Re: [APML] Film advice sought

[Anthony Ayiomamitis <anthony@perseus.gr>]

Hi Jon,

       Thanks for the feedback. My intended targets are satellites and, as a
result, I am flexible on whether a particular film is sensitive to red, for
example, or not. My primary concern is that the reciprocity be as good as
possible and that a satellite image (really a little disk) be captured. As for
the color of the star and the trails they leave on the film, I am quite
indifferent.

        As for the Canon and zoom proposed, I can switch the zoom lens to manual
focus and not worry about the lens zooming or focusing on its own. Nevertheless,
I will tape it around the barrel so that it does not shift out of position. As
for the EOS 3, again, the extended exposure is not a concern since the camera
consumes very nominal battery power when doing extended exposures.

Anthony.

PS. Sorry for the typo ... yes, I meant Supra and not Superia!

Jon Kolb wrote:

> Anthony,
>
> There are other folks on the list who are better at film queries, but here's
> my take on your question.
>
> >       I would appreciate feedback on the following films, particularly
> > as it relates to reciprocity, for I have a little project in
> > mind which
> > will require 3-4 hr exposures from a site with about mag 7 skies and I
> > would like to get the best bang for the buck ...
>
> It would help to know what your targets are going to be.  3-4 hours is a
> long time - is this a star trails project?
>
> >       Fuji Super HG 1600
> Never tried it.  Probably grainy at that speed.
>
> >       Ilford Delta 3200
> Never tried it. Probably grainy at that speed.
>
> >       Fuji Superia 400
> No red response anymore after Fuji "improved" it.
>
> >       Fruji Superia X-tra 800
> No red response anymore after Fuji "improved" it.
>
> >       I have tried in vain to acquire Kodak's Superia 400 here locally
> > without any success but have managed to find a source on eBay
> > with lots
> > of rolls up for sale. I will acquire a few rolls of Kodak's Ektachrome
> > 100S and 200S.
>
> I think you mean Supra 400.  Beware of the expiration date on film bought on
> eBay. Try www.bhphotovideo.com for this and lots of other films.  Kodak
> Ektachrome E200 is a superior slide film for emission nebulae, but is weaker
> in blue and is not the best choice for reflection nebulae.  Fuji Provia-F
> 400 records blue very well, and is not bad in red, either.
>
> In print films, Kodak Royal Gold 200, especially when hypersensitized, is
> excellent.  RG400 is also good, and Fuji Super HQ 100 (available in grocery
> stores) works well unhypered in fast lenses, and works great when hypered in
> just about any instrument.
>
> If you're shooting star trails, Fuji Provia-F 100 (slides) or Fuji Reala 100
> (prints) at f/5.6 are excellent.  E200 isn't a bad star trails film, either,
> and I suspect RG200 would work pretty good, too.
>
> >       The camera gear involved is my Canon EOS 3 and a 28-105 mm zoom
> > (set at around 80-85 mm).
>
> Without knowing much about Canon, let me ask how you are going to keep the
> shutter open for 4 hours - will the battery last that long? You should
> probably think about taping that zoom lens in position at the focal length
> you want, along with the focus ring.  Zooms have a habit of zooming during
> long exposures.
>
> >        As an aside, how are prints made from slides with respect to
> > resolution, color etc? Are they almost equivalent to using print film?
>
> That's a good question for one of the darkroom guys, or one of the
> professional photographers on the list.
>
> Sincerely,
> Jon Kolb
> Adventures in Astrophotography
> http://home.datawest.net/jkolb/
> jkolb@mindport.com
>
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