The new C-41 films..

wrote,on my timestamp of 2/03/2010 4:43 PM:


I got to where I usually didn't need a light meter shooting outdoors
with print film, most of it seems to be pretty lax about exposure or I'm
good at guessing.. I sure wouldn't be using print film if it requires a
spot meter!! For that matter I never had a need for a spot meter
shooting slide film, a basic incidence meter and knowing how to use it
should work..

Print film would require spot metering in extreme lighting situations, where one
needs the full density range the emulsion can give - and a little more if
possible.
A basic incident light meter will cover 99% of the remaining, quite frankly.

I use the spot meter in my 35mm cameras and a Pentax Digital for MF, for one
simple reason: light in Australia is usually of a very high contrast and I have
to avoid blocked out areas at both extremes in just about any shot under sunny
conditions. In some instances I am actually using specific areas of the density
range of b&w film, for which I need very accurate control.

But apart from those extremes, a simple CW meter or my trusty old Lunasix F in
incident mode are all that's needed.




This new fuji 160's are supposed to be more scanner friendly?

They were supposed to, but I've found there is much better now.


I found I got snappier looking colors, more contrast and less visible
grain on the over exposure side of things when optically printing. Maybe
with scanning film it's a problem? I'm not sure yet if I am going to
ditch optically printing film, I got fairly good at RA4 printing and I
know it's archival..

If you enjoy the optical printing process and are setup to do it, then the
slight overexposure may indeed be of advantage. It helps to increase the
density of the negative: a slightly denser negative is usually easier to control
in optical printing. Easy does it, but it is indeed at the origin of the
"overexpose print film" adage.


OK I'll try that as a starting point...

Exactly. Please don't take anything I say as an absolute. It's nothing more
than a reference or starting point, after that it's all your own input. That's
indeed the whole fun of it!