b+w film

billypip · 10-22-2011, 12:29 PM

can any pentaxians offer sound advice ? I have dug out an old pentax ME super 35mm camera and there were two rolls of film {35mm } still boxed and within date. They are Ilford delta 100 and Ilford FP4 125. My question is this.............I want to go out and try this camera and film but dont know which shooting situation suits each particular film ? It is almost winter here in England now and light is still good but fading week by week. I would like to go into the woods and do some moody shots in b+w but afraid the film wont cope with the lack of light. Please help.

MysteryOnion · 10-22-2011, 01:45 PM

Originally posted by billypip

I would like to go into the woods and do some moody shots in b+w but afraid the film wont cope with the lack of light

It is not a lack of light... more a low light and if you want to shoot a stop or two off that may give you moody... I would suggest Delta and FP4 @ 200-320 ASA to underexpose. If the ME super is working proper then the meter will certainly help, a tripod is a must. How moody I would guess that depending on clouds, trees, terrain overhead that you will be at speeds around 15th to 250th with the lens averaging at around f4 from 10am to 3pm. Early morning and late in the day will require more wider to f2.8 or slower 4th to 30th... sorry for my wide guess-sta-mations. Hope this helped.

klaus123 · 10-22-2011, 01:48 PM

The DELTA is the new, modern film which will give you a finer grain and which may have more room to push it. I personally prefer the old-fashoned FP4Plus - it has more analog character. What ever you do - you can't do anything wrong ;-)

rwe0112 · 10-22-2011, 11:11 PM

I've pushed Delta 100 to 800 with more than acceptable results. The added grain may assist you in your pursuit of "moody."

titrisol · 10-24-2011, 10:48 AM

Just go out and shoot with what you got.
You will have to shoot outside mostly, 100 will barely do in this fall days but should be enough

Get fresh batteries for the camera, and clean the compartment with the eraser at the end of a pencil first though .

billypip · 10-24-2011, 11:28 PM

Thank you all for the helpful tips. I look forward to going out and shooting with these films and if all goes well i might shoot film as well as digital. There are a couple of points im not sure of however......,rwe0112 you say you have pushed it to 800 , as a beginner im not sure what this means and titrisol........do you mean use the eraser in the film compartment and if so, what does this do ? Forgive my ignorance .

Vendee · 10-25-2011, 03:19 AM

Originally posted by billypip

Thank you all for the helpful tips. I look forward to going out and shooting with these films and if all goes well i might shoot film as well as digital. There are a couple of points im not sure of however......,rwe0112 you say you have pushed it to 800 , as a beginner im not sure what this means and titrisol........do you mean use the eraser in the film compartment and if so, what does this do ? Forgive my ignorance .

1) Pushing a film:- This means underexposing the film with the view to making the shutter speed fast enough to hand hold in poor light. So you take your 100 iso film, put it in your camera and set the iso dial to 800. This is called a 3 stop push. The camera thinks you have 800 iso film and sets the shutter speed 3 stops faster than it really should be.

However, when you have shot your film, it will be 3 stops underexposed (very dark) so you have to compensate for this by overdeveloping the film the equivalent of 3 stops. This is easy if you are developing your own film but if you are giving it to a lab for developing, you must tell them that the film was pushed 3 stops. They may charge more for this.

2) You use the eraser on the end of a pencil on the battery terminals of the camera. It is very good for cleaning them up.

P.S. B&W is great for street photography so you might want to give that a go. You might not even have to push the film at all if the light is good. If you get round to buying some more film, try 400 ISO film like Kodak Tmax 400 or Kodak Tri-X. Its a lot more suited to what you are trying to do. 7dayshop are usually the cheapest in the UK.

titrisol · 10-26-2011, 02:25 AM

Not in the film, in the battery compartment. The rubber is a soft-abrasive that will clean the contacts just in case some corrosion is present.

Take out the old batteries, and with the camera in upright position (battery compartment pointing down) clean the compartment with the pencil-eraser. Check that no big chunks are left before putting new batteries.

It is one of those things that you do form time to time and does not harm your camera but helps

Originally posted by billypip

--snip----- snip-----
titrisol........do you mean use the eraser in the film compartment and if so, what does this do ? Forgive my ignorance .

billypip · 10-26-2011, 01:46 PM

thanks again to Vendee and titrisol, im still a novice but am learning very fast. Thanks to all that have posted guidance and i shall certainly carry your points into the field [ so to speak ] and hope that i get somewhere near favorable results.

aurele · 10-26-2011, 01:56 PM

if you decide to shoot in the wood, take a tripod.

