Slide film.

Thanks guys! I can't figure out how to use my meter on my camera. I know how to do the exposuer comp and the DOF preview (Which I use to find the right aperture for my shot).

For an EOS camera, press the shutter button half way. You'll see a little scale in the viewfinder (and also on the LCD display on top), looking something like this:

-2.1.v.1.2+

With a pointer underneath it. When the bar/arrow on the bottom is centered, you've got the exposure settings which will yield a frame that averages out to 18% gray. Note that if you're using a mode other than M, the pointer will not move by itself if you point the camera at different light levels, because it is automatically adjusting your exposure.

In general, if you adjust aperture/shutter-speed for less exposure, the scene will render darker, and vice versa. The key is to meter off the subject. If the subject is standing against a white wall, for instance, open up your exposure until the bar is more to the right (the + side), else your wall will be gray and your subject will be dark. If your subject is standing in a darkened room, with light on his or her face, stop down (to the - side), else your room will look brighter and the subject will be "blown out" or too light. This is more important with slide film than with negative film because you can adjust print exposure with negative film, but with slide film, what you see is what you get.

For most scenes, though, you'll probably want to adjust the pointer so that it's under the center mark or close to it. Half a stop either way won't make too much difference, but it will be noticeable.

-JamesD
 
I have used Provia 100 as a standard film for many, many years. It is still my standard color film. Accurate colors, fine grain, neutral contrast. Great stuff.

Yes, Provia is Fuji's "Normal" film with normal color saturation.
Velvia is their High saturation film.
Astia/Sensia has a little less saturation than Provia, their data guide
describes if as "subdued color reproduction".
 
No. The underexposure would be the same for either film. With the slide film you are looking at the film itself. With print film you are viewing a print made from the film itself that was corrected for exposure in printing. The negative would still be underexposed.

Transparency film needs to be exposed correctly. There is no intermediate step to hide the errors.

Is this why I find it useless to bracket exposures when shooting negative film to be developed/printed commercially? I used to bracket my exposures, but, then, all three pics would come back looking almost identical.

I currently shoot negative film and have it developed without printing. I haven't tried bracketing only because I figure I can adjust the exposure in PS if it needs anything.

Caruso
 
Yes and no. Your average lab will scan the slide and print on a lightjet. Results are very good. Then there's Ciba/Ilfochrome, which puts the rest of the color world to shame.

Eventually, if you want, you can invest in a film scanner. I have a Nikon Coolscan V that does both negatives and positives (slides). It's a wonderful tool.

Years ago, I used to send my slides to Holland Photo in Austin, TX for Ciba/Ilfochrome prints. They did an excellent job. A quick visit to their website just now showed an announcement that they had discontinued C/I-chrome, but now have something similar called Kodak Endura. Does anyone know anything about this process?

The old Cibachrome process was superb. The prints had a luminescent, almost metallic quality and were printed on what appeared to be thin plastic sheet rather than paper. I have framed Cibachrome prints done by Holland 20+ years ago that still look perfect.

Having said that, last year I attended a Nikon seminar. Outside the auditorium, they had a display of Nikon equipment and some very large and expensive Epson digital printers, the results from which were quite impressive. As I recall, these had a dozen or so individual color ink cartridges.
 
I've printed on the top Epson printers. I work in a lab with a 7800. They're very good for color, but a pain in the ass to calibrate and to keep calibrated.

AFAIK, the Endura papers are simply RA4 specially designed for digital printers.
 
I just recently started using slide film and really enjoy it. I guess I cheated and left my camera in Program mode and had the computer do the work, but I got some very nice captures. Scanned with Nikon Coolscan V. Film was Kodak Elite Chrome Iso 100.

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Comments welcome.:)
 
my first adventure into slight film was at some young age when i by accident loaded a roll of slide film into my camera ... from then on I never touched colour negative again (it is more forgiving than slide film with respect to exposure though)
 

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