How to expose old vintage expired analog film?
Golden Rule: +1eV per 10 years
Each of film from my collection of vintage analog films have an information about suggested exposition adjustment. It says like "+1eV". This suggestion are based on my experience and real testing each of the film from my collection.
How testing is done you can read on blog post in My work section: Testing vintage analog film - by example ORWO MA 8
"+1 eV" should read "one time double the light".
"+4 eV" mean you need "four times double the light"
Double more light you can get by few ways
Theology behind exposure old vintage analog film
- change shutter speed - example: change speed from 1/250 to 1/125, it will give two times more light for your film ("+1 eV"), changing from 1/250 to 1/15 will give you four times double the light ("+4 eV", 250 to 125 to 60 to 30 to 15)
- change aperture f - example: change from f.22 to f.16, it will give two times more light for your film ("+1 eV"), changing from f.22 to f.4 will give you four times double the light ("+4 eV", 22, 16, 8, 5.6, 4)
you can combine it. example: change from (1/250 & f.22) to (1/125 & f.16) will be... "+2 eV" - one for speed, one for aperture.
- change ISO (for automatic camera or light meters usage, be careful, read below) - example: change ISO from 400 to 200, it will give two times more light for your film ("+1 eV"), changing from 400 to 25 will give you four times double the light ("+4 eV", 400 to 200 to 100 to 50 to 25)
Step by step guide to exposure old vintage analog film
So, you have a film that has suggested +4 eV. How to set shutter and aperture properly? Two ways.
A) Manual camera + sun-16-rule or external light meter. My favourite and suggested way.
- Check film nominal ISO. Let's say it is 200
- Decide what exposing params "should be" for your shot. Let's say sun-16-rule or light meter says it should be for ISO 200: 1/125, f.8
- Now you need to give "+4 eV", so "four times double the light"
- You need to move aperture 4 times... 8 to 5,6 is one, 4 is two, 3,5 is three 2,8 is four
- Done, you have "+4 eV". Shot!
but damn!... what if your camera has a maximum aperture 4??? so back to point 4.
4. You will more aperture two times. from 8 to 5.6, and from 5.6 to 4.
5. You still need two times to move, so change shutter speed from 1/125 to 1/60 is one, to 1/30 is two.
6. Done, you have "+4 eV". Shot!
B) Another way for manual camera and light meter. For some reasons it is preferred on most of groups and forums, maybe because if sounds easier to understand, but... at the end, effect is totally the same, but you are loosing your power to set it all by yourself :D
- Check film nominal ISO. Let's say it is 200
- Count "+4 eV" on ISO, so you will know how sensitive your film is at the moment: 200 to 100 is one, to 50 is two, to 25 is three, to 15 is four. So you have film with ISO 15
- Setup ISO 15 on your light meter, pick speed and aperture for ISO 15, set it with camera and ....
- Done, you have "+4 eV". Shot!
Automatic camera + exposing params are set by build-in light meter - change ISO as said on example above (B) - it will do the trick. I hope you could do it on your camera as not every one allow to change ISO back to 25 or less. Some automatic cameras read it from DX code on film cassette, so you will need to cheat on that (not easy). Still, don't use automatic shit. Get some manual nice one from my collection of analog cameras
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