Film Astro

[astrophotography]

Hello everyone!

I have a Nikon FM and 50mm f/1.4 lens and I am thinking of capturing the Milky Way and Orion Constellation close up without any star tracker. Only a tripod and a manual shutter release cable.

The Film I will be using is Kodak Portra 800 and Ilford Delta 3200. For exposure, I am thinking about taking multiple frames from 15 seconds to 30 seconds using a stopwatch. 

My question is, is this a good way to get started? Do you have any suggestions? Have you tried this before?

Thank you so much 😊 

 

 

[rl]

It's the way we all used to start 50 years ago before this new-fangled electronics malarkey took over the universe.....

Faster films are not always better; there is an effect called "reciprocity failure" which limits the useful exposure time to 5-10 minutes (guided) but for unguided shots a 3200 speed should be ok. I used to use Tmax 400 (B+W) or Konica 3200 (colour). Ektachrome 100 was great for colour slides and easily push processed if you do your own processing with the E6 kit.

Look out for the original edition of "Astrophotography for the Amateur" by Michael Covington on ebay/ amazon.

Most camera lenses gave best results (sharpest stars) run at slightly less than maximum aperture.

Aahh..the memories!

Edited July 2, 2023 by rl

[Albir phil]

Hi most imagers if not all use DSLRs now , film is not used much now I myself know no one who dose.dslr or dedicated cooled cameras are the norm.However I'm sure someone out there may we'll be experimenting with film perhaps just for the experience 🤔🌠

[tomato]

You are starting out the right way with wide field subjects, I jumped straight into DSO film photography back in the late 1980’s and it was hard. So much easier to get pleasing results in the digital era.

[pipnina]

30 minutes ago, rl said:

It's the way we all used to start 50 years ago before this new-fangled electronics malarkey took over the universe.....

Faster films are not always better; there is an effect called "reciprocity failure" which limits the useful exposure time to 5-10 minutes (guided) but for unguided shots a 3200 speed should be ok. I used to use Tmax 400 (B+W) or Konica 3200 (colour). Ektachrome 100 was great for colour slides and easily push processed if you do your own processing with the E6 kit.

Look out for the original edition of "Astrophotography for the Amateur" by Michael Covington on ebay/ amazon.

Most camera lenses gave best results (sharpest stars) run at slightly less than maximum aperture.

Aahh..the memories!

E6 process at home seems very complex to me! I have looked into development a little and seen that B&W is supposedly dead easy. C41 is much the same just with two extra steps, and E6 is yet more complex, with the added caveat that it must be performed with all the chemicals at 37.5c! Apparently getting that temp wrong leads to colour shift and all sorts 😬

5 hours ago, astrophotography said:

Hello everyone!

I have a Nikon FM and 50mm f/1.4 lens and I am thinking of capturing the Milky Way and Orion Constellation close up without any star tracker. Only a tripod and a manual shutter release cable.

The Film I will be using is Kodak Portra 800 and Ilford Delta 3200. For exposure, I am thinking about taking multiple frames from 15 seconds to 30 seconds using a stopwatch. 

My question is, is this a good way to get started? Do you have any suggestions? Have you tried this before?

Thank you so much 😊

I haven't looked into Portra yet but i have shot Delta 3200. I took this image as Orion was sinking earlier this year:

This was shot on a Canon AE1-Program, Ilford Delta 3200 as said above, using a (crumby) vivitar 35-105mm lens set wide open at f3.5. Exposure time? 26 minutes!

This shot was unguided on my star adventurer (original model in the white-green refresh colour). I am surprised there was no drift but as you can see, the film at that ISO is VERY VERY grainy and my wide-open and low quality zoom lens doesn't help matters either.

I am still working on film astro, my latest attempt being on Fuji Velvia 100 which claims nearly no reciprocity failure by comparison. However I still underexposed by probably about 2-3 stops (exposure at 6 minutes f5.6 in shot below) so next time I plan on either using a faster lens or taking another set of shots between 20 and 40 minutes long.

You have to look out with these films too, check the data sheet always! Most films lose all sensitivity just before 650nm, which cuts out our precious hydrogen line! It's like the infamous DSLR ir blocking filter but it blocks 100% instead of 75%!

[astrophotography]

Thank you for your replies!

[rl]

@pipina

Quote

E6 process at home seems very complex to me! I have looked into development a little and seen that B&W is supposedly dead easy. C41 is much the same just with two extra steps, and E6 is yet more complex, with the added caveat that it must be performed with all the chemicals at 37.5c! Apparently getting that temp wrong leads to colour shift and all sorts 😬

E6 was ok to process, but you're right in that a temperature drift could shift the colour balance.

I used to do my processing in the bath (not me..the developing tank..). The large volume of water held its temperature relatively well and you had the option of letting a little out and topping up with more hot water as required. It did require some practise and nobody else in a hurry for the bathroom..

I've just looked at the data sheet for the latest incarnation of Ektachrome and its red response looks quite good:

https://imaging.kodakalaris.com/sites/default/files/files/products/e4000_ektachrome_100.pdf

Still nowhere the QE of a modern sensor but H-alpha can be done...

If film and the processing kits were not so expensive I'd have a go myself just for old times' sake. SLR bodies are 10-a-penny in charity shops. 

[pipnina]

1 hour ago, rl said:

@pipina

E6 was ok to process, but you're right in that a temperature drift could shift the colour balance.

I used to do my processing in the bath (not me..the developing tank..). The large volume of water held its temperature relatively well and you had the option of letting a little out and topping up with more hot water as required. It did require some practise and nobody else in a hurry for the bathroom..

I've just looked at the data sheet for the latest incarnation of Ektachrome and its red response looks