Setting iso nikon f100

dylan77 · Dec 17, 2019

I have recently changed to film coming from digital, and think that films such as portra 400 have an iso of 400 already set on it?

There is an iso button on the Nikon f100, though are unsure of what i should do now if I am shooting in manual to get the correct exposure. I haven't been able to find much info out there

Thanks

AgX · Dec 17, 2019

At some time there was "DX-coding" installed on type 135 cassettes (most common 35mm cassettes).
Respective cameras could read various information from the cassette, in all cases though the film speed. With the more functional cameras there was an override to set film speed manually.

macfred · Dec 17, 2019

Your Portra has a DX code - a barcode system stating ISO, printed on the film canister, so the camera can identify it.
ISO setting will not affect the film - only the light meter reading and the exposure.
Manual ISO setting is used for films without DX barcode or to over - or underexpose your film.
For example : Setting your Porta 400 to ISO 100 and you follow the meters settings you will overexpose your film by two stops.

dylan77 · Dec 17, 2019

macfred said:
Your Portra has a DX code - a barcode system stating ISO, printed on the film canister, so the camera and can identify it.
ISO setting will not affect the film - only the light meter reading and the exposure.

Thanks. How do I go about reading the light meter on this camera?

Manual ISO setting is used for films without DX barcode or to over - or underexpose your film.

So because this is dx, I don’t need to worry about adjusting the iso, after I have done shutter and aperture?

For example : Setting your Porta 400 to ISO 100 and you follow the meters settings you will overexpose your film by two stops.

AgX · Dec 17, 2019

dylan77 said:
Thanks. How do I go about reading the light meter on this camera?

https://www.butkus.org/chinon/nikon/nikon_f100/nikon_f100.htm

Kino · Dec 17, 2019

I think we have at last come to a point in our history as photographers that just pointing someone to a manual is no longer the total solution.

Film shooting and processing is as alien to modern youth as making copperplate engravings; the analogous methodologies that used to exist in society (i.e. other machine-age processes that rely on a common physicality) no longer exist or are so removed from "normal" public use that is useless to rely on what we old-timers refer to as "common sense".

As older film users, we share a history and culture of machine-age technological experience with which modern youth has no experience or means of gaining that experience unless we guide them a bit more than we are used to guiding others with a background similar to ours.

Maybe we need to start pooling these resources in a pinned thread that would at least allow us to reference these basic concepts, rather than possibly get frustrated and react badly.

I say this as a person who can be a "grumpy old man", but who is trying to self-censor these personal tendencies and be constructive; I am not casting aspirations on anything in this thread.

Chan Tran · Dec 17, 2019

Meter reading on the F100 is very similar to that of a typical Nikon DSLR.

138S · Dec 17, 2019

dylan77 said:
I have recently changed to film coming from digital

At the beginning I'd recommed you shooting a share of the exposures with spot metering, and manual exposure. Anotate how under/over exposed are different subjects or scene regions to see how they result at different local under/over exposures. Then make bracketings.

In this way, for challenging situations you would be able to balance exposure to get predictable results.

A well illuminated scene may not be challenging, the camera exposes perfectly, problem comes when you have an scene with challenging illumination, let me say an example:

In a protrait you have the subject's face in the shadow, but you have the blue sky with shining clouds in the background, right exposure for both components vary, so you should know how sky looks at +3 is you expose for the face, or how the face will result at -1 and the sky at +2. With negative color film you have a lot of latitude in the highlights, much more than with digital, so the way you balance exposure is different.

With slides you expose a bit like with digital, as highlights are easily blown, with negative film it's just the counter.

So I'd waste a pair or rolls making weird things with exposure, anotate well how important spots in the scene are over/under, and see the medium behaviour. Portra 160 is the one I know and it is an impressive film, it is capable to record amazing highlight detail even at +4, allowing for a powerful creative usage of the highlights.

macfred · Dec 17, 2019

Together with studying the manual of your F100 I would recommend to get some informations for newbies in film photography.
The Beginner’s Guide to Film Photography
https://istillshootfilm.org/beginners-guide-film-photography

AgX · Dec 17, 2019

Kino said:
I think we have at last come to a point in our history as photographers that just pointing someone to a manual is no longer the total solution.

My idea was that the OP first should read the manual and then ask specific questions.
Apug is not the place to give extensive trainining. However me and macfred gave some hints at the DX coding at least.

macfred · Dec 17, 2019

Kino said:
I think we have at last come to a point in our history as photographers that just pointing someone to a manual is no longer the total solution ...

True, but I'm quite sure it does not harm to read a manual - (in my opinion) knowing one's tools is an essential condition to start working. Allthough it's incontestable that photography needs more than the camera.

138S · Dec 17, 2019

AgX said:
hints at the DX coding at least.

Another hint about DX is that it not only informs the camera about ISO, it also tells the film latitude in 4 categories:

±½
±1
+2 −1
+3 −1

In that way matrix metering is able to calculate a more intelligent exposure depending on if you load slide, BW or color negative film, that DX contribution allowed very good results to casual photographers, and made life easier to Pros of that era.

Kino · Dec 17, 2019

macfred said:
True, but I'm quite sure it does not harm to read a manual - (in my opinion) knowing one's tools is an essential condition to start working. Allthough it's incontestable that photography needs more than the camera.

Absolutely! I wasn't criticizing any suggestions, it just suddenly occurred to me how alien this technology might appear to someone trying to jump-in anew...

AgX said:
My idea was that the OP first should read the manual and then ask specific questions.
Apug is not the place to give extensive trainining. However me and macfred gave some hints at the DX coding at least.

