Question about high ISO film

James Thorsen · Jul 29, 2019

So I've been shooting typically with 200 or 400 ISO film (and have also experimented with Portra 800, which I loved). Recently bought some Kodak Tmax 3200 black and white film. Loaded it in the camera and set the appropriate dials. Noticed the light meter was acting funny (not moving much...staying right in the bullseye of exposure). I changed the battery thinking it was a dead battery and it was acting similarly. I was wondering what was up with that.

Pieter12 · Jul 29, 2019

Camera? DX, maybe?

KN4SMF · Jul 29, 2019

The EV range of the camera meter goes upas the film speed goes up. Look at the chart in the camera manual.

Chan Tran · Jul 29, 2019

Which camera?

James Thorsen · Jul 29, 2019

Pentax K1000

James Thorsen · Jul 29, 2019

u

KN4SMF said:
The EV range of the camera meter goes upas the film speed goes up. Look at the chart in the camera manual.

Thank you.

Pieter12 · Jul 29, 2019

I assume you are setting the film speed on the camera?

pentaxuser · Jul 29, 2019

All good questions. What is the top shutter speed on the K1000 and what was your aperture setting? If the DX code is allowed to set the film speed on your camera then ISO is set at 3200. If it was a sunny day the camera may want to set a shutter speed of 1/3000th sec even at f16 and if you use an aperture of f11 or f8 then it will set a speed of 1/6000th or higher I don't think the K1000 has such speeds on it. I thought the K1000 has a speed dial for manual setting. Try setting 1000( close to the true speed) or whatever is the nearest ISO speed and the aperture at f16 and see what the meter does then. If there is a 1/1000th speed and the aperture is f16 then the meter may respond

pentaxuser

James Thorsen · Jul 29, 2019

Pieter12 said:
I assume you are setting the film speed on the camera?

Yes, set 3200 on the camera.

johnha · Jul 29, 2019

How bright was the scene (obviously 3200 is very fast for daylight)? The K1000 has a very rudimentary meter, it has very poor sensitivity in dim conditions and takes a while to respond to changes in brightness. I don't have mine handy buy it could be you're outside the metering range (probably something like EV 3 to 19 or similar).

MattKing · Jul 29, 2019

johnha said:
probably something like EV 3 to 19 or similar)

Actually, 3 to 18 with ASA 100 film.
For a sunny day, a "normal" exposure would be 1/3200 at f/16.
On such a day you are probably outside the range that the CDS meter is accurate for.

Question about high ISO film

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