Which way to err?

Lets assume that the camera/lens combination you are using only allows you
to adjust exposure in 1 stop increments. The correct exposure for your
subject is pretty much exactly at 1/2 stop between what your camera can set
to. Do you over-expose by 1/2 stop, or under-expose by 1/2 stop. I know the
decision may vary depending on the subject but what would you choose as a
general rule of thumb. Personally I would over-expose if using negative
film, and under-expose if using slide film. Is that a fairly correct method?

Justin Thyme wrote:
Lets assume that the camera/lens combination you are using only
allows you
to adjust exposure in 1 stop increments. The correct exposure for
your
subject is pretty much exactly at 1/2 stop between what your camera
can set
to. Do you over-expose by 1/2 stop, or under-expose by 1/2 stop. I
know the
decision may vary depending on the subject but what would you choose
as a
general rule of thumb. Personally I would over-expose if using
negative
film, and under-expose if using slide film. Is that a fairly correct
method?

Yes.

Negative film has a pretty large latitude for being over exposed but
not much for under-exposure, slide film does not have much latitude
either way but what little it does is for under-exposure.

If you really care about the shot there is always bracketing.

Scott

Justin Thyme wrote:
Lets assume that the camera/lens combination you are using only
allows you to adjust exposure in 1 stop increments. The correct
exposure for your subject is pretty much exactly at 1/2 stop between
what your camera can set to. Do you over-expose by 1/2 stop, or
under-expose by 1/2 stop. I know the decision may vary depending on
the subject but what would you choose as a general rule of thumb.
Personally I would over-expose if using negative film, and
under-expose if using slide film. Is that a fairly correct method?

Equipment and film and your personal preferences all differ. I suggest
that you not worry about what I would do, rather do some test for your self
and see what YOU like. Photography is an art using science to create
images. Don't let the science drive you, you drive it.

--
Joseph Meehan

26 + 6 = 1 It's Irish Math

Justin Thyme wrote:
Lets assume that the camera/lens combination you are using only allows you
to adjust exposure in 1 stop increments. The correct exposure for your
subject is pretty much exactly at 1/2 stop between what your camera can set
to. Do you over-expose by 1/2 stop, or under-expose by 1/2 stop. I know the
decision may vary depending on the subject but what would you choose as a
general rule of thumb. Personally I would over-expose if using negative
film, and under-expose if using slide film. Is that a fairly correct method?

Negatives, no prob. Over expose and get on with life.

Slides are another story:

1) Underexposed 1/2 it will look dull, overexposed 1/2 it will show burned
highlights if the scene latitude goes that high (and it usually does). Colors
will be paled out a little. So evaluate where the highs and lows of the scene
are and pick your poison. If there are stong highlights, underexpose that 1/2 stop.

2) Get a 1/2 stop ND filter if over (or 1/2 ND filter and open up stop) if under.

Note that for scanning, a 1/2 over exp'd slide won't be as bad as a 1/2 under
exp'd slide.

Cheers,
Alan


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Alan Browne wrote:

Note that for scanning, a 1/2 over exp'd slide won't be as bad as a
1/2 under
exp'd slide.

Cheers,
Alan

I don't know, I have had problems scanning over exposed slides, then
again I have had problems scanning under exposed slides as well. There
are a lot of people who will disagree with this but if I am going to
scan I shoot negatives only. I would only shoot slides if I was going
to use them in a slide projector. I think a lot of people got use to
scanning slides when the scanners where not so good and did not handle
scanning negatives well, with a good scanner this is not a problem.

Scott

Start by getting a different camera.
If you must play this game however, the general rule with negative film
is that overexposure is better than underexposure and the reverse with
reversal film.
But if you intend to scan the negative film you have only about a full
stop of over-exposure before you start getting beyond the density range of
most scanners. So if you are scanning, I would vote for slight underexposure
with CN, or B/W and slight over-exposure with Slides as that is what the
scanner is going to like best.
If you're not scanning -- you will be, or you will be having it done some
day, so expose for the eventual scan.

--
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home of The Camera-ist's Manifesto
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http://www.chapelhillnoir.com/links/mlinks00.html
A sample chapter from "Haight-Ashbury" is at
http://www.chapelhillnoir.com/writ/hait/hatitl.html

"Justin Thyme" wrote in message
...
Lets assume that the camera/lens combination you are using only allows you
to adjust exposure in 1 stop increments. The correct exposure for your
subject is pretty much exactly at 1/2 stop between what your camera can
set
to. Do you over-expose by 1/2 stop, or under-expose by 1/2 stop. I know
the
decision may vary depending on the subject but what would you choose as a
general rule of thumb. Personally I would over-expose if using negative
film, and under-expose if using slide film. Is that a fairly correct
method?

Tony wrote:
Start by getting a different camera.
If you must play this game however, the general rule with
negative film
is that overexposure is better than underexposure and the reverse
with
reversal film.
But if you intend to scan the negative film you have only about a
full
stop of over-exposure before you start getting beyond the density
range of
most scanners. So if you are scanning, I would vote for slight
underexposure
with CN, or B/W and slight over-exposure with Slides as that is what
the
scanner is going to like best.
If you're not scanning -- you will be, or you will be having it
done some
day, so expose for the eventual scan.

I have had just the opposite experience with color negatives, if they
are under exposed there is not much I can do with them but I can handle
negatives that are way over exposed. Give me a dark negative and I can
get a good image out of it, give me a light one and I really have to
work to get anything that looks good at all.

Scott

On 14 Feb 2005 21:20:11 -0800, "Scott W" wrote:


Alan Browne wrote:

Note that for scanning, a 1/2 over exp'd slide won't be as bad as a
1/2 under
exp'd slide.

Cheers,
Alan

I don't know, I have had problems scanning over exposed slides, then
again I have had problems scanning under exposed slides as well. There
are a lot of people who will disagree with this but if I am going to
scan I shoot negatives only. I would only shoot slides if I was going
to use them in a slide projector. I think a lot of people got use to
scanning slides when the scanners where not so good and did not handle
scanning negatives well, with a good scanner this is not a problem.

I've had the same experience, latitude on negs are better than slide,
so the whole scanning process gives you more leeway. Negs can be
processed faster and cheaper than slides. Negs scan 4 at a time,
slides have to go one-by-one.

Scanning kodachrome properly is a black art.

Disadvantage with scanning from negs - color balance. I can always
whip out the slide and see the colors with my own eyes to correct the
digital version. You can't do that with a negative.

--
Owamanga!

"Scott W" wrote in message
ups.com...

Tony wrote:
Start by getting a different camera.
If you must play this game however, the general rule with
negative film
is that overexposure is better than underexposure and the reverse
with
reversal film.
But if you intend to scan the negative film you have only about a
full
stop of over-exposure before you start getting beyond the density
range of
most scanners. So if you are scanning, I would vote for slight
underexposure
with CN, or B/W and slight over-exposure with Slides as that is what
the
scanner is going to like best.
If you're not scanning -- you will be, or you will be having it
done some
day, so expose for the eventual scan.

I have had just the opposite experience with color negatives, if they
are under exposed there is not much I can do with them but I can handle
negatives that are way over exposed. Give me a dark negative and I can
get a good image out of it, give me a light one and I really have to
work to get anything that looks good at all.

Scott


That is opposed to conventional wisdom and is probably a result of your
specific scanner.

--
Regards,
Matt Clara
www.mattclara.com