 Dennis Martineau |
Pulling Film Can someone explain this to me? Recently, I took some photos in a very small room. I used a softbox, very close. I used Fuji 800. Since I could not lower the intensity of the light enough, I shot the film at 200, using a Sekonic handheld light meter. I shot 5 roles at this speed. My fiancee dropped off the film at a pro processor who said that I can't shoot film pulled that far back. He thought the film was 160 speed ( I don't know why, since the film packaging said asa 800. He told my fiancee to call him, which I did. He said there shouldn't be a problem since the film was 160 and I shot it at 200. I told him it was 800 speed and I pulled it to 200. He said that I can't pull color print film like that because it won't turn out with colors rendered correctly. He then said that he had processed all of the film (at 160 for 160). I picked up the film. All pics looked fine in color, skin tones looked good to me. I double-checked the film type by looking at the remaining roles (I bought 10 boxes of 5 packs)and I am certain it was indeed 800 speed. Now, my question is this;;;;how, why did they turn out if as my processor said, "it can't be done and anyone who tells you that is lying to you?" I am confused as to why he thinks this and why they came out when processed at below the recommened developing time. Thank you for your help. Dennis.
|
|
|
|
||
|
Jon Close |
Color print film is developed in C-41 process, and (with very few specific exceptions) cannot be pull or push processed the way one can with traditional black and white films and color slide/reversal/chrome films. Color print films, like the Fuji 800 you used, have very wide exposure latitude, and will generally record usable images when under-exposed by up to 2 stops (3200 for 800 film) or over-exposed up to 3 stops (100 for 800 film). You shot at 200, which is 2 stops over. As you found, this is not a big problem. I don't know what your lab was referring to when they said the film was "160." It's possible they were referring to it being "CN-16" process, which is Fuji's equivalent to the C-41 color print process. All CN-16/C-41 films can be developed together for the same amount of time, regardless of the films' ISO ratings. With regard to color print film, "push" and "pull" simply mean re-rating the film so that one can get the desired shutter speed, aperture, or as you did, to balance flash exposure.
|
|
|
|
||
- Gregory LaGrange Contact Gregory LaGrange Gregory LaGrange's Gallery |
Print film can handle over exposure pretty well, like Jon said. If this "pro processor" was a regular one hour place like ritz or wolf,they can be wrong about something just like anybody else. Realisitcally you can shoot print film, a good print film I should say, at 2 stops over and wouldn't necessarily need to pull process it. You can just print it darker with, (the hour labs call it adding density), with the machines they have. Don't fret over what the guy in the lab said. I went into a camera store once because I needed a body cap (the plastic cap that covers the body when you don't have a lens on it) for a canon eos, and the guy said I'd have to get one directly from canon. So sometimes a guy behind a counter dosen't know what they're talking about.
|
|
|
|
||
|
This old forum is now archived. Use improved Forum here
Report this Thread |
||