Rating film at something other than regular ASA.

[Chris Keth]

I've heard a few people talk about shooting film (I'll use Kodak Vision 2 500T for example, since it's the one I remember right now) and rating it at 320 or 800. Is that just the way of saying "consistantly over- or underexpose it by shooting as if it was ASA X"?

[Adam Frisch FSF]

Yes.

 

It's very easy way to "build in" consistent under- or overexposure on any meter. If you rated the film normally, but still wanted to overexpose by 1/3 of a stop you'd had to open up the lens 1/3 from every reading you do. This is a mental hassle and will almost surely slip up somewhere down the line when you forgot to do so, etc. So the best and easy way is to "build it in" right at the measuring stage.

[Alberto Larios-Saavedra]

Yes.

 

It's very easy way to "build in" consistent under- or overexposure on any meter. If you rated the film normally, but still wanted to overexpose by 1/3 of a stop you'd had to open up the lens 1/3 from every reading you do. This is a mental hassle and will almost surely slip up somewhere down the line when you forgot to do so, etc. So the best and easy way is to "build it in" right at the measuring stage.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

So when you mean "build it in" does it imply to actually change the setting in the actual camera, or just in your meter?

[David Mullen ASC]

A film camera doesn't normally have a light meter, and it's the light meter you input the ASA value into. If you set you ASA value one-third of a stop slower, you will end up setting the exposure one-third of a stop more open when following what the meter tells you. That's easier than trying to remember to always open the f-stop ring by one-third of a stop.

[Alberto Larios-Saavedra]

A film camera doesn't normally have a light meter, and it's the light meter you input the ASA value into.  If you set you ASA value one-third of a stop slower, you will end up setting the exposure one-third of a stop more open when following what the meter tells you.  That's easier than trying to remember to always open the f-stop ring by one-third of a stop.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

The reason I ask is because I have seen that the Arri SR has a dial for the stock rating, what is purpose of the dial? Do all cameras have it?

[David Mullen ASC]

The Arri SR is one of the few pro cameras with a built-in light meter, really meant to be used by documentary shooters who don't always have a way to take a handheld meter reading. Don't know if they dropped this feature in later cameras like the SR3.

[Michael Morlan]

The SR3 has a light meter.

 

The Bolex Pro (Bolex's answer to the CP-16 doc camera and that almost destroyed Bolex financially) had a light meter that could adjust the aperture.

 

Not much use in narrative work unless you lost your spot meter. :huh:

[oscar jimenez]

Well, I do always rate 500 ASA as 320 or 400, usually this for avodinig grain showing up, compressing image a lilttle bit. I have never underexposed anything except doing Day for Nite Stuff and I do always shoot for telecine purposes. Only once for theatrical release, and can tell, It's a somewhat a world apart.