Re: slide vs neg

[P3D Eric Goldstein <egoldste@xxxxxx>]

Mike K sez:

> > I think a paper positive's about 10:1, a chrome's about 100:1, and a
> > film negatives well over 1000:1.
> 
> To put this in more common everyday user's terms, one recalls that
> with slides one must be much more "accurate" in one's exposure setting
> while with negatives one can be much "sloppier", especially on the
> over-exposure side.
> 
> This translates into the contrast ratio numbers above. Right?


Well, yes, but I think that's only part of the story if you're trying to
get what's in your head translated into your medium of choice.

The conventional wisdom as Mike sez is to expose for the highlights with
slide film and for the shadows with negative film. I have found that
rule personally useful, except when shooting people pix where I usually
concentrate more on getting the skin tones exposed right and then
getting the rest of the scene to work within the contrast range of the
film I'm shooting. 

True, the color negative will capture the broadest range of dark to
light in a scene. But you still have to print (or scan/display) it, and
the result will only capture a fraction of that range. And unless you
are going to custom print each pair, the increased ability to capture
contrast doesn;t really do you much good...

To the greatest extent possible, I try to handle contrast control while
I'm shooting. If it's b/w negative, you can control contrast (and tone!)
with exposure, processing, lighting/art direction and printing if your
set up for it (or can spend $$). If it's color negative, you have
exposure and lighting/art direction, with limited printing (because of
cost/complexity) to work with. If it's chromes, you have some limited
exposure choices and lighting/art directing available.

The term "sloppy" makes me nervous, maybe because I have to work extra
hard not to be... 8-)

As always, if you talking snap shot/casual photography, just set the
sucker like it says on the chart that came with the film and fire away!


Eric G.


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