Low light 35mm film

razocaine_07 · Oct 16, 2017

Hi
I'm going to be shooting a series of images during low light in the city. I'm using an Xpan so it's obviously going to be 35mm film.
Does anyone have any recommendations for a good quality, colour film that performs well in low light and has a fine grain structure? At the moment I've been told to consider Ektar 100 and portra 160. Any others that might be worth looking at?

Siompa · Oct 16, 2017

Sure ektar and Portra 160 is great for low grain but it’s no ideal for low light. Portra is also available at 800 and Fuji has a 1600 film as well.
There is also cinestill which is rated at 800 but is 500 iso Kodak Vision.

Siompa · Oct 16, 2017

Forgot to mention that Portra is available in 400 iso as well

WilmarcoImaging · Oct 16, 2017

Ektar if you are using a tripod. Also Portra 160 but I would go with Ektar for its palette/saturation.

Portra 800 if you are shooting handheld. Lots of grain, but there are no fine grained fast color films, that I am aware of.

Paul Manuell · Oct 16, 2017

wy2l said:
Low light and 35mm film do not pair well.
I suggest other (unmentionable) technology may be the answer.

Go and wash your mind out with soap, you heathen!

Les Sarile · Oct 16, 2017

What exposure time are you anticipating and how are you metering?

carlostaiwan · Oct 16, 2017

If you can develop easily motion cinema film, I would definitely go for the Kodak Vision3 500T pushed to 800. Same as the Cinestill 800T but with the antihalation layer. It will really balance the yellowish tones from the tungsten lights in the street. Take a look at examples online, some people do amazing things with it!

warden · Oct 16, 2017

What kind of nouns will you photograph? If it's people you'll need a fast film unless you like blur. If it's places and things, slow film with a tripod is likely the only way to get the fine grain you're after.

Oh how I want an X-Pan.

carlostaiwan · Oct 16, 2017

jawarden said:
What kind of nouns will you photograph? If it's people you'll need a fast film unless you like blur. If it's places and things, slow film with a tripod is likely the only way to get the fine grain you're after.

+1
A tripod an Ektar 100, will give you great results with low grain. I just wrote a review of the Ektar 100 in 35mm https://carlosgrphoto.com/2017/10/06/kodak-ektar-100-review/

etn · Oct 16, 2017

wy2l said:
Low light and 35mm film do not pair well.
I suggest other (unmentionable) technology may be the answer.

The advantage of 35mm in low-light is that lenses generally have a much lower f/stop than medium or large format.
But in this particular case, the (unmentionable) technology cannot be mentioned, as no (alternative, unmentionable tech) panorama camera has ever been made.

Ko.Fe. · Oct 16, 2017

I was checking on same thing recently. Kodak 400 Ultramax pushed @1600 gives reasonable results.

film_man · Oct 16, 2017

I like Portra 800 for when the light drops, works well in mixed light. Yes the grain is there compared to Portra 160 or 400 but I like the look better and I prefer it over Cinestill 800T too. Portra 400 pushed a stop or two is good too though that can get contrasty and yellow quickly. I suppose it depends on what you're shooting, if you're on a tripod you can use whatever you want.

warden · Oct 16, 2017

filmconquistador said:
+1
I just wrote a review of the Ektar 100 in 35mm https://carlosgrphoto.com/2017/10/06/kodak-ektar-100-review/

That was an enjoyable article, thanks. I agree about the skin tones.

Cholentpot · Oct 16, 2017

In for a vote for 500T.

I've shot a bunch of it over the past year or two and it looks quite nice in low light. I rate it at about 640 or higher for C-41 processing. You'll need to rid that REMJET somehow or another.

Cine film through a Xpan would look awesome.

500T@800

Sirius Glass · Oct 16, 2017

Go for Portra 800 film.

Richard Man · Oct 16, 2017

I have shot a lot of XPan, close to a thousands rolls. I shot a lot of medium format and large format too.

But it really depends whether you can use a tripod of not, and what your subject matters are, and whether B&W will do. If latter, I have shot B&W in 1600 and 3200 with the XPan. I have also used digital for the same, but blah blah blah.

