Rating Fuji Superia 1600

[bigdog]

I just received a brick of 20 rolls of Fuji Superia 1600 color negative film (35mm) I won on Ebay. The film is dated 3/2007 but was claimed to be stored in cool evironment.

I love the results I get shooting TMAX 3200 rated @ 1250, 1600 ...beautiful grain. I recently purchased a book with many images shot with high speed color film and thought I would try some shooting with high speed color film to achieve that look. I had shot some images many years ago of fireworks with this film and got some interesting results.

So, what do you recommend I rate the film to bring out the most beautiful grain and not comprimise color shifting or other factors (images falling apart too rapidly as I enlarge) too much? I know film can lose speed over time but I don't know if that is an issue for recently expired film? Should I just rate it at box speed?

Thanks!

 

[pentaxuser]

I have used this only at box speed for evening air display shows. Even at 300mm and flying low the B17 occupied a fairly small area of the 35mm neg so a blow-up for an 8x10 print meant projection size was maybe almost twice this.

Even at this size the grain was just beginning to show.

So I'd stick with box speed if it were me. Mine was in date but if yours is only 7 months beyond and has been stored properly I can see this making much difference. Some U.K. stockists in their clearance sections regularly sell this kind of film just on or even beyond date without complaints I am sure. I hope this helps

pentaxuser

 

[Lee L]

I've shot most of a brick of this film. With Gossen incident and in camera meters I rate it at 1000 (or 1250 max), never at 1600 as I find it weak and grainy in the shadows at that speed. This is almost entirely indoors, much of it soccer and with rangefinders. Bracket your first roll and see what works for you.

Lee

 

[Mick Fagan]

I have shot a reasonable amount of this film, developed and printed it myself.

I have found the best indoors available light speed to be 800 ASA, at this speed you will retain quite good shadow definition, as well as reasonable colour in the shadows, grain is not too obvious.

At 1250 ASA I push process 1/2 a stop and find the film as above, but slightly more grain.

At anything above 1250ASA, especially at box speed, there is a trade off with shadow detail, grain becomes quite apparent, not bad though.

I have used this film to 1600 ASA with a one stop push in processing. Used like this, I get good highlight and midtone detail, but the shadow detail drops off, contrast kicks a bit as well.

If you use this film outdoors in low light, but still daylight, you can achieve box speed and retain reasonable shadow detail, contrast is a bit on the high side, but that is to be expected. Push processing with daylight isn't required, but if you can, push 1/2 a stop for box speed, shadow detail is better.

It works quite well under tungsten, requires reasonable filtration in the darkroom under fluorescent lamps and delivers quite amazing results under basketball court type of lighting.

I have found that realistic maximum print size from a 35mm neg exposed at 800 ASA is around the 8x10" mark, although I have cropped to 12x16" paper. The trade off is golf ball sized grain, but quite amazing colour rendition.

Mick.