Spec Info for K-40 Incorrect at B&H???

[Alessandro Machi]

Is the following spec info for K-40 incorrect that I found at BH? Click on the "Specifications" tab.

 

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller...ku=79931&is=USA

[Chris Burke]

Everything is accurate except they are saying that K-40 is a moderate speed film, it is not. It is a very slow film, 40 ASA, hence the name. If shooting indoor you will need loads and loads of light to get a properly exposed image. It is a classic stock that has extremely long archival qualities.

 

 

chris

[Matt Pacini]

I've shot interiors on Super 8 K40 without tons of light, and it looked great.

 

Remember, it's reversal stock, so it looks best UNDEREXPOSED by 3/4 - 1 stop, meaning its light requirements are approximately equal to neg stock of ASA125-ASA160 or so. (You want to OVERexpose neg stock).

 

Matt Pacini

[John Adolfi]

I've shot interiors on Super 8 K40  without tons of light, and it looked great.

 

Remember, it's reversal stock, so it looks best UNDEREXPOSED by 3/4 - 1 stop, meaning its light requirements are approximately equal to neg stock of ASA125-ASA160 or so. (You want to OVERexpose neg stock).

 

Matt Pacini

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

Matt are you saying that when indoors and I get a say f4 on a scene I just lit I should override the auto exposure and set it to a 2.8? Really??!! I'll have to try that next time.

[Riku Naskali]

I've shot interiors on Super 8 K40  without tons of light, and it looked great.

Well depends on the shot size, movement of the actors, etc. but anything wider needs tons of light.

 

I wouldn't underexposure reversal that much, maybe 1/3 stop. But that's only my experience.

[Alessandro Machi]

The 85 filter usually requires 2/3 of an f-stop additional light, B & H lists the ASA differences as 40 versus 32 which only represents approximately 1/3 of an f-stop.

 

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The underexpose rule is too general of a rule for my taste.

 

The idea is you don't want to blow out hot spots but contrast issues and selected framing size can affect how one rates Kodachrome 40. It also depends on how one is metering. If one is metering with the cameras autoexposure meter and then locking the exposure, one may find that lighter faces will read too dark and may need to be overexposed based on what the camera meter states.

 

Underexposure, if it leads to jet black exposure in parts of the scene, is something I would not recommend either.

 

So when discussing overexposure versus underexposure, it's important to frame the discussion based on what type of exposure metering system is being used.

[John Pytlak RIP]

Here are the technical specifications for KODACHROME 40 Film 7270/7268:

 

http://www.kodak.com/US/en/motion/products...1.4.4.6.6&lc=en

[Matt Pacini]

Matt are you saying that when indoors and I get a say f4 on a scene I just lit I should override the auto exposure and set it to a 2.8?  Really??!!  I'll have to try that next time.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

No, the other direction..

You want to stop down.

If you get a reading of f4, you want to set it at somewhere between f4 & f5.6 for 1/2 stop underexposure, or at f5.6 for a full stop.

And the 85 filter is only used outdoors.

Kodachrome is a tungsten stock, you don't use the filter, so you're not losing anything.

 

Yes, there are obviously lots of considerations in lighting a scene, but in general, you want to overexpose negative, and underexpose reversal.

 

I'm simply making a point, that the idea that it's absolutely impossible to shoot K40 interiors without thousands and thousands of watts of lighting are not necessarily true.

This is highly overstated, and frankly, I like shooting at wider apertures especially in Super 8, because the depth of field is shallower, making it look more like 16mm or 35mm, and crushed blacks look a hell of a lot better in K40 than blown out whites.

 

Matt Pacini