Question about shooting wide open...

[wblanchard]

I would like to shoot my Nokton SC 40 1.4 wide open during the day with my ZI. Would attaching a B+W six stop ND filter and shooting at 1/250 or so result in some cool looking images? Or would I be wasting my time?

I just found myself on a sunny day yesterday wishing i had shot some people with shallow depth of field. I set the lens to 1.4 and the meter kept flashing 2000 at me while I was in "AE" mode. I guess i'm still trying to learn the camera.

[Brian Sweeney]

What speed film were you using?

No need to drop to a slower shutter speed like 1/250. Shoot ISO 100 (or slower) film, and 1/2000th. Usually works for me. The fastest shutter speed helps with hand-held shots.

[wblanchard]

What speed film were you using?

No need to drop to a slower shutter speed like 1/250. Shoot ISO 100 (or slower) film, and 1/2000th. Usually works for me. The fastest shutter speed helps with hand-held shots.

I was shooting XP2 Super 400

[akremer]

nothing wrong with using fash shutter speeds. shoot low iso film and you'll be fine.

[Mackinaw]

I love shooting at wide open with a high speed lens. You can get very unique results. It does help to use a slow film, something like Efke 25. Even then you may have to use a ND filter to knock the light down to a level that will allow you to shoot wide-open.

Here's a shot taken at 0.95 with a Canon 50/0.95 lens. On Efke film with a ND filter.

http://gallery.leica-users.org/d/220684-2/Civil+War_0_95.jpg

Jim B.

[wblanchard]

I love shooting at wide open with a high speed lens. You can get very unique results. It does help to use a slow film, something like Efke 25. Even then you may have to use a ND filter to knock the light down to a level that will allow you to shoot wide-open.

Here's a shot taken at 0.95 with a Canon 50/0.95 lens. On Efke film with a ND filter.

http://gallery.leica-users.org/d/220684-2/Civil+War_0_95.jpg

Jim B.
Thats a nice image Jim! so the secret is slower speed film. so that means if i shoot wide open outside on a sunny day, i won't be able to go indoors at some time and shoot wide open as well? sorta a catch 22 with film.

[dan_sutton]

that's why the ND filter is your friend. push tri-x to 800 and leave three stops on there to give you indoors and out. that's my routine

[Mackinaw]

.....so the secret is slower speed film. so that means if i shoot wide open outside on a sunny day, i won't be able to go indoors at some time and shoot wide open as well? sorta a catch 22 with film.

Probably yes, though I have surprised myself by taking some pretty good pictures in somewhat dim light using slow film (realize, of course, I'm using a Canon 50/0.95 lens wide open, which gives me a stop or so more speed than your 50/1.4 Nokton). But this is one area that digital has an advantage over film. If you need more speed, you can just bump up the ISO dial.

Jim B.

[aperture64]

The reason the camera was flashing 2000 in AE mode is because the scene was most likely too bright for your film speed and the camera needed a faster speed than 2000 for a proper exposure. My D90 does the same, but instead of blinking the shutter speed, the finder says "HIGH".

Use 100 or 50 speed film.

[Juan Valdenebro]

On sunlight I shoot negative ISO 100 film at 50, both color (for saturation) and B&W (for rich shadows with shorter development), so with my Nokton 40 I carry a 43mm ND8, to absorb three stops of light, and it's enough for using a fast shutter speed at f/1.4.. You will need the ND64 (six stops) only if you want to use ISO 400 film under direct sun at f/1.4...

Cheers,

Juan

[vnukov_pk]

BTW ilfordXP2 film can be exposed at different speeds without degrading image quality (see ilford web site for details). AFAIK, 50 to 800 iso are ok. processing can be done as usual, without pushing or pulling corrections.