Paul Manuell · Oct 16, 2017

@razocaine_07 Quite a few respondents to this, your thread, have asked what it is you intend shooting at night so that they can properly advise with regards to which film(s) to use, whether a tripod is recommended, etc. Any chance you can respond, please.

razocaine_07 · Oct 16, 2017

Hi apologies for the late reply....
The subject matter is not going to involve people so I'll definitely be using a tripod, I don't think handheld is going to be an option. The only time there might be people involved is through a window from the street for example.
I guess the closest thing to reference is the work of Todd Hido, in particular his street photography. I've chosen the xpan specially for its 3:1 ratio and although it would be easier to go digital and crop, I want to keep to my initial constraints.
Exposure time is gonna be at least 30 secs I guess and I've not considered my metering.
Thanks for the links, I'm gonna work through them now ...

Sirius Glass · Oct 16, 2017

I have used the Jiffy Night Exposure Calculator for years. http://f-sunny.com/night-exposures-in-a-jiffy/ Enjoy.

razocaine_07 · Oct 16, 2017

Sirius Glass said:
I have used the Jiffy Night Exposure Calculator for years. http://f-sunny.com/night-exposures-in-a-jiffy/ Enjoy.

Thanks, i'll definitely give this a go

Les Sarile · Oct 16, 2017

razocaine_07 said:
Hi
I'm going to be shooting a series of images during low light in the city. I'm using an Xpan so it's obviously going to be 35mm film.
Does anyone have any recommendations for a good quality, colour film that performs well in low light and has a fine grain structure? At the moment I've been told to consider Ektar 100 and portra 160. Any others that might be worth looking at?

razocaine_07 said:
Exposure time is gonna be at least 30 secs I guess and I've not considered my metering.
Thanks for the links, I'm gonna work through them now ...

Kodak Ektar 100 is the current color C41 fine grain leader.
In the Kodak Ektar 100 datasheet it states as follows:

Adjustments for Long and Short Exposures
No filter correction or exposure compensation is required for exposures from 1/10,000 second to 1 second. For critical applications with longer exposure times, make tests under our conditions.

This is standard caveat in all the color negative datasheets so you will have to experiment. I have made many exposures from minimum of minutes to several hours long with many different color C41 brands and have not encountered any reciprocity failures. Instead, you may encounter different light sources with various light temperatures that you can easily deal with in post if you are so inclined.

This one using Kodak Ektar 100 for an aperture priority exposure lasting > 45 minutes.

This one using Kodak Portra 800 for an aperture priority exposure lasting > 15 minutes

This one using Kodak Gold 100 for an aperture priority exposure lasting > 6 hours

Example of the fine grain of Kodak Ektar 100 in a full res 4000dpi Nikon scan.

Full res version -> http://www.fototime.com/EEA4F124C726025/orig.jpg

Colin Corneau · Oct 16, 2017

Tripod or not, Portra 400 is wonderful film. Gives you the option of long exposures/light trails/etc. or not.

Although having seen the Cinestill results it seems thats a fine choice as well. I've shot a lot of film on my XPan, wonderful camera and some of the sharpest lenses you'l find.

Sirius Glass · Oct 16, 2017

Sirius Glass said:
I have used the Jiffy Night Exposure Calculator for years. http://f-sunny.com/night-exposures-in-a-jiffy/ Enjoy.

razocaine_07 said:
Thanks, i'll definitely give this a go

Look for newer versions. Also see:

https://www.veronaschools.org/cms/lib02/NJ01001379/Centricity/Domain/53/Jiffy Calc Page 1.pdf
https://www.dpreview.com/forums/post/20779515
http://www.southbristolviews.com/pics/Cameras/JiffyCalc.pdf
http://kusner.com/download/MVLibrary/JiffyCalculator.pdf

RalphLambrecht · Oct 16, 2017

etn said:
The advantage of 35mm in low-light is that lenses generally have a much lower f/stop than medium or large format.

isn't that theater way around?

OlyMan · Oct 17, 2017

Knowing you're not needing to combine low light with a fast shutter speed changes the landscape completely (pardon the pun). Go for whichever regular film you like the look of and use a sturdy tripod. No need to consider using d*****l: for donkey's years, low light long exposures was where film totally triumphed anyway, because unlike sensors, the noise / grain obviously remains constant irrespective of whether the correct exposure is 1/8000sec or three days.

Low light 35mm film

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