What photographic film should I buy if I'm shooting indoors using tungsten lighting?

Question

I am soon to be doing a photographic shoot. I will be using 'hot lights' (tungsten lighting not flash). I know that if I just use normal daylight film, my photos will have a bad cast to them. But I am unsure what film and what ASA/ISO to use. Can you recommend any tungsten-balanced film that's on the market? I have also heard that you can get a filter to put over your camera lens that helps (I have a Hasselblad 500CM). Any tips, advice and recommendations would be very helpful

Answer 1

The easy way to solve this problem is to buy Tungsten film IF you decide to use a flash gun you MUST put an orange filter over the flash head. Other wise your subject will turn out with a blueish cast. Here is some fun you can have with Tungsten film. Shoot some picts during the morning and evening hours. Also the best part is shooting Tungsten at night .The anbient light gives a slight blue color to the image which makes for a great night shot. You can get a better understanding of what I mean by checking out the following web site Dan Heller Photography lots of photos to view and a great informative web site -Joe

Answer 2

First I will assume this to be a color shoot. Tungsten is yellow cast and very harsh. I would suggest an Ectachrome film, because it is more attenuated to the cool colors in the blue spectra. Kodachrome on the other hand is more into the hot colors like red and yellow. As far as filters I can't really recommend anything unless I know the light temperature you are using. But in keeping with your question you will probably want a filter that will cancel some (not all) but some of the yellow or red spectra and allow your contrast to pop out without loosing definition. Lastly if this is not a color shoot and you are working with tungsten, set your lighting defused to the ceiling for the background with only a single front on target covered with a diffusion filter to keep the hot spot at bay. 400 speed film may be OK, but if your looking for better definition you may want to slow it down so you highlights don't overwhelm and you low-lights don't kill you mid-tones. Good luck.

Answer 3

1. Amazon.com: Henry Horenstein, "Photography Revised Edition." Big book, covers everything from b/w basics through digital. (Expensive, but worth every penny!)

2. Assuming you are shooting color tungsten light can be shot with Tungsten balanced film. This is available in both negative and chrome (slide). The tungsten balance is indicated with a T after the speed (ie 64T, 400T, etc.) Or you can use a 80A or B filter to balance daylight film to a tunsten light source. Black and white film needs no correction.

3. You have one of the best cameras that money buys. Please have someone teach you to use it-Hassies have a few idiosyncracies which you need to know before you use them-for example, the shutter must be in a specific position BEFORE you remove the lens to change it. There are other pitfalls. You can easily damage this camera if you don't know them.
If you don't have someone very familiar with Hassies, go on line and print out the directions and become VERY clear on the instructions before you attempt to shoot.

Good luck

Answer 4

Regular film works if you use a blue filter. you can also put blue gels on the lights which allows you to mix in daylight. special color tungsten film is available for slide film.

Answer 5

1

Answer 6

I used a Kodak 1000 and 800 negative film once and got good result.

Answer 7

400 speed