film speed question?

F1addict · Feb 22, 2009

I have a old Minolta X370 with a nice 50mm lens and a 80-200mm zoom.
I get good pictures with the 50mm but unless I use 800 speed film all my pictures with the 80-200mm are blurry.
The lens is a F4.5 by some company I've never heard of, Sakar...or that could just be the maker of the lens cap I don't really know:lmao: So I know its not a great lens to begin with.

So do I really have to use 800 speed film with zoom lens' or is it just that this zoom lens is bad. Because if I can just get like a 100mm and a 200mm fixed focal length lens' and get nice pictures with any speed film (depending on the situation) then I think that would be better then always using 800 speed film because its pretty grainy. Not horrible but not great either. Besides when I use the zoom I normally just leave it at 200mm anyways.

thanks for any help

compur · Feb 22, 2009

If you're hand-holding the camera, using a longer lens means you must
use a faster shutter shutter speed to prevent motion blur.

The usual rule is the slowest speed you should use when hand-holding is
1/focal length of the lens is use.

So, when using a hand-held 250mm lens keep the shutter speed at 1/250
or faster.

Of course, you can use a tripod and then use any shutter speed you want
with any lens.

AlexColeman · Feb 22, 2009

You aren't getting a short enough exposure to counteract teh blur.

F1addict · Feb 22, 2009

thats the thing

I either was using a tripod and at a high shutter speed (1/250,1/500,1/1000) or handheld at one of those shutter speeds.
I try to keep it at one of those three speeds (I only use this camera outside in sunlight), I'll only go down to 1/125(the next step below 1/250 on this camera) if I have to but never below that and normally not with my zoom.

The film I have been using( because that's what was readily available at the walmart where I was when I first started using this camera last summer, walmart being the really the only store in the area selling film) is Fujifilm Superia 400 and 800. 800 being the only one that works with the zoom. While pictures with the 400 and zoom came out blurry. And even on the back of the box for it it said for zoom lens to use 800 or higher but that just doesn't make any sense to me.

dxqcanada · Feb 22, 2009

If you are shooting with a tripod ... then I would expect that there would be something in the image that is not blurry. With a tripod you normally reduce blur due to camera shake.

Handholding at 1/500s or 1/1000s with that lens should also produce a non-blurry picture.

It could be possible that the lens is unsharp, due to very poor optics.

F1addict · Feb 22, 2009

That wouldn't surprise me that it was just a bad lens.
It was my moms camera and she said she could never get this lens to work.
I think I'm just going to buy a 200mm fixed focal length lens to hopefully solve my problem.
I've been looking on KEH for some and these are the three I'm looking at
Minolta
KEH Camera: Minolta Manual Focus - Fixed Focal Lengths - 200 F3.5 MC TELE ROKKOR-X QF (62) 35MM SLR MANUAL FOCUS TELEPHOTO LENS
Tokina
KEH Camera: Minolta Manual Focus - Non-Mfg Fixed Focal Lenses - 200 F3.5 TOKINA RMC MD (58) 35MM SLR MANUAL FOCUS TELEPHOTO LENS
Vivitar
KEH Camera: Minolta Manual Focus - Non-Mfg Fixed Focal Lenses - 200 F3.5 VIVITAR MD (62) 35MM SLR MANUAL FOCUS TELEPHOTO LENS

all faster then my zoom, all in excellent condition. The Vivitar and Tokina an much cheaper, but I know I can probably trust the Minolta lens.
Any opinions on which would be better?

djacobox372 · Feb 23, 2009

F1addict said:
That wouldn't surprise me that it was just a bad lens.
It was my moms camera and she said she could never get this lens to work.
I think I'm just going to buy a 200mm fixed focal length lens to hopefully solve my problem.
I've been looking on KEH for some and these are the three I'm looking at
Minolta
KEH Camera: Minolta Manual Focus - Fixed Focal Lengths - 200 F3.5 MC TELE ROKKOR-X QF (62) 35MM SLR MANUAL FOCUS TELEPHOTO LENS
Tokina
KEH Camera: Minolta Manual Focus - Non-Mfg Fixed Focal Lenses - 200 F3.5 TOKINA RMC MD (58) 35MM SLR MANUAL FOCUS TELEPHOTO LENS
Vivitar
KEH Camera: Minolta Manual Focus - Non-Mfg Fixed Focal Lenses - 200 F3.5 VIVITAR MD (62) 35MM SLR MANUAL FOCUS TELEPHOTO LENS

all faster then my zoom, all in excellent condition. The Vivitar and Tokina an much cheaper, but I know I can probably trust the Minolta lens.
Any opinions on which would be better?

Sorry, but there is no way that the functions of a lens would be affected by film speed. My guess is that the focus is off (at all film speeds), and you are just able to use a tighter aperture for wider DOF when using high-speed film which makes the problem less noticable.

F1addict · Feb 23, 2009

djacobox372 said:
Sorry, but there is no way that the functions of a lens would be affected by film speed. My guess is that the focus is off (at all film speeds), and you are just able to use a tighter aperture for wider DOF when using high-speed film which makes the problem less noticable.

I don't think so.
I had to have the camera fixed last summer because a few things were broken. And the repair included checking and adjusting all the components and functions of the camera.
And there's zero sign of it being out of focus with my 50mm no mater what aperture I'm using with it...unless of course I don't focus it right.
And like I said before my mom also said she could never get the zoom lens to work right and she got it brand new.

Jeff Canes · Feb 24, 2009

So with 50mm everything seem fine at all shutter speeds?

F1addict · Feb 24, 2009

Jeff Canes said:
So with 50mm everything seem fine at all shutter speeds?

every shutter speed above 1/60.
Never gone below that with this camera. I only use it during the day when I don't need a tripod. Although I often use a tripod anyways if I have it with me

Early · Feb 25, 2009

Film speed, or shutter speed shouldn't matter as long as the camera is held steady during exposure. Your lens, however, not being a premium design, will more than likely be at it's sharpest at around f8 or f11. In other words, you can use a 100 iso film with a 10 sec shutter speed and get a sharp picture, provided your lens is capable. In fact, if you had gotten a sharp pic with an 800 iso film, the 100 iso will be even sharper at the same aperture if the camera is held steady.

djacobox372 · Feb 25, 2009

F1addict said:
I don't think so.
I had to have the camera fixed last summer because a few things were broken. And the repair included checking and adjusting all the components and functions of the camera.
And there's zero sign of it being out of focus with my 50mm no mater what aperture I'm using with it...unless of course I don't focus it right.
And like I said before my mom also said she could never get the zoom lens to work right and she got it brand new.

I meant the focus could be off on the lens, some lenses front or back focus with autofocus.

Film is just a receptor for light, there's no way that faster would film would improve focus--both fast and slow film capture the same image, out of focus or not.

F1addict · Feb 25, 2009

well its manual focus so I don't really see how the focus can be off on the lens?

Battou · Feb 26, 2009

F1addict said:
well its manual focus so I don't really see how the focus can be off on the lens?

I havn't read the whole thread yet but, A couple that spring to mind:

Ware to the mount, it can change the distance to the film plane effectivly screwing up the focus as it reads to film.

Error on the focusing ring making markings for fixed distance prefocusing off. I have a 135mm lens with this problem, it can only be used through the fiewfinder otherwise the focus is off.

Also, Lenses tend to be a little soft when shot wide open and that can look almost like a missfocus.

*EDIT*

Sakar used to make some very nice tak sharp lenses, they are nothing to be ashamed of when they are in good shape. the 135mm I bought to replace the messed up one is a Sakar and I love it.

Yeah, try a faster prime, You will likely be happier with a prime anywho