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11-02-2019, 05:54 AM   #1
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Favorite film for low light photos with Pentax manual SLRs?

Hi all,
I'm new here. I have a Pentax ME Super. What are your favorite films (for low light photography) to use on Pentax manual SLRs?
What films have you used (for low light or in general), and hated?
Just curious to know what other people are using. Anyone have examples you care to share?
Thanks in advance
Sarah

11-02-2019, 06:25 AM   #2
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I like Ilford HP5 Plus which is a 400 speed film that can be pushed to 3200. I've never shot it that high but I have pushed to 800 with great results.
11-02-2019, 07:20 AM   #3
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It depends on what you mean by “low light photography”...

There are a couple of people here who have used slow film and really long exposures with the LX’s fancy meter to do some amazing things... I’m guessing that’s not what you mean

For ‘general’ ambient light shooting with a relatively fast lens, I like Ilford XP2 for its ease of processing and generally predictable behavior. I usually shoot Fujicolor 400 because it’s cheap... both of those also play nice with flash when needed.

I used to use TMAX 3200 for indoor sports. I regularly pushed it to 12,800 ISO. It’s pretty bad when pushed that far, but decent for newsprint...

But, honestly, modern digital has changed what ‘low light’ means to me, and I haven’t seen film that can keep up with a K1...

-Eric
11-02-2019, 08:12 AM   #4
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for indoor shoots, have always been going for Kodak Portra400, Ilford Delta 400, Kodak TMax400, Kodak Tri-X400, or Kodak UltraMax 400.

Digress somewhat.

Is quite hilarious going for sessions with my Pentax MZ-S or Contax RX or Contax G2, and all the others are either the all fancy Nikon, Canon, Fuji or Sony.

There was once, the shoot organiser, dimmed the lights as they wanted a dim lit setting, using some strings of LED light.

I was on Kodak ASA400 film (unable to recall Portra or UltraMax), and the available light was a bit too low for me to want to try (was using AV mode on the MZ-S, with FA77 wide open, on centreweighted metering).
AV mode, camera telling me shutter speed will be below 1/60, thats why i didnt want to try.
(Oh yeah, i dont do flash).

So, i stepped back and told the others go ahead, i staying away for that scene.

And, guess what the organiser said?
(I was really cracking up big time inside but outwardly, i just maintained a poker face).

Organiser went "can you change the ISO? pump up the ISO?"

Believe me, it was plain crazy hilarious. But i maintained sanity.

Lemme try find one of the images from that session.

11-02-2019, 12:12 PM   #5
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For general shooting, my stand-bys are Portra 800 pushed to 1600 for color, and TMax 3200 or Delta 3200 both e.i. 3200. (Both of which, B&W,I prefer dev'd with XTOL)

I actually used all three of these in the last wedding I shot:
A Good Courtship - Aaron & Courtney, Aug 18th 2018 | Flickr
The 6x7 shots are pushed Portra and Delta3200. The 35mm shots are also pushed Portra color, and TMax3200 b&w.

Cinestill 800 is fun as well. Another favorite is Superia 1600, but it's discontinued and quite expensive (it wasn't cheap even new).
11-02-2019, 03:09 PM   #6
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I loved Kodak BW400CN (I really wish they would bring that back..) and I've shot Fuji 1600 (another "dead" film) but mostly, I'm afraid, I switch to digital for the low light stuff. Tri-X will take some abuse, though, so I have used that in the past, pushed to 800.
11-02-2019, 03:48 PM - 2 Likes   #7
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QuoteOriginally posted by ssakura Quote
Hi all,
I'm new here. I have a Pentax ME Super. What are your favorite films (for low light photography) to use on Pentax manual SLRs?
What films have you used (for low light or in general), and hated?
Just curious to know what other people are using. Anyone have examples you care to share?
Thanks in advance
Sarah
One thing to remember is that on your ME Super, the highest ISO you can set is 1600. You can shoot at 3200 or higher but you have to select manual mode, 1600 ISO and underexpose by a stop or more. Here is a couple of low light shots from my ME Super:-

This is Ilford Delta 3200 but pulled to 1600:-




This is Neopan 1600 (no longer available) pushed to 3200:-



11-02-2019, 04:40 PM - 2 Likes   #8
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New Super Ansochrome 100 color film is the fastest color film in the world and with it you can take portraits with only a single candle to light the subject . . .


Circa 1957 that is . . .

Clearly I missed the second candle . . .

Last edited by LesDMess; 11-03-2019 at 09:50 AM.
11-02-2019, 05:31 PM   #9
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Doesn’t the MESuper exposure compensation dial stop working at either end of the ISO range?

