acavill Posted January 3, 2014 Share #1 Posted January 3, 2014 Advertisement (gone after registration) I am off on a ski trip to Switzerland in a couple of weeks and am planning to take my MP with me and a load of film. I am reasonably new to film and the MP and would love some feedback on the following; 1. Exposure in snow conditions and particularly film selection for this. I would like to shoot E6 but am worried about its limitations to over or under exposure. Am I better shooting with something else? 2. I am expecting the MP will live up to the cold conditions without too many issues? 3. I have never travelled internationally with film - I assume carry-on X-ray machines are ok? Any feedback on any or all of the above would be very much appreciated. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted January 3, 2014 Posted January 3, 2014 Hi acavill, Take a look here Shooting Film in the Snow and Cold. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
stevesurf Posted January 3, 2014 Share #2 Posted January 3, 2014 First of all, congrats and good luck on the trip; here's a few brief thoughts: 1. I would shoot something with a wide exposure latitude like Kodak Portra or Ektar 100 and consider a handheld meter as most internal meters will try to expose for greyscale. You can bracket well and safeguard against underexposure, or just use a +1-2 stops compensation. 2. Although I don't own the MP, the lithium batteries in the M7 have been fine for me at 0F, keeping plenty spares handy in case of the abrupt failure that some lithiums exhibit. Advance film slowly to keep static electricity at a minimum - this can ruin film in extreme cold. Be careful when bringing the camera in out of the cold and avoid condensation from an abrupt temp rise. 3. I've always traveled with the Domke lead-lined film pouch and carry on my film, even with sub-800 ISO films. Putting film in checked baggage can have unpredictable results, especially for fast film. I hope this helps! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
250swb Posted January 3, 2014 Share #3 Posted January 3, 2014 Yes I agree with Steve, E6 films are very sensitive to the correct exposure and even with the best technique its probably best to use Portra or Ektar and use the extra latitude to get more detail in the shadow and highlight areas. A separate small meter to give you incident readings would be good, or a Kodak grey card to use with your camera's meter until you get used to the exposure compensation required. Steve Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stealth3kpl Posted January 3, 2014 Share #4 Posted January 3, 2014 +3, but I would choose Portra over Ektar because I think Portra has more latitude before colours start going funny. Be wary of using the inbuilt reflective meter. If it's sunny, expect the aperture to be f16 when you've set the shutter speed to near the iso value. For example, if using Portra 160, I would expect the aperture to be f16 when the shutter is set to 125. If it's overcast, I would expect the aperture to be 5.6. What you don't want to do is under expose (which is what your reflective, built-in meter will want to do). Get an incident meter and you really can't go wrong. Pete Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brenton C Posted January 4, 2014 Share #5 Posted January 4, 2014 What about film already in the camera as it goes through x-ray? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Landberg Posted January 4, 2014 Share #6 Posted January 4, 2014 What about film already in the camera as it goes through x-ray? I have had cameras loaded with tmax 3200 through the x-Ray and nothing happened. When I asked the staff in Sweden if they could do a manual check on the film they told me that the radiation up where the plane is flying is higher than in the x-ray. (That could be a lie but i have been told that from two different staff at two different times!) Any how, the film should be fine! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
fotohuis Posted January 4, 2014 Share #7 Posted January 4, 2014 Advertisement (gone after registration) Praag-9-web by Fotohuis (Robert), on Flickr M7 + Elmarit at -22C. So far no problem. FP200 film in R09. Krkonose_FP400 by Fotohuis (Robert), on Flickr M7 at -30C. FP400 film in AM74. After approx. 10 minutes 1/2 loaded Li batteries will go very low so that you have to switch to the manual times 1/60s or 1/125s. You can forget to change for 1/1 loaded new Li batteries with -30C because after a few seconds putting off your gloves your fingers are starting to freeze. Further within 1m snow it is not so good idea to change cap and batteries. 1. Use C41 film. 2. If my M7 survives your MP will be fine, even on all mechanical shutter times. But be careful with the film transport. Apart from electrostatic issues film at -30C is very brittle. 3. No problem for X-ray hand check but never put film or camera/film in the regular lugage. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
acavill Posted January 7, 2014 Author Share #8 Posted January 7, 2014 Thanks for all your replies. I'll head the advice and see how I go. I suppose I can also use digital to check exposure. I must say shooting with film makes one concentrate on the essentials and consider every frame carefully before shooting. I am hopeful the process will make me a better photographer. I dare say when the meter battery goes dead at -20 in the Swiss alps I will be fully tested with respect to exposing without a meter. What fun!! Thanks again for he help - this forum is a wonderful thing! Cheers, Alistair. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brenton C Posted January 7, 2014 Share #9 Posted January 7, 2014 Since resuming film photography last summer, I keep a notepad in my camera bag to make quick notation of speed, F-stop, whether light was metered for ambient (usually) or reflected, and anything else I might have done or noticed thats relevant. How I wished I'd known about "ambient" years ago. So many shots during longCanadian winters spoiled by so carefully taking reflective readings without a clue what I was doing! Film does, now, help me slow down and think. Film plus the expertise here on the forum. I hope you'll post up some pix for us all. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
semi-ambivalent Posted January 7, 2014 Share #10 Posted January 7, 2014 I'm going to chime in and add that with a lot of snow it can be more like Sunny22 because you'll be getting direct sun and a lot of reflection off the snow as well; much more so than with dirt or grass. You might also be at altitude, which will intensify the sunlight. As for a meter I use a Sekonic 308S. A little plastic-y but works fine. But if you can get a gray card before you leave I would suggest taking a reflected reading off it in sunlight and then off some of the clothing you're going to be wearing on your trip and note the differences. Make some notes and then just do reflective metering off, e.g., your partner's coat or your own sleeve and apply the noted compensation and let the film's latitude work for you. A lot cheaper than a new meter. (I've done this and it worked fine, but an incident meter has a certain comfort factor that comes with it.) And watch that reflected sun. An age ago in Peru I sunburned my nostrils carrying loads on a climb. Not pleasant. s-a Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sblitz Posted January 8, 2014 Share #11 Posted January 8, 2014 Taking a grey card is what to do.....otherwise merger the snow and close two stops or find the dark end and open two. You will generally find all three with the same reading Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
tobey bilek Posted January 11, 2014 Share #12 Posted January 11, 2014 Really use something you are familiar with. You would be surprised how many come back with "how do I fix." Slide film is more difficult to expose properly and you need to know it and your camera shutter accuracy and how to meter. Meter snow and give 1.5 stops more exposure other wise you get grey snow. Meters assume they see a middle grey object. Carry film onboard. Baggage x rays WILL destroy film if your is selected for inspection. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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