Asa setting on 35mm camera...?

Question

I have 400 speed film and there are settings for 250 and 500 but not 400 there is a single 4, where do I set it too?

Answer 1

You're not looking at the film speed settings. The numbers you are refering to sound like shutterspeeds.

Some 35mm cameras automatically set the ASA/ISO speed when specially coded film cassettes are loaded. Others have a dial, usually surrounding the rewind dial or the wind lever. Look for a small window with the ASA/ISO numbers peeking out.

Give us the make & model # of your camera and we'd be glad to help further.

Email me, if you wish.

Answer 2

400 ASA or now as it is referred to, ISO, in Europe is 27- is there a 27 on the dial? Otherwise 400 speed film is just slightly slower than 500 and so you are underexposing your film at that setting by 25%- so you would want to take a meter reading and then open your shutter to the next speed- for example, if the meter indicates f/16 and 500th of a second, you should select a shutter speed 1/2 as slow- in this case 350th of a second. Now you are overexposing a quarter stop, but that is usually better than underexposing. If you are talking about color film, the question is moot, since color film has a wide latitude of forgiveness. Slide film is not forgiving, however.

You could also select ASA or ISO 200 and then close down your aperture one full stop to compensate and your exposure should be correct. So if you were, by the meter reading, supposed to select f/16- choose f/22 instead.

Answer 3

You're looking at the shutter speed dial! The 250 stands for 1/250 of a second; 500 stands for 1/500 of a second.

On some cameras, the ISO or ASA is set on the shutter speed dial; there's a window that shows the ISO on these cameras, just life the ring around the shutter speed dial and turn it.

On other cameras, the ISO is set via sensors inside the camera body that read the DX coding on the 35mm cartridge.

On other cameras, the ISO/ASA is set via another location. Without knowing your camera model, I can't give you any more advice.

Answer 4

I am going to assume you are using a black and white film with an ASA (ISO) 400. Set the camera at the 500 setting. The difference between 400 and 500 ASA (ISO) is only one quarter of a stop less light -- negligible -- but you should learn to bracket your shots to cover yourself. Make three shoots -- one "normal" -- one slightly under -- one slightly over. By how much -- in black and white or color negative film no more then one stop, but using color transparency (slide) film only a quarter stop. If you have to make a mistake using black and white or color negative film always over expose, but with color transparency (slide) film under expose.

Answer 5

Have you checked the Owner's Manual? It would be easier to help if we knew the camera and model. Just use the little pencil icon and update with that information.