For the ilford fp4 125 iso
Print this http://www.ilfordphoto.com/Webfiles/2010712125850702.pdf, and look page 2.
It tells that if you want to do exposure longer than 1/2 sec, you will have some "tricks" to do.
To make it simple, if the body tells you 5 sec exposure (with a set aperture, like f8 for example), you will need to expose the film around 12 sec in reality.

It's nice to go back to film sometime

enjoy it !

titrisol · 11-09-2011, 01:17 AM

How did it go?

Kaufeetime · 11-09-2011, 10:11 AM

ILFORD – PUSH PROCESSING

THE NOCTURNES helpful for night photography.

PHOTO-TUTS is a 5 star web page - fun ideas.

There are several web pages dedicated to b&w. For me when I shoot b&w I look for contrast.
Check out this blog called PHOTOBLE.
Go out take the pictures, experiment – learn – most important have fun while you are out in the woods.

billypip · 11-10-2011, 02:11 AM

the links you gave me Kaufeetime are great and highlight the skills needed to shoot well in black and white and though as yet Titrisol, i havent ventured out yet due to work commitments i do feel better armed to shoot with a certain degree of success the better i understand what im doing ! Im hoping to head out this week-end and looking forward to it very much. I will post any favourable results asap.

titrisol · 11-10-2011, 07:56 AM

Ansel Adams used to day that to "preview" things in BW you should see the scene through a blue piece of glass.....

now, be not afraid, millions of people have done it before you!!!

10-22-2011, 12:29 PM	#1
billypip Junior Member Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Nottingham England. Posts: 30	b+w film can any pentaxians offer sound advice ? I have dug out an old pentax ME super 35mm camera and there were two rolls of film {35mm } still boxed and within date. They are Ilford delta 100 and Ilford FP4 125. My question is this.............I want to go out and try this camera and film but dont know which shooting situation suits each particular film ? It is almost winter here in England now and light is still good but fading week by week. I would like to go into the woods and do some moody shots in b+w but afraid the film wont cope with the lack of light. Please help.

10-24-2011, 11:28 PM	#6
billypip Junior Member Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Nottingham England. Posts: 30 Original Poster	B+W Thank you all for the helpful tips. I look forward to going out and shooting with these films and if all goes well i might shoot film as well as digital. There are a couple of points im not sure of however......,rwe0112 you say you have pushed it to 800 , as a beginner im not sure what this means and titrisol........do you mean use the eraser in the film compartment and if so, what does this do ? Forgive my ignorance .

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10-22-2011, 01:45 PM	#2
MysteryOnion Giveaway winner! Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: beantown Photos: Albums Posts: 944	Originally posted by billypip I would like to go into the woods and do some moody shots in b+w but afraid the film wont cope with the lack of light It is not a lack of light... more a low light and if you want to shoot a stop or two off that may give you moody... I would suggest Delta and FP4 @ 200-320 ASA to underexpose. If the ME super is working proper then the meter will certainly help, a tripod is a must. How moody I would guess that depending on clouds, trees, terrain overhead that you will be at speeds around 15th to 250th with the lens averaging at around f4 from 10am to 3pm. Early morning and late in the day will require more wider to f2.8 or slower 4th to 30th... sorry for my wide guess-sta-mations. Hope this helped.

10-22-2011, 01:48 PM	#3
klaus123 Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Germany Posts: 238	The DELTA is the new, modern film which will give you a finer grain and which may have more room to push it. I personally prefer the old-fashoned FP4Plus - it has more analog character. What ever you do - you can't do anything wrong ;-)

10-22-2011, 11:11 PM	#4
rwe0112 New Member Join Date: Sep 2011 Posts: 5	I've pushed Delta 100 to 800 with more than acceptable results. The added grain may assist you in your pursuit of "moody."

10-24-2011, 10:48 AM	#5
titrisol Pentaxian Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: In the most populated state... state of denial Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 1,851	Just go out and shoot with what you got. You will have to shoot outside mostly, 100 will barely do in this fall days but should be enough Get fresh batteries for the camera, and clean the compartment with the eraser at the end of a pencil first though .

