Why 160?

AlexG · Oct 9, 2009

I've been dying to know this for years.

Why 160 ISO/ASA? Why is 160 such a good speed? Why are most "professional" portrait films 160?

Even my light meter goes 25, 50, 100, 160, 200, 300....and so on.

Why is 160 so special?

Alex

Sirius Glass · Oct 9, 2009

To drive you crazy! [It is half the speed of Tri-X 320!]

Why do olives come packed in salt water and sardines come packed in olive oil? :confused:

Steve

removed account4 · Oct 9, 2009

clocks go clockwise because of the sundial

Q.G. · Oct 9, 2009

160 is just a number on the scale.
One that corresponds to a value on the old DIN scale as well (every DIN value step is 1/3 ASA step).
ISO 160 is ISO 100 + 2/3. Your lightmeter should also have 125, ISO 100 + 1/3.

Chris Nielsen · Oct 9, 2009

If clocks go clockwise because of the sundial and sundials run anticlockwise in the southern hemisphere, then clocks down here should run anticlockwise as well, shouldn't they?

2F/2F · Oct 9, 2009

Is it because it is not as fast as 200, and not as slow as 125?

Ektagraphic · Oct 9, 2009

Maybe when they tried to develop a new emulsion something went right at ISO 160 so others followed...

Mike1234 · Oct 9, 2009

Cuz it's kewl!!

removed account4 · Oct 9, 2009

Chris Nielsen said:
If clocks go clockwise because of the sundial and sundials run anticlockwise in the southern hemisphere, then clocks down here should run anticlockwise as well, shouldn't they?

you mean they don't ?!
i think you need to ask for a refund

nickandre · Oct 9, 2009

They probably found a speed improvement that gave them the fine grain they wanted at 160 ASA. Ektar is 100 ASA though.

Ektagraphic · Oct 9, 2009

Maybe it's because it eliminates the need for a complany to offer a 100 and a 200 speed film. 160 is pretty much in the middle.

Mike1234 · Oct 9, 2009

Wouldn't 141 speed be closer to the middle of 100 and 200?

Chris Nielsen · Oct 9, 2009

jnanian said:
you mean they don't ?!
i think you need to ask for a refund

A friend had a wall clock that ran backwards. Very confusing!!

Mike1234 · Oct 9, 2009

Why is that confusing? I can run backwards... sort of.

nickandre · Oct 9, 2009

Ektagraphic said:
Maybe it's because it eliminates the need for a complany to offer a 100 and a 200 speed film. 160 is pretty much in the middle.

It's twice as close to 200 as it is to 100...

Ektagraphic · Oct 9, 2009

For me with a film such as Portra 160 serves the purpose of a 100 and 200 speed film. If I need faster I go faster.

nickrapak · Oct 10, 2009

They're rebels without a cause. Society wants their film speed to be a multiple of 25, but they say NO.

Jeff Kubach · Oct 10, 2009

Why not 160!? More choices!

Jeff

removed account4 · Oct 10, 2009

films have been asa 160 for a long time ..
maybe it has to do with goldielocks
( not too fast, not slow but just right )

MattKing · Oct 10, 2009

Before there was Portra at ISO 160, there was Vericolour III at 160 (IIRC). Before that, there was Vericolour II which was ASA 125 (IIRC).

Just progress, I guess .

Matt

Curt · Oct 10, 2009

To drive you crazy! [It is half the speed of Tri-X 320!]

Why do olives come packed in salt water and sardines come packed in olive oil?

Steve

Why are the labels on Cranberries upside down according to how the can is opened? I have asked many people that and no grocer knows the answer.

Maybe it goes with ASA 64. I use ASA because that film is long gone. What's the most unusual film speed listed by a manufacturer?

I love those King Oscar ones. http://www.kingoscar.com/company

My step grandfather was Norwegian, we fished and hunted and ate King Oscar Sardines, but I've told that story before...

BTW: where is Ole these days?

Jesper · Oct 10, 2009

160 Asa as we think of it today may be strange for us, but it is 23DIN.
Is 23 more or less logical than 21DIN (that is 100Asa) or 27DIN (400Asa)?

mattmoy_2000 · Oct 10, 2009

To make film faster, the sensitivity has to increase exponentially, i.e. one step difference means doubling the sensitivity. In reverse, it decreases logarithmically. A similar thing happens with music. If you look at the neck of a guitar, the frets aren't spaced evenly, they get further apart the further from the body you go.
100-200-400-800-1600 are the major steps, but each step has half and third steps between it and the next one. Because the scale is exponential, a third of a step isn't 0.33, and changes throughout the step. The difference between 100 and 125 is the same as between (125 and 160) and (160 and 200) and (400 and 500) and (5000 and 6400). These aren't exact figures because the actual figures are horrendous irrational numbers, but 160 is a lot easier to remember than some awful and negligibly different surd.

Blacknoise · Oct 10, 2009

I've always wondered this too...

And also, I've never (that I can recall) seen ISO 200 120 rolls. Do they exist?

EDIT: Well explained Mattmoy, makes much more sense to me now!

StorminMatt · Oct 10, 2009

Mike1234 said:
Wouldn't 141 speed be closer to the middle of 100 and 200?

It would be the exact middle between 100 and 200. But ISO speeds typically go in 1/3 stops rather than 1/2 stops. So you are more likely going to see ISO125 or ISO160 than ISO141.

Chris Nielsen said:
If clocks go clockwise because of the sundial and sundials run anticlockwise in the southern hemisphere, then clocks down here should run anticlockwise as well, shouldn't they?

Maybe if clocks were invented in the Southern Hemisphere.

Why 160?

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