i want to know basics about film speed, f-stop, and shutter speed. I cant seem to get the clearity i should be

Question

35 mm canon elan 2e, 800 came out grainy, that was with bright sun at 60mm zoom, with several different combos all the way to 1/4000----1/125 f-stop 3.5--22. what happened

Answer 1

800 ISO film is grainy by nature. Yeah, not has bad as it was 10-20 years ago, but it's grainy.

If what you are complaining about is graininess and not sharpness, and you've used this film (same brand and ISO) with satisfactory results, then there are some possibilities. Who ever developed the film for you did a lousy job. Most likely they over developed the film. Over developing causes graininess to increase. May be who ever mixed the chemicals used in the developing machine mixed it wrong. The developer/water ratio was wrong, may be too hi. Developer temperature affects developing time as well. Equipment malfunction could had done it, causing the developer to be at a higher temperature than normal. This last one is somewhat unlikely, since it means that even though the developer was warmer than normal, the developing time had to remain the same as if the developer was at a lower temperature, unlikely, but can't be ruled out.

Most of these machines are pretty much automatic, the machine reads the bar code on the film canister, which tells the computer which film this is. Once the machine knows which film this is, it accesses preprogrammed values for that specific film, it then develops the film using those values. But some film canisters, generally cheap films, don’t have this barcode. Even if it does, it doesn’t mean that there will me preprogrammed values for that particular film. In that case, the operator has to manually set-up the developer or have the computer try to guess that best developing time for the film speed and brand.

If you underexposed the film by accident, camera malfunction, or on purpose (pushed), it will have an effect on graininess as well.

If you are talking about scanned pictures, like the ones you get from a camera or a photo shop, such as in the case of a Kodak Photo CD, then it may be that the film does not scan well. I’ve experienced that before while testing new film. Some brands show more grain than other when scanned. I’m not sure why, though. The same is true with color. Some films scan warmer than others.

If it’s sharpness you are talking about, then it could be camera shake while releasing the shutter. Somewhat unlikely since you said that you shot at some very high speeds. It could be a lens problem, a camera’s focusing hardware or software issue (sensors, calibration). Since your camera has auto focus, doing a test shoot might help you narrow it down. Do a test shoot by manually focusing the lens instead of letting the camera do it for you. Also, to rule out the lens, try using a different lens. Preferably a high quality telephoto lens (you can rent them) in both, manual and auto settings. I mention using a high quality lens because cheap lenses can’t give you the top quality that some people are looking for. I’ve seen so many people spent so much money in a camera body to only fit it with a cheap lens. It does not make sense, I tell people to do the opposite. Worry about buying a cheap camera, at least the most expensive you can afford after putting your money into buying a top or near the top of the line lens. After all, the camera is just a light box and nothing else. What determines that quality of the picture is the lens.

These are just a few ideas, I hope this will help you troubleshoot you problem. Good luck!

Answer 2

Here are few simple rules of thumb.

Film Speed

ASA 100 is great for indoor shooting with a flash and in some outdoor situations. If you want big colour, ASA 100 will give you the saturation.

ASA 200 is a good all round usage film. I keep a few rolls handy as it is a workhorse.

ASA 400 is a good outdoor film and also for action shots - think sports events. I always keep a few rolls in my bag of this too.

ASA 800 and higher - best for very low light conditions where you want to shoot without a flash - think night shooting. Personnally, I never use it.

Shutter Speed

1/60 = flash sync speed on most cameras. Anything slower will require a tripod.

1/125 is happy place

1/250-1/500 are good speeds for action shooting. Much higher and you should be adjusting your f stop to get back down to a sane shutter speed.

F Stop

F8/F11 are going to give you the best results for most situations. I could wax all day about F11 but I'll spare you.

If you stick to these basic rules of thumb your results should be predictable. Once you are comfortable with them and feel competent with them, feel free to experiment. By then you will know your cameras capabilties in the standard settings zone and you will be able to predict what your experiments are going to produce. I'd leave the ASA 800 at the store.

Answer 3

Higher speed film (e.g. ASA 800) tends to be grainy. The higher the film speed, the more it's grainy. It's best use is for low light situations or extremely short shutter speed (for stop action) in marginal light.

Perhaps you could use a lower speed film in bright sun?

Good Luck

Answer 4

Not sure if this will help you, but check out Canon's Digital Learning Center. While a lot of it is centered around trying to sell you Canon accessories, I still felt like I learned quite a bit about photography in general. To offer full disclosure I'm a photography semi-beginner using a Canon Digital Rebel XT.

Answer 5

You only need to learn one thing. It works with all camera even digital.
Please visit the website and read carefully. Sometimes it's confusing but if you understand this rules you're basically good for any condition

Answer 6

Hi, I recommand you to try google picasa.

picasa is a Google's photo software. It's what should've come with your camera.

it can upload/download your camera to your PC.

It can Edit , organise and Share you picture and small video clips.

you can make your ablum with picasa very easy.

It's very easy to use and is free, just like Google

Download it free in here:

http://www.adcenter.net.cn/google-picasa/

Good Luck!