I seem to remember you can’t underexpose with the ISO maxed out or overexpose when set to the minimum film speed...

Or am I crossing it up with the MG or something else?

-Eric
11-02-2019, 06:55 PM   #10
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I think that you have to ask the 'what film' question while also asking what developer and development scheme is also preferred.

I want to play more with Ultrafine Extreme 400 and Clayton F76+ and pushing for two to three stops using fairly traditional development, stretched to get the push. I also like what I've seen a using Tri-X and HC-110, stand developed, shown here; Pushing Kodak Tri-X to 6400 and Beyond (Film Developing)

I can't really understand folks saying that they like Ultramax 400 for low light. It's a 400ish ISO film, sure, but get the exposure a bit off and it really falls apart in my opinion. Portra 400 is pretty great in comparison on this one but noticeably more costly per roll. Fuji Superia 400 is my pick for a good compromise if you want color film.
11-02-2019, 07:03 PM   #11
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It's easy to say what my favourite films for low light are but they are not so easy to get anymore, fortunately for me I have a large stash on "ice". My go to low light films are Kodak Hawkeye and Maco Eagle AQS both surveillance and traffic camera films,that both have massive latitude and still stay reasonably fine grained even when pushed 3 stops. I bought them from remaining stock left from the change-over to digital traffic cameras, they came in 45.7m (150ft) bulk rolls which I roll onto used cassettes obtained from my friendly local processor. Many of my friends also love this film and have been able to coerce rolls of this film from me ( my brother is a serial pest in this regard), luckily I still have 8 bulk rolls and 25 already loaded 36 exposure rolls left.

Glenn
11-03-2019, 02:11 AM   #12
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QuoteOriginally posted by TwoUptons Quote
Doesn’t the MESuper exposure compensation dial stop working at either end of the ISO range?

I seem to remember you can’t underexpose with the ISO maxed out or overexpose when set to the minimum film speed...

Or am I crossing it up with the MG or something else?

-Eric
No you are absolutely right which is why I said that to shoot at 3200, you have to select 1600 and then manually underexpose one stop using the manual shutter speed buttons.
11-03-2019, 04:17 AM   #13
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QuoteOriginally posted by LesDMess Quote
Super Anscochrome 100 color film
After 20 years nearly all my mom's Anscochrome slides had faded and color-shifted.
If I still had them today I suppose I could salvage the images using photo editing software.

Oh well, at least the printed magazine ad aged well...

Chris
11-03-2019, 09:17 AM - 2 Likes   #14
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QuoteOriginally posted by ssakura Quote
Hi all,
I'm new here. I have a Pentax ME Super. What are your favorite films (for low light photography) to use on Pentax manual SLRs?
What films have you used (for low light or in general), and hated?
Just curious to know what other people are using. Anyone have examples you care to share?
Thanks in advance
Sarah
Easily 3200TMZ up to ISO 6400 in HC-110B; in a pinch I’ll push TX or TMY to 3200, but TMZ will provide better shadow detail than a pushed 400 film. Plus, I really love TMZ’s grain and tonality.
11-03-2019, 09:56 AM - 1 Like   #15
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QuoteOriginally posted by ChrisPlatt Quote
After 20 years nearly all my mom's Anscochrome slides had faded and color-shifted.
If I still had them today I suppose I could salvage the images using photo editing software.

Oh well, at least the printed magazine ad aged well...

Chris
I have the slide that came with that September 1957 popular Photography magazine. According to the article in that link, one of 600,000 copies made.



Clearly way older then your mom's Ansochrome slides. I am not really sure if the color has shifted given the source light used. The scan I made is a straight up copy with no pre or post adjustment.

---------- Post added 11-03-19 at 12:46 PM ----------

QuoteOriginally posted by ssakura Quote
Hi all,
I'm new here. I have a Pentax ME Super. What are your favorite films (for low light photography) to use on Pentax manual SLRs?
What films have you used (for low light or in general), and hated?
Just curious to know what other people are using. Anyone have examples you care to share?
Thanks in advance
Sarah
How low is the light? Do you need to maintain a minimum shutter speed or can you use longer shutter speeds? Can you use external lighting?

I've used Kodak Portra 800 with a 200mm lens and had to maintain a minimum shutter speed to try to capture motion without blur. In this case I also used panning and image stabilization to help minimize motion blur.



Also using Kodak Portra 800 but this time with very long shutter speeds - about 10 minutes, to achieve exposure I wanted.

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