New to shooting slides

[Jaime Marin]

Ill be shooting some slides for the first time, specifically the Kodak E100G. I remember once reading that these are a bit trickier to expose and I think I remember reading that some people over expose on purpose by like a stop? Anyways anybody got any tips for me before I shoot?

 

[F/1.4]

I bracket my slide exposures between -2, 0, and +2. From those three, there's generally something I like.

 

[jun]

Normally, unless you know what you are archiving by overexposing your favorite E6 film one stop, it is generally not recommended to deliberately overexpose E6 (reversal) film.

I bet your comment "over expose on purpose by like a stop" applies to C41 films not for E6 films.

 

[MattKing]

Increased exposure is helpful for negatives, but hurtful for slides.

Actually, there are some similarities between digital work and slides, because blown-out highlights are the most common errors in both.

You need to evaluate your exposure carefully, because you have relatively low latitude available.

I tend to prefer slight underexposure for slides, but then I aim for projection more than printing.

This was shot on slide film and metered carefully:

 

[DanielStone]

I've found that rating E100G @ 80asa(iso) gives me better shadow detail, and the highlights still retain good detail. Or if you expose at box speed, getting a 1/3 stop push as a "standard" can definitely help too.

Try shooting a roll @80, and another roll @100. Compare(scan, project, however you plan to present/work with them) and see what gives you the results you're after.

E100G is a terrific film btw! Use it while its here...

-Dan

 

[Slixtiesix]

Slide film is just great. The only thing I regret is that I hadn´t started shooting it years ago!
Overexposing slides will give better shadow detail, but in most cases you will end up with blown out highlights and pictures that are dull overall. Like the others, I would recommend some bracketing to start. Box speed, +- 1/2, 1 and 2 stops and you will get an impression of what slide film is capable. Since the latitude of slide film is rather narrow, I would also recommend to choose some scenes that are not too contrasty for the beginning, and do not include shadow areas at all. Careful metering is needed, best done with the incident method, which always worked great for me.

 

[stavrosk]

Like with all media bad photography will look bad whether shot on negative or slide. An image with low contrast, intense colors and properly exposed will look nice on slide film as would look nice on my iPhone camera.

 

[Roger Cole]

E100G is a terrific film btw! Use it while its here...

-Dan

+1. It's somewhat consoling to have E100G available since Fuji discontinued Astia. Astia is probably my favorite modern transparency film, but E100G is excellent.

 

[Rick A]

I've always treated transparency film the opposite of negative film. While is's beneficial to overexpose negativees somewhat, it has a detrimental affect to slides. Slight underexposure can intensify colors some, I generally shoot box speed and meter bright areas and try to expose so they aren't blown out.

 

[Hal Reiser]

What Dan said.

I switched to E100G back in 2005 after Kodak took Kodachrome 25 away. Since that time I have rated E100G at EI 80 and have gotten consistently good results.

Hal

 

[Yokai]

I absolutely love shooting E100G. It seems to have almost as much color as E100VS with noticibly less grain. I shoot 99% of my slides in an EOS 3, using the camera's meter. Exposure is almost always dead on for me when I shoot at its rated 100 ISO. Occasionally, I'll bracket -1/3 or-2/3 stop to take advantage of the extra color saturation, though in most cases it turns out not to provide any advantage.

Also, scans are much easier if the slides aren't underexposed.

 

[ME Super]

You should get yourself a light table and a loupe, or a projector for slides. Projected slides are amazing.

ME Super

 

[pgomena]

Pick a nice sunny, totally cloudless California day. Put the film in the camera. Go outdoors between the hours of 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. and make a series of photographs rating the film from +1 to -1 in 1/2 or 1/3 stop increments in a variety of locations and situations, from full shade to full sun. Carefully record your exposures. Develop the film normally and choose the best exposures. Rate your film accordingly for your own personal exposure index. Everybody meters and exposes differently, this will be "your" film test.

Peter Gomena

 

[macrorie]

Pick a nice sunny, totally cloudless California day. Put the film in the camera. Go outdoors between the hours of 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. and make a series of photographs rating the film from +1 to -1 in 1/2 or 1/3 stop increments in a variety of locations and situations, from full shade to full sun. Carefully record your exposures. Develop the film normally and choose the best exposures. Rate your film accordingly for your own personal exposure index. Everybody meters and exposes differently, this will be "your" film test.

Peter Gomena

Absolutely: you can't really determine a good rating for the film until you have a pretty clear idea of the precision of the camera metering, and the direction of any divergence from dead accurate.

 

[Clay2]

I shot good old Kodachrome 64 for years at 80 for projection.
Experiment and see what YOU like best.
Best regards,
/Clay

 

[Argenticien]

Absolutely: you can't really determine a good rating for the film until you have a pretty clear idea of the precision of the camera metering, and the direction of any divergence from dead accurate.

