Hi all,
I’ve posted some pics here http://forum.keypublishing.co.uk/showthread.php?t=58531 from the Biggin Hill airshow at the weekend, and being new to this, am on a learning curve. I am moderately happy with the composition, but a lot of the pics have come out very grainy. Anyone got any suggestions?
I was using my Canon EOS 500 body with a borrowed 300mm lens and Fuji film (400 ISO I think, it was all I had).
By: Michael_Mcr - 15th June 2006 at 20:42
Thanks all.
They were scanned by my local Fuji lab. I have a scanner at home but rarely get good results on it.
Is there a film I can switch to that will improve the situation with regard to the graining?
I will try those settings. Thanks again.
the amount of Grain (on film) or noise, (on digital images) is directly proportional to the ISO rating of the film / ISO setting of the digital camera.
Up to ISO 200, there is barely noticable speckling on the image – ISO 400 produces noticable speckling – ISO 800 produces very noticable speckling – ISO 1600 produces speckling which noticably degrades the image quality.
Appologies if you already know this, but a doubling of the ISO speed = a doubling of the film / sensors sensitivity to light = a reduction of 1 stop in exposure duration / aperature setting for any given setting.
What this means in practical terms is that on a sunny day, ISO 100 is plenty sensitive enough to give excellent results, but on a dull day would require
a much longer exposure time or an opening up of the aperature. On that same dull day, ISO 400 rated film would be able to go 2 f-stops more closed in aperature OR could use a shutter speed 2 stops faster to get the same image as that ISO 100, in the same level of available light.
Personally, when i used film at the Airport / at Airshows, i generally loaded ISO 200 as a good all round mix of speed and quality, but would have a roll of ISO 400 ready as a back-up. Now that i have gone digital, i can switch ISO settings between shots, but still find that i only have to use ISO 100 or 200 settings most often.
A usefull tip i can give is to really, really work on holding and panning that camera / lens combination to give you the confidence to bring shutter speeds down if neccesary – it can pull you out of a mess if you have “slow” film loaded
I hope this made sense / is of some help
Michael
PS the best solution is to re-mortgage the house / rob a bank and buy some lenses with seriously BIG bits of glass on the front like the press use…. 🙂
By: XN923 - 7th June 2006 at 20:44
Thanks all.
They were scanned by my local Fuji lab. I have a scanner at home but rarely get good results on it.
Is there a film I can switch to that will improve the situation with regard to the graining?
I will try those settings. Thanks again.
By: Jur - 7th June 2006 at 16:04
The results have nothing to do with whitebalance settings and such, as the used camera is an analogue type using (print?) film. The clearly visible grain (and colour shift) is probably due to underexposure against a bright sky. A slight underrating of Fuji 400 printfilm at ISO 250, combined with a correct exposure of the subject, will give the finest grain. Put the camera on manual and take a light reading on an average subject on the ground in the same horizontal direction as the aircraft in the air. Use this setting for the ground to air shots. Normally you should end up with exposure settings around 1/500 at f8 in sunny conditions with some clouds.
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June 7, 2006 at 9:08 am