500T and the 514XL-S

[leighton spence]

I have tried to decipher what information I can find on the internet regarding this issue, but am still struggling with it.

 

I have a 514 XL-S camera, and want to start shooting neg. stock, particularly the 500T as my project is in a low-light setting.

 

However, I'm not sure how to use the stock correctly with my camera. I do know that the 500 rating is beyond what the camera is set to read but does this really matter if I control the exposure settings?

 

Also, the filter switch on the camera appears to be stuck on the daylight setting, and won't switch over. This will be detrimental to indoor shooting i suppose?

 

Hope somebody can clear up this issue for me. I know its probably been talked about to death.

 

cheers

 

Leighton

[Adrian Sierkowski]

If you're manually controling the iris then you just use an external light meter and meter for 500T; though with the filter stuck in daylight (an 85 filter) you loose 2/3rds of a stop of light, thus making your 500T really a 320. On top of that, i recommend over-exposing 500T a bit as well by 2rds of a stop.. which would make your 500T now really about a 250. So, it's then up to you to either rate the film at 500, which is 2/3rds a stop under-exposure assuming your filter is really engaged, 320 which would be rating the film as "normal," and taking into account light loss from the filter, or 250 which takes into account light loss as well as my own recommended slight over-exposure.

The other problem is that with the filter stuck "on," everything will render much warmer (oranger) than "normal." this is fins if you're doing a color correction as it can be timed out later on in post.

[leighton spence]

thanks thats a big help.

 

I haven't used the cam yet, but the switch on the side of the body for the 85 filter is set in position for daylight (with sun symbol showing) however, i am unable to switch it over fully to the tungsten setting, it moves halfway before sticking with no obvious shift in terms of filtering that i can see.

 

Do i need to have a certain cartridge loaded in order to be able to do this. The only cartridges i have loaded have been unable to help me switch it, even though they were Tungsten balanced.

 

Any ideas/suggestions would be great.

 

thankyou

[Adrian Sierkowski]

That I don't know. I don't shoot super-8 myself, but 500T is 500T ;)

[Jim Carlile]

I believe that this Canon-- like most -- will only read up to ASA 250T. So, as notched by Kodak, the camera will read the 500 film at ASA 160: the speed-notch on the cartridge will trigger the maximum 250T/160D indice, and the notchless cartridge will kick it down to the ASA 160 without a filter.

 

Solution? Cut a filter notch in the cartridge. Then the meter will read the film as ASA 250T straight-- which is one-stop overexposed-- and you can use the internal 85 filter if you want to. A one-stop overexposure is the way Kodak recommends this film, BTW, so it's no problem.