Grainy prints with ISO 800: Hi! This is first attempt at asking a question. I just bought a Nikon f5 and I love everything about it except my first roll of ISO 800 is very grainy. What...

Burgee

Hi! This is first attempt at asking a question. I just bought a Nikon f5 and I love everything about it except my first roll of ISO 800 is very grainy. What did I do wrong. Need substance critique please.

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

Burgee wrote:

Hi! This is first attempt at asking a question. I just bought a Nikon f5 and I love everything about it except my first roll of ISO 800 is very grainy. What did I do wrong. Need substance critique please.

Can you post a scanned example so we see the same issue you're asking about? Just use the <reply> button to access the <add attachment> button.

Is there a specific reason you picked ISO-800 film? Wouldn't ISO-400 or ISO-100 be better for general purposes?

I've been working with film now for a few years after a long time away and a long time in digital only. What I've found is anything outside full daylight needs some exposure compensation to lessen the grain. The higher the film's ISO, the more any film will exhibit grain. Film has a wide latitude, typically 1-stop. So, adding +0.3 or +0.7 to +1 stop of EC lessens that grain while not creating an overexposed image. Old film also benefits from positive EC.

ralf Loc: NJ

I used to shoot ISO 400 and 800 (B&W) on a Nikon F2, but I have not done so for some time. From what I recall, ISO 800 film is grainy because it is supposed to be. That's the way ISO 800 is.

When I wanted grain-free B&W, I would shoot ISO 25. I think the name of the film was "ortho" something-or-other, and it had a non-standard process for developing. It may be hard (or impossible) to find film like that these days, as it was a "specialty item" back when film was king. You could blow-up those ortho negs with your Bessler-23C until the cows came home -- no discernible grain.

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

Other low / lower grain films:

Color - Kodak Ektar 100
B&W - Kodak TMAX 400 / 100, Ilford FP4 (ISO-125)

Blenheim Orange Loc: Michigan

Burgee wrote:

Hi! This is first attempt at asking a question. I just bought a Nikon f5 and I love everything about it except my first roll of ISO 800 is very grainy. What did I do wrong. Need substance critique please.

Welcome aboard. Don't be a stranger.

It has been a long time since I worked with film, but my experience was that 800 ISO film is just going to be grainy.

Mike

Bob Mevis Loc: Plymouth, Indiana

Welcome. Use lower ISO film.

Vince68 Loc: Wappingers Falls, NY

Burgee wrote:

Hi! This is first attempt at asking a question. I just bought a Nikon f5 and I love everything about it except my first roll of ISO 800 is very grainy. What did I do wrong. Need substance critique please.

Welcome to UHH. I have not shot any film in many years, but ISO 800 will be grainy as others have said.

MT Shooter Loc: Montana

Burgee wrote:

Hi! This is first attempt at asking a question. I just bought a Nikon f5 and I love everything about it except my first roll of ISO 800 is very grainy. What did I do wrong. Need substance critique please.

I have shot my F5 since 1997, never have I used film faster than ASA (ISO) 160. And about 90% of what I shoot are slides anyway. I hate fast film grain.

TriX Loc: Raleigh, NC

Yep, I would limit myself to ISO 400 unless you really need the speed. What developer are you using? There are alternatives to D76 or HC110, such as Microdol, Acufine, Rodinal, Microfen, ID11, etc. There are also chromogenic films such as Ilford XP-2 developed in the C-41 process. Lots of things to experiment with. As you might expect, I prefer Tri-X at ISO/ASA 400 😸.

flyboy61 Loc: The Great American Desert

Bob Mevis wrote:

Welcome. Use lower ISO film.

When I shot film, Tri-X was generally shot at 400, and gave a reasonably grain-free image. Plus-X at 125 had much finer grain. Newer films of the Chromogenic flavor, Ilford XP-2 and Kodak, were said to "grain down" if shot at 2-300.
Modern color and b&w films are designed for machine processing and printing, which gives thinner negatives, but not the best results.

The ooold advice of "Expose for the shadows, develop for the highlights" still can be adapted to digital and film. By underexposing (exposure compensation) 1/3 to 1 stop, the shadow areas will show more detail, but may overexpose the highlights, known as "blown out" in today's parlance. it will take some experimentation/compromise to get what you like.

With digital cameras , the adjustable ISO and superb noise (grain) characteristics, makes us Dinosaurs dance and sing!

Tomfl101 Loc: Mount Airy, MD

CHG_CANON wrote:

Can you post a scanned example so we see the same ... (show quote)

I think you’ve answered your own question. Slight overexposure will improve image quality in almost all films, especially high speed color.

BebuLamar

Burgee wrote:

Hi! This is first attempt at asking a question. I just bought a Nikon f5 and I love everything about it except my first roll of ISO 800 is very grainy. What did I do wrong. Need substance critique please.

Possibly that you underexpose the film. But in general ISO 800 film is very grainy. When I shoot film I wouldn't want any film faster than 160.

mborn Loc: Massachusetts

Blenheim Orange wrote:

Welcome aboard. Don't be a stranger.

It has been a long time since I worked with film, but my experience was that 800 ISO film is just going to be grainy.

Mike

Agree. The grain adds to the image

SuperflyTNT Loc: Manassas VA

ralf wrote:

I used to shoot ISO 400 and 800 (B&W) on a Nik... (show quote)

800 film isn’t grainy because “it’s supposed to be”. It’s grainy because it has to be. Just like a digital sensor with noise, higher speeds require sacrifices. With film that sacrifice is increased grain. We’ve gotten spoiled by how well modern sensors handle noise at higher ISO’s.

Spirit Vision Photography Loc: Behind a Camera.

Tomfl101 wrote:

I think you’ve answered your own question. Slight overexposure will improve image quality in almost all films, especially high speed color.

Yes. I always overexpose my negative films by 1/3 a stop (100 @ 80, 400 @ 320 and 800 @ 640).