Ideal conditions to take pictures with this film?

[elammm]

What are the ideal conditions to take clear, good pictures with this exact film: Dead Link Removed - I have wasted 2 rolls of film so far, one the pictures came back wrongly framed and mostly pitch black and two the film roll just came back completely black

 

[Rol_Lei Nut]

A decent camera....

There seems to be no indication of the original manufacturer.
Anyway, 100 ISO film with (I imagine) a very slow lens and rudimentary shutter would be best in fairly bright conditions, though direct sunlight can produce ugly shadows.

If the results are still bad in well-lit conditions, thenj the processing or, more likely, the camera has a problem (film itself is unlikely to be so bad as to produce the results you describe).
Can you return the camera to the seller if necessary?

 

[CGW]

What are the ideal conditions to take clear, good pictures with this exact film

A functioning camera might be a good start?

 

[elammm]

If I Ordered This, Dead Link Removed - is this likely to produce better pictures as the knowlegable guy in the photography shop said I should use around 400?

 

[elammm]

And yes guys I do have a functioning camera

 

[CGW]

And yes guys I do have a functioning camera

God knows what this stuff is. What's the stale date? This "Lomography" branding thing is weird--like your camera won't take anything else? Get some Fuji Superia 400 and/or try another lab. The ISO 100 stuff is best for bright mid-day shots.

If you're still getting crap results from another film and lab, then your camera is the prime suspect. BTW what are you shooting???

 

[tkamiya]

Well...

If it came back COMPLETELY BLACK, you either had a defective film (already exposed before it got to you), you made a handing error (I'm guessing here), you had a massive light leak on your camera (unlikely), or the processor screwed up and didn't tell you. (I don't know so I'm guessing here, too)

It takes a lot to make a frame or two completely black. Something seriously wrong happened for whatever the reason. I really don't think it has anything to do with the lighting condition, unless you were shooting directly into a strong light source.

Has it ever happened to you with different film? If not, I'd be doubting the film first.

 

[elammm]

But an ISO of 400 is alot better for picture taking right?

 

[tkamiya]

What makes you say that?

ISO400 means it's more (2 stops) more sensitive than ISO100 film. It also means if you are taking your photos at very VERY bright outside and you can't use faster shutter speed and/or smaller opening on your aperture, you will severely over-expose your negative.

It's still very unlikely you get completely BLACK frame though. It is my understanding that those Kodak and Fuji throw-away one time use cameras use something like ISO 200 film in it. You can shoot all day long at beach and still come back with usable images.

I really think something went wrong here, either with your film or equipment. (or processing at lab)

 

[elammm]

I know it wasnt the lab, it was probably me, 2 rolls have failed, going to try a third roll now, on sunny clear days, whats best conditions for iso 100 indoors? like how bright should a room be etc? 3rd times the charm?

 

[mike c]

The photos on your web site look good, are they taken with the same film and camera you are now having problems with?

There is a difference between 100 asa and 400 asa. 100 is good for bright days with a lot of light and the 400 will be good with lower light levels like indoors or shady and overcast days ect.Not knowing if you camera has shutter speed control and aperture controls makes a difference too.

Mike

 

[holmburgers]

What camera are you using? A Lomo of some sort? If that's the case, they have a set aperture and shutter speed, right?

Also, what do you mean by completely black? Are you looking at a photo CD, the actual negatives, or minilab prints?

Many factors going on here... If you're talking about scans/prints, then perhaps you took these pictures inside? If that's the case, ISO100 film + the "slow" lenses typical of a Lomo type camera would definitely result in black images. Take a look at the negatives, are they more or less clear? (save for the orange of the film obviously)

 

[Rick A]

Take the stuff outside and photograph something in bright sunlight. You state that you have a functioning camera, but fail to say what it is and how you expose the film. There is a very good chance it is the lab's fault, change labs.

 

[elammm]

What camera are you using? A Lomo of some sort? If that's the case, they have a set aperture and shutter speed, right?

Also, what do you mean by completely black? Are you looking at a photo CD, the actual negatives, or minilab prints?

