Medium format in low light

[Andrey]

I'm really sorry. I should've reread my post, it looks like I snapped.

I didn't mean to do that. I'm just curious as to when MF fails to deliver anything and I don't want to touch the digital question, cause it seems like a sensitive topic on this forum. I know some cameras, at ISO 6400 and f/1.2 give a really nice image.

 

[Nicole]

No offense taken at all Andrey. I'm such a "list" person and read much better that way, so I laid it out better for me, hoping it might help you as well.

Andrey any camera will fail to deliver if the photographer fails to plan.

The type of camera and is really not that important. i.e. My best photograph to date (IMO) was taken with a 35mm Pentax MZ50 with a bad, really bad zoom kit lens. I still have that camera and love shooting with it although would love to find a good prime lens for it instead. Commercially I currently use a Hasselblad and a Pentax 645NII. That's because I love how they look and work mechanically. They're great tools to work with and they help me take different types photographs. Both work well in low light - but that's up to me to make it work. I can't blame Pentax or Hasselblad if it takes a bad picture. I also have a Mamiya C33 which I affectionately call my "brick" and absolutely love photographing with it.

APUG is a great resource for information, help is always a few clicks away, full of wonderful people, interesting and entertaining debates which anyone can choose to ignore or roll around in - and totally addictive and expensive - especially if you get sucked into the gear-head groupies. Therefore, I highly recommend you try out (borrow/rent/hire) different tools recommended to you, to see which fits your needs and style of work best.

I really wanted to buy an old red Porsche 911 because they are sooo cool!! So I took it for a fantastic test drive, totally loved it!!! but so not practical for my family. But then again.... they can pull a trailer, right? I'd also be happy with an old Holden EK or whatever they are called. Hmm but then again, I'm female and reserve my right to change my mind at any given time.

Hope to see you at the Colorado Foto3 Conference this year.

 

[Phillip P. Dimor]

I have pushed 120 tri-x extensively w/ acufine up to 1000, and up to 1600 w/ microphen. The grain is not as noticeable. Using a Pentax 645 and enlarging to 8x10, well it looked good to me. Shooting wide open you'll have a very shallow DOF, shallower than 35mm. I did a lot of available light pictures, mostly inside of abandoned buildings, mental institutions and tuberculosis hospitals.

 

[mawz]

For low light MF work it's hard to beat a Mamiya 645 Super/Pro/ProTL with the 80mm f1.9 and some fast film (I'm fond of Tri-X pushed to 1600 or HP5+ pushed to 3200, both in Tmax 1:4). Grain is much less of an issue with pushing 120 film, as your negs are so much bigger. The only real issue is that above 3200 dynamic range drops off (Tri-X at 6400 in TMax 1:4 is fun stuff, but you have almost no dynamic range).

 

[bler]

its easy to shoot in low light with anything, you just use a tripod and a slow-moving subject

 

[kman627]

I frequently shoot Neopan 400 at 3200 and process in HC-110, Dil B for 18 minutes @ 68 deg. Shot with Bronica SQ-B.
Here's a couple of examples. Shadows are null, but I like the look and it has its place.

 

[fatboy22]

Low light Photography

This was shot on Delta 3200 shot at ISO 1600 processed in Kodak Microdol-X.
I used a exakta 66 camera 300mm Sonnar 2x teleconverter f5.6.


Jamie

 

[Mark Antony]

I use a Fuji 6x7 Rangefinder coupled with Ilford Delta 3200 rated at EI3200.
The Fuji has a leaf style shutter and works well down to 1/15 hand held often wide open at F3,5. I shots some pictures at a nightclub last night, looking at the negs I feel that they have a wonderful quality. The RF is very quick in operation, fast accurate focus, even in low light- easier than a 35mm SLR.
Possibly I'll post some later

 

[Mark Antony]

Here is a low light shot certainly 1/15 probably wide open on Delta 3200 at EI3200

Great film and camera
Mark
http://photo-utopia.blogspot.com/

 

[Andrey]

Awesome.

What did you develop in?

 

[Mark Antony]

Hi
It was rated at EI 3200 and developed in Rodinal 1:25 for 11 mins with 2 inversions per min agitation
Mark

 

[Xax]

the norita 66 also has a 80mm 2.0 lens for 6x6.
that paired with 800 speed film, a lot is possible in low light!

 

[Lee J]

I've pushed Delta 3200 to 12,500 in medium format with results far better than I expected, although the prints required some work. I'm less apprehensive about pushing it to 25,000 ISO if a situation should require it. There are a couple of examples in my gallery on here.

I frequently shoot at 1600 and 3200 with a blad and 110mm f2 lens, this allows me to shoot indoor action shots without the aid of flashes. The main problem with shooting in low ambient light is if the light source is natural or artificial - Artificial lights flicker, and the result can be exposure differences +/- a stop or more when shooting at speeds quicker than 1/125.

 

[chiel]

using my crumpler as a camera mount, long exposure, hasselblad and distagon 50 mm why dangle,
in aya sofia, december 2007
http://www.flickr.com/photos/chiel_zelf/2197550818/in/set-72157603706160303/

 

[panastasia]

I am curious if it would be practical to use medium format cameras in low light....

The RB67 has some low light advantages:

(1) It's weight allows hand held shooting at speeds as low a 1/15 sec. (min. 1/60 w/35mm)

(2) Flash synchronization at any shutter speed - you can mix ambient light w/flash exposure at any shutter speed. Practice this method first.

(3) W/tripod, you can stop the lens way down for a long exposure and more depth-of field (in seconds instead of fractions of second) and use a flash fired multiple times in different directions to illuminate the entire scene with one exposure. Practice this method first.