Yes; no complaints here. See above...

Sirius Glass · Dec 17, 2019

Use the box speed which is set by the DX code unless you have a really good reason to deviate such as using the Zone System. Do not blindly change the ISO.

abruzzi · Dec 17, 2019

If you want to understand more about DX coding:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DX_encoding

It started in the mid 80's and by the 90s it was pretty ubiquitous.

Ariston · Dec 17, 2019

I don’t know if it has been mentioned to the OP, but the camera is not going to use the dx code unless it is set to “dx”. If it is set on 100 and you insert a cassette with a 400 dx code, it will stay at 100.

At least, that is how my n90s works.

dylan77 · Dec 17, 2019

Sirius Glass said:
Use the box speed which is set by the DX code unless you have a really good reason to deviate such as using the Zone System. Do not blindly change the ISO.

Do you mean if I’m using Portra 400, set and keep my iso at 400?

dylan77 · Dec 17, 2019

Ariston said:
I don’t know if it has been mentioned to the OP, but the camera is not going to use the dx code unless it is set to “dx”. If it is set on 100 and you insert a cassette with a 400 dx code, it will stay at 100.

Thank you I just found this. So by setting this to DX, The iso-adjusts accordingly to the shutter and aperture I set?

At least, that is how my n90s works.

Kino · Dec 17, 2019

dylan77 said:
Do you mean if I’m using Portra 400, set and keep my iso at 400?

The camera has the option of automatically setting the ISO if your film cartridge has DX codes on it AND the camera speed selector is set to "DX".

If you DO NOT have the ISO setting on the camera set to "DX", and have it set to, say for sake of argument, 800 when you actually have 400 speed film in the camera, the camera WILL use 800 and override the DX cartridge. This is on purpose so more experienced users can manipulate the film speed for their purposes.

For the time being, just set it on "DX" unless you are using NON-DX coded film cassettes.

Ariston · Dec 17, 2019

When you set the ISO to DX, the camera will automatically read the film cartridge and set your camera ISO to that setting. The ISO will not adjust until you put another roll of film in, because the film's ISO isn't changeable. The camera will meter and its automatic exposure will work accurately with the film you have in the camera.

Forgive me if I am being too simplistic. I'm not sure how much you know.

dylan77 · Dec 17, 2019

Kino said:
The camera has the option of automatically setting the ISO if your film cartridge has DX codes on it AND the camera speed selector is set to "DX".

View attachment 236515

If you DO NOT have the ISO setting on the camera set to "DX", and have it set to, say for sake of argument, 800 when you actually have 400 speed film in the camera, the camera WILL use 800 and override the DX cartridge. This is on purpose so more experienced users can manipulate the film speed for their purposes.

For the time being, just set it on "DX" unless you are using NON-DX coded film cassettes.

Great, thx very much!

dylan77 · Dec 17, 2019

Ariston said:
When you set the ISO to DX, the camera will automatically read the film cartridge and set your camera ISO to that setting. The ISO will not adjust until you put another roll of film in, because the film's ISO isn't changeable. The camera will meter and its automatic exposure will work accurately with the film you have in the camera.

Thanks! I was just wondering how to combine this with setting shutter and aperture

Forgive me if I am being too simplistic. I'm not sure how much you know.

Kino · Dec 17, 2019

ISO is the film "speed" or sensitivity. Unlike DSLRs, this cannot be varied as you shoot; it can only be set for the entire roll.

As you are just beginning, just set it at the ISO rating of the film manufacturer; don't mess with it yet.

Concentrate on how the exposure modes work.

They basically manipulate the relationship between the Fstop and the shutter speed according to what exposure mode you are using on the camera.

Personally, I suggest you study and use the Shutter Priority, Aperture Priority and Manual modes FIRST; leave the Program mode alone for the first roll, as that is just automatic.

Now it's time for you to go and read that manual.

macfred · Dec 17, 2019

dylan77 said:
Thank you I just found this. So by setting this to DX, The iso-adjusts accordingly to the shutter and aperture I set?...

Nope - it's the other way round ...
If you are in Manual-mode and you set the aperture, the exposure meter of the F100 will show you the adequate shutter speed you'll have to set to get a correct exposure (according to the ISO of your film).
Or you're going to set a shutter speed of -maybe- 1/250 sec, the meter will show you what aperture you have to chose (according to the ISO of your film).
In A-mode you set the aperture and the meter sets the adequate shutter speed automatically (according to the ISO of your film).
In S-mode you set the shutter speed and the meter sets the adequate aperture (according to the ISO of your film).

dylan77 said:
Thanks! I was just wondering how to combine this with setting shutter and aperture ...

Aperture, shutter speed, and ISO make the exposure.They work together to get a photo that is properly exposed. If one of the variables will change, at least one of the others must also change to maintain an correct exposure.

Come on, Dylan ... It's not so hard - take a little time and do your math. Read some beginners guide for (film-based) photography and you will reap the benefits ...

macfred · Dec 17, 2019

Kino said:
ISO is the film "speed" or sensitivity. Unlike DSLRs, this cannot be varied as you shoot; it can only be set for the entire roll.

As you are just beginning, just set it at the ISO rating of the film manufacturer; don't mess with it yet.

Concentrate on how the exposure modes work.

They basically manipulate the relationship between the Fstop and the shutter speed according to what exposure mode you are using on the camera.

View attachment 236525

Personally, I suggest you study and use the Shutter Priority, Aperture Priority and Manual modes FIRST; leave the Program mode alone for the first roll, as that is just automatic.

Now it's time for you to go and read that manual.

^ Great post - very helpful , Kino !

Setting iso nikon f100

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