And, in fact, even if it's an unmetered camera and/or you're using a hand meter, you still have to test with each camera (or at least lens) that you intend to use, since different lenses will yield different results (as far as, e.g., saturation) with the same film, depending on coatings, etc. Shooting box speed and +1 to -1 in 1/3-stop increments unfortunately will cost you a whole roll (except one shot left for a picture of the cat) when doing this with a 6 x 9 folder at 8 pictures to a roll--assuming it can even do 1/3-stop increments. So obviously not something you'll want to do in too great a variety of locations and situations, but must do some. You can't assume the results you got with a modern, multicoated, 8-element SLR lens are at all instructive as to what you'll get with an uncoated 1937 Tessar. (Obviously I have a particular one of my cameras in mind here...)
--Dave

 

[Kahlil H.]

I shoot box speed. If there is a bright object in frame I take it down 1/2 stop. If it's a fairly bright object I take it down a full stop. I usually don't like to overexpose negative film either, I like creamy detailed highlights and crushed shadows. People overexpose to get shadow detail, but you're shooting film after all--why make it look like digital?

 

[Poisson Du Jour]

Though not a user of Kodak film, my exposures for all (Velvia) stock is +0.3 to +0.7 (polarised, diffuse light) and never any under-exposure. Slides for projection have a WOW! factor if slightly underexposed, but for printing, more care is required.

Latterly on 6x7 I spot-meter with an L758 in marginal lighting that I cannot avoid shooting in; at other times in the right light I let the camera's meter take care of it. For most practical purposes, shooting film at box speed will suffice, but understanding where slight over-exposure is desirable in specific lighting is invaluable, and this can only be achieved by actively exposing film in many different situations and recording notes of the exposure as you go.

 

[BrianL]

While all are offering good advice, I wonder what metering and camera you are using. With negative you meter for the dark and let the highlights fall where they will while with slides, expose for the highlights and let the darks fall where they will. This of course works best if you have either a spot meter or a non grey scale reading meter such as the SEI. Also, while not quite designed for it a meter modified for the Zone System such as the Weston Ranger and Pentax spot meter and others helps as you can take the reading and knowing the curve of the film read the Zone directly from the scale.

I've found in the past when adjusting the film iso, the reality is you are trying to adjust the meter to move the meter's grey reading to a higher Zone which works generally well provided the testing to find the iso adjustment includes a range up to Zone X.

I have the SEI and Weston with the Zone dial and have found in the past when using either meter the box iso is good. Seldom need ot think it might have been better exposure wise than what the meters read. With my incamera meter I usually have to bring the iso down to get the result. So, what to do depends on the equipment.

 

[Jaime Marin]

I wonder what metering and camera you are using.

Sekonic l358 and a Mamiya 7

Thanks everyone for the suggestions Im gonna try it out and see how it goes

 

[dmtry]

You should get yourself a light table and a loupe, or a projector for slides. Projected slides are amazing.

ME Super

Can you suggest a portable light table and a loupe for the viewing 6x6 slides?
Thanks.

 

[DarkMagic]

+1. It's somewhat consoling to have E100G available since Fuji discontinued Astia. Astia is probably my favorite modern transparency film, but E100G is excellent.

Discontinued in US of A, but not in the rest of the world. Astia you can still buy in Japan and import it your self.

Astia 120: http://www.japanexposures.com/shop/product_info.php?cPath=28&products_id=244

 

[chriscrawfordphoto]

An incident light meter will give the most consistent results with slide film. Slides work like digital cameras, exposure-wise. You have to expose for correct exposure of the light tones, unlike negative films, where the dark tones are what you expose for. An incident meter is designed to expose for the highlights automatically. I get the best results with slide film by using an incident meter and giving the exposure indicated, except where there are VERY bright tones you need to preserve detail (like snow), where a half-stop less exposure helps preserve detail.

 

[Jaime Marin]

Perhaps another thing I should mention, I will be shooting these in a studio for some portraits for school. I assume I take into account everything state before for this environment as well?

 

[Roger Cole]

Discontinued in US of A, but not in the rest of the world. Astia you can still buy in Japan and import it your self.

Astia 120: http://www.japanexposures.com/shop/product_info.php?cPath=28&products_id=244

Japanexposures may still have it, and Fuji is notorious for not updating their web sites, but it's definitely discontinued in all sizes:

(there was a url link here which no longer exists)

Fuji link in Japanese:

(there was a url link here which no longer exists)

Google translation:

http://translate.google.co.nz/trans...//fujifilm.jp/information/articlead_0129.html