Many factors going on here... If you're talking about scans/prints, then perhaps you took these pictures inside? If that's the case, ISO100 film + the "slow" lenses typical of a Lomo type camera would definitely result in black images. Take a look at the negatives, are they more or less clear? (save for the orange of the film obviously)

Yeah you hit the nail on the head, the almost pitch black ones where taken inside (you can see light through the window but everything inside is pitch black)

The photos on your web site look good, are they taken with the same film and camera you are now having problems with?

There is a difference between 100 asa and 400 asa. 100 is good for bright days with a lot of light and the 400 will be good with lower light levels like indoors or shady and overcast days ect.Not knowing if you camera has shutter speed control and aperture controls makes a difference too.

Mike

Thank you, the ones on my blog where actually taken with my mobile phone :L and some where edited, I am yet to get any photos developed with my 35mm film camera that have been a success to go on their, I'll keep trying.

 

[tkamiya]

What do you really mean by "pitch black"? Are you seeing this on your negatives or prints? It shows two separate extreme conditions - either super over-exposure or under-exposure....

You can't really tell what lighting condition you need for a given ISO range until you know the shutter speed and aperture.... what camera are you using?

 

[holmburgers]

Indeed, telling us what camera you are using would be very helpful. (it's been asked half a dozen times... )

But that's you're problem in general, your pictures are severely underexposed. Try 400 for inside, but even that might give you kinda dark photos.

The lomo type cameras have very slow lenses, probably like f/8-f/11 I'm guessing?

You'll have much better success by using that camera outside, in which case the 100 will probably suit you well, but 400 in anything but direct sunlight will probably work ok too.

 

[tkamiya]

What camera are you using?

(now it's half dozen times PLUS 1)

 

[CGW]

I know it wasnt the lab, it was probably me, 2 rolls have failed, going to try a third roll now, on sunny clear days, whats best conditions for iso 100 indoors? like how bright should a room be etc? 3rd times the charm?

You haven't come clean about what camera you're shooting. No more till you do, OK?

 

[zsas]

He has a Lomo Fisheye 2. He posted a few days ago about it...here is his camera. I believe it has 1/100 shutter and B.

I bet he is shooting inside at 1/100. With an F8 lens, I can see what it would be dark.

What we dont know is what ISO does he have (100?).

What shutter speed did he use?

Info re his camera that I google'd

http://microsites.lomography.com/fisheye/

 

[elammm]

Sorry guys, yes its lomo fisheye 2, using iso 100 film (currently)

 

[zsas]

OP - when you shot indoor, did you use the 1/100 or B shutter speed? If B how long did you hold it down?

 

[zsas]

I just metered in my house blinds up, mid day, sunny outside, meter at floor. I bet if you wanted to photograph inside during the day with 100 speed film and a f8 lens, you would need about a 1 second exposure, ie, hold down the shutter for one second while in B mode. Were you previously shooting indoor in 1/100 shutter mode? That would explain the under exposure.


I highly suggest a book by Henry Horenstein - Black and White Photography. It will really help you get all this down, ie the photographic triangle (shutter, film speed and aperture)

Keep trying and keep asking questions! We want you to succeed in film.

 

[Gerald C Koch]

Shoot a third roll? What is that saying? Something about "doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result."

 

[Ian C]

Looks like it’s a fixed 10mm f/8 lens with 1/100 second and B shutter. It lists multiple exposure capability.

http://microsites.lomography.com/fisheye/specifications/

If so, then the exposure for the central area should be about correct at f/16 in sunlight with ASA 100 film.

This translates to a 2-stop overexposure for the central area at the fixed f/8 aperture the lens is equipped with when used under a sunny sky.

In those conditions an ASA 400 film would overexpose the central area by 4 stops.

 

[pbromaghin]

Google "Sunny 16" and spend about 1/2 hour perusing what you find. Read with 3 facts in mind: 1)you have an f8 aperture, 2) you have 1/100 shutter speed, 3) you use either iso 100 or 400. It will soon become very obvious why your pictures were so bad and what you might do to get decent results with it.

It really is very limited in the circumstances in which it will produce good results. There are reasons most people of a different generation than yours call those cameras pieces of junk.