cameras with automatic bracketing

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