1600

[Spicoli]

Pardon my ignorance, but what is the best use of 1600 speed film? I know the faster the film, the better it is for low-light or fast-action shooting, but is 1600 good to use at dusk, or would a slower film work better?

 

[Digital Matt]

It all depends on what look you want. 1600 speed film is good in low light, if you want to hand hold, or if you like lots of grain. If you are trying to take a nice sunset picture, I would get a tripod, and some ISO 100 slide film. Do a longer exposure with a slower film, for a fine grained image.

 

[Spicoli]

Thanks. I was under the impression a slow speed film is undesirable in lower light, but I take it you can use slow speed so long as the exposure lenght is sufficient?

 

[Digital Matt]

You can use any speed film, as long as you can get a normal exposure. At night with slow films, you'll need to use a tripod, or something to stabalize the camera, as the exposures will need to be longer. The results can be stunning though.

 

[Spicoli]

So unless I'm taking action shots or want some grain 1600 is generally too fast?

Again, sorry for all these questions.

 

[fightheheathens]

i used 3200 speed film (B&W) to shoot a band in a dimly lit room with no flash at 200mm and i was still able to get shutter speeds of 1/500th.

 

[Digital Matt]

So unless I'm taking action shots or want some grain 1600 is generally too fast?

Again, sorry for all these questions.

Well, like I said, it's all up to you. I can't tell you when to use it, and when not to. Generally speaking, ISO 400 is a good all around film to use, indoors, or even in daylight. It's considered a fast film. Medium speed films like ISO 100 or 200 are best used outdoors, or with a tripod in lower light. Slow films, like ISO 50, would only be used in bright light, or for sure with a tripod. The grain structure of each type of film is different. Generally, slower films have tighter grain, which means you don't see it as much.

 

[ksmattfish]

is 1600 good to use at dusk, or would a slower film work better?

What is your subject?

Are you shooting at a backyard BBQ, and would like to keep the shutter speeds high enough to hand hold the camera? It would be great for that.

Or are you doing landscapes and sunsets, where you're using a tripod, and subject motion isn't an issue? Like Digital Matt said, you'll probably like the results from a slower, finer grained film better for that sort of subject.

 

[selmerdave]

If your subject is moving (ie. people), you are limited by available light. In moderate to low light conditions you need a film that is fast enough to freeze whatever motion there is with the available/desired aperature. If your subject is static and you have a good tripod, the only consideration is the look of the film. The grainy look of fast film is very stylized and for a lot of shots looks great. But you might be looking for a more pristine image quality in which case you will want slow film. My recommendation is to do a google images search for fast films (1600 or 3200) and then slower films (100), and look at examples of pictures with each. Then you can decide which look you are going for and when each might be useful.

Dave

PS - sorry, realizing that a lot of what I said was a repeat of Matt.

 

[Spicoli]

Thanks for all the help. I walked around the neighborhood last night taking pictures of abandoned houses, graffiti, "No Dumping" signs, stuff like that (I know, it sounds bad), with 1600 speed film and was curious if it would be good film to take pictures of streets with where the cars drive by an open shutter and you get those tracer effects (not sure what those types of pictures are called). But the discussion has certainly increased my knowledge about this film speed, as well as several other speeds.

Wow, one day here and I've learned more than I have in a few weeks of casual attempts at learning.

 

[selmerdave]

For the "tracer effects" you'll want long shutter speeds (as long as it takes for the cars to go that far). Faster film gets you faster shutter speeds all other things being equal, so you want slower film for those kind of shots.

Dave