Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1999/04/16

[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]

Subject: Re: [Leica] OFF TOPIC: Tungsten light and film
From: Mark Rabiner <mrabiner@concentric.net>
Date: Fri, 16 Apr 1999 21:35:27 -0700

Kent Jon Peters wrote:
> 
> I'm interested in taking some photos in the home without flash and
> wondering if anyone out there has experience with tungsten "photo
> bulbs".  Several basic questions:  How do they differ from regular
> tungsten bulbs (burn hotter?  hence brighter?) and/or what type of film
> would a person recommend for this?  I shoot alot of Pro400 Kodak and my
> chart says to rate it slower (ie 100asa) if shooting in tungsten light
> and add an 80a filter.  Any experience out there???  My wife wants me to
> try to duplicate some "Anne Geddes" type baby photos involving a large
> flower pot containing our daughter Carolyn-- plants,etc make it hard to
> set up lighting (seeing where shadows are, etc) and I thought perhaps
> some "tungsten bulbs" might be easier than flash here...  Appreciate any
> help you may have.  Kent Peters

I had weird color crossovers doing that about ten years ago you are much
better off with color films balanced for tungsten thought of as being
3200 which are your photofloods normally available. You could get by
with regular light bulbs. Transparency film would make everything of
course much more critical. If what you are finding are photofloods rated
at 3400k that's type A films which maybe they still make it would say it
on the box. Either way they are only 100 K apart which is easily
correctable in printing and no crossovers. Check in the film
instructions on reciprocity and what your allowed shutter speeds are.
They make films designed for longer and shorter exposures. A Dark Blue
correction filter is a pain to work with so don't. 100k very light blue
or warm filters which go from A to B films are as I said before not such
a big deal in my opinion if that stuff is even made any more.
I've been using studio strobes with daylight film so I am spoiled and
out of touch but I would think not by too much. And I'd recommend doing
the same. Poloroid feedback is always ideal.
There's always something.
Mark Rabiner