Film for night photography

TheFlyingCamera said:

Tmax 100 is a good film for night exposures. I'm also fond of Ilford FP4+. I've heard good things about Acros 100 but never used it. From what I understand, the TMax 100 has similar reciprocity characteristics to Acros, although perhaps not as good.

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RattyMouse said:

Definitely not as good. Fujifilm Acros can go 120 seconds without any compensation needed. TMAX 100 needs additional exposure starting at ONE second.

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MattKing said:

from the Kodak data sheet (F4016) for T-Max films


Adjustments for Long and Short Exposures - T-Max 100

[TABLE="width: 650"]

If Indicated
Exposure Time Is
(Seconds)

Use This
Lens-Aperture
Adjustment

OR This Adjusted
Exposure Time
(Seconds)



1/10,000
+1/3 stop
Change
Aperture



1/1000
None
None


1/100
None
None


1/10
None
None


1

+1/3 stop

Change
Aperture



10
+1/2 stop
15


100
+1 stop
200

[/TABLE]

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StoneNYC said:

I still agree Acros is SIMPLER for up to 2 minutes.

However I also don't like the "oh you have to correct it by aperture" thing, because I choose my aperture and depth of field VERY carefully, and I don't want to have to lose the depth because they wanted to make their film look like it had better reciprocity by bit adjusting the time properly and instead adjusting the aperture. I find that a cop out.

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Thomas Bertilsson said:

I enjoy TMax 400 for long exposures at night. Even though Acros has better reciprocity characteristics, the TMax is two stops faster to begin with, which makes a big difference up to about 5-10 minutes. I shoot at the same EI as I do during daytime, which is about EI 250 in replenished Xtol or D76 1:1.

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MattKing said:

It only recommends an aperture-only adjustment when the difference is just 1/3 of a stop. Otherwise, in most cases it gives you both options.

On what camera do you have a shutter that allows you to make an accurate adjustment that will increase an exposure of 1 second by 1/3 stop? Or an exposure of 1/10,000 second by 1/3 stop?

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StoneNYC said:

Plus you are getting different contrast with the different film speed

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Thomas Bertilsson said:

That's not correct. While the film has a certain amount of contrast itself, the final contrast of your developed negative is determined by you.

By changing developing time, developer concentration, developer temperature, and agitation, YOU ALONE determine what the contrast will be.

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StoneNYC said:

Rider: when developed at standard times given by the company for developing their films...

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Thomas Bertilsson said:

Deep deep abyss. Which I shall not plunge into.

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