Low Light Advice

[Steve Mick]

I'm about to spend a weekend filming bits and pieces of my sister's wedding. It's indoors, at a hotel. I haven't scouted the room, but chances are it's subdued to poor lighting. I'll be shooting with my Nizo 4080. Any recommendations on film stocks? I've only shot with K40. Would 200T be the way to go? Or what about Pro8mm 500T? Any help would be appreciated.

--Steve

------------------

[Matt Pacini]

Anything but K40 is going to be grainy, big time.

I would get at least a couple lights, even photo bulbs, and aim them at the ceiling in a couple places.
I did this recently, and it worked great.
I had 2 500x photolamps, and 2 375 ones, and it brought the ambient light up enough to shoot.
Of course, it depends on how big the room is too, but you'll have to do something.

Matt Pacini

------------------

[Steve Mick]

Matt,

Grain really isn't a concern for me in this situation, just exposure. Is Tri-X or Ektachrome any better for available light filming?

------------------

[mattias]

tri-x is *much* better. if you like black and white and don't mind some grain, you'll get gorgeous stuff with tri-x.

/matt

[#Pedro]

Ektachrome works when focussing very accuratly and having a lens that gives a extraordinary good contrast. That?s my expierience with that stock. It has very weak colors and contrasts and I never liked it. Until I shot it with the Angenieux lens, the footage came out acceptable....good.
But nevertheless I would install lights in the rooms, best halogen lights. To give the filmed persons and objects a brilliant view, I would try to use an additional light on the camera, perhaps battery-powered (100 W halogen) or mains-powered (300 W halogen). Only indirect makes dark faces and weak contrasts.
Pedro

------------------