10-25-2011, 03:19 AM	#7
Vendee Pentaxian Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Norfolk, UK Posts: 1,134	Originally posted by billypip Thank you all for the helpful tips. I look forward to going out and shooting with these films and if all goes well i might shoot film as well as digital. There are a couple of points im not sure of however......,rwe0112 you say you have pushed it to 800 , as a beginner im not sure what this means and titrisol........do you mean use the eraser in the film compartment and if so, what does this do ? Forgive my ignorance . 1) Pushing a film:- This means underexposing the film with the view to making the shutter speed fast enough to hand hold in poor light. So you take your 100 iso film, put it in your camera and set the iso dial to 800. This is called a 3 stop push. The camera thinks you have 800 iso film and sets the shutter speed 3 stops faster than it really should be. However, when you have shot your film, it will be 3 stops underexposed (very dark) so you have to compensate for this by overdeveloping the film the equivalent of 3 stops. This is easy if you are developing your own film but if you are giving it to a lab for developing, you must tell them that the film was pushed 3 stops. They may charge more for this. 2) You use the eraser on the end of a pencil on the battery terminals of the camera. It is very good for cleaning them up. P.S. B&W is great for street photography so you might want to give that a go. You might not even have to push the film at all if the light is good. If you get round to buying some more film, try 400 ISO film like Kodak Tmax 400 or Kodak Tri-X. Its a lot more suited to what you are trying to do. 7dayshop are usually the cheapest in the UK.

10-26-2011, 02:25 AM	#8
titrisol Pentaxian Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: In the most populated state... state of denial Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 1,851	Not in the film, in the battery compartment. The rubber is a soft-abrasive that will clean the contacts just in case some corrosion is present. Take out the old batteries, and with the camera in upright position (battery compartment pointing down) clean the compartment with the pencil-eraser. Check that no big chunks are left before putting new batteries. It is one of those things that you do form time to time and does not harm your camera but helps Originally posted by billypip --snip----- snip----- titrisol........do you mean use the eraser in the film compartment and if so, what does this do ? Forgive my ignorance .

10-26-2011, 01:46 PM	#9
billypip Junior Member Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Nottingham England. Posts: 30 Original Poster	thanks again to Vendee and titrisol, im still a novice but am learning very fast. Thanks to all that have posted guidance and i shall certainly carry your points into the field [ so to speak ] and hope that i get somewhere near favorable results.

10-26-2011, 01:56 PM	#10
aurele Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Paris, France Photos: Albums Posts: 3,217	if you decide to shoot in the wood, take a tripod. For the ilford fp4 125 iso Print this http://www.ilfordphoto.com/Webfiles/2010712125850702.pdf, and look page 2. It tells that if you want to do exposure longer than 1/2 sec, you will have some "tricks" to do. To make it simple, if the body tells you 5 sec exposure (with a set aperture, like f8 for example), you will need to expose the film around 12 sec in reality. It's nice to go back to film sometime enjoy it !

11-09-2011, 01:17 AM	#11
titrisol Pentaxian Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: In the most populated state... state of denial Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 1,851	How did it go?

11-09-2011, 10:11 AM	#12
Kaufeetime Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Kansas City,Mo. Photos: Albums Posts: 206	ILFORD – PUSH PROCESSING THE NOCTURNES helpful for night photography. PHOTO-TUTS is a 5 star web page - fun ideas. There are several web pages dedicated to b&w. For me when I shoot b&w I look for contrast. Check out this blog called PHOTOBLE. Go out take the pictures, experiment – learn – most important have fun while you are out in the woods.

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11-10-2011, 02:11 AM	#13
billypip Junior Member Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Nottingham England. Posts: 30 Original Poster	the links you gave me Kaufeetime are great and highlight the skills needed to shoot well in black and white and though as yet Titrisol, i havent ventured out yet due to work commitments i do feel better armed to shoot with a certain degree of success the better i understand what im doing ! Im hoping to head out this week-end and looking forward to it very much. I will post any favourable results asap.

11-10-2011, 07:56 AM	#14
titrisol Pentaxian Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: In the most populated state... state of denial Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 1,851	Ansel Adams used to day that to "preview" things in BW you should see the scene through a blue piece of glass..... now, be not afraid, millions of people have done it before you!!!