Portra 160 Test Roll // Canon FTb QL
Last month, I acquired a bag of expired film with the promise to share the results of my shooting process. I'm thrilled to report that the test roll of Portra 160 exceeded my expectations. Rather than revealing the images right away, let's delve into my entire process, touching on everyone's favorite subject in school—math, or maths for those in parts of the world that use the term "maths."
I used my Canon FTB QL (QL stands for quick load) to shoot the film, rating it at 80 ISO as recommended by online posts suggesting an extra stop of light for expired film. Here's where it gets interesting: I lack a light meter, and the meter in my FTB is malfunctioning, despite battery replacement.
Now, a quick explanation about rating film at a faster speed: ISO Sensitivity, a standard set by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), represents a film's sensitivity to light as a numerical value. A higher ISO indicates greater sensitivity, requiring less light for proper exposure. By rating the film at 80 ISO, I essentially tricked the camera into allowing double the amount of light.
Let's touch on the Exposure Triangle—shutter speed, aperture, and ISO sensitivity. Without delving too deep, adjusting any of these affects your exposure. For instance, changing shutter speed alters the time the shutter is open, affecting light input.
Skipping the technicalities, I treated the film as if it were 80 ISO, not 160, due to my digital camera's limitations. To compensate, I did some calculations—changing f-stop to achieve proper exposure as if the ISO were 80.
Testing various exposures, I found that I preferred shots one stop over from 80 ISO, or two stops over from box speed. Now, let's discuss some of the photos.
HOTEL
Firstly, a Hotel sign in Brooklyn shot at different apertures and shutter speeds. The film held up impressively, showing excellent dynamic range and color rendition. Comparing it to Harman Phoenix 200, the expired film stood its ground.
PEPSICOLA
Moving on to a PepsiCola sign, minimal differences were observed, demonstrating the film's resilience. Similarly, shots of binoculars and a bottle of president between rocks showcased slight variations in color and depth of field.
Throughout the series, the film consistently performed well, even with intentional overexposure. Shots of a taxi, boathouse, Abe Lincoln statue, lamp post, and an accidental two-stop overexposed photo all exhibited remarkable tonality and dynamic range.
In conclusion, the expired Portra 160 NC showed promising results, prompting excitement for the remaining rolls. Future plans involve deliberate shooting with purpose, exploring various subjects and cameras. Part 2 concludes the saga of the bag of expired film, yet a catchy name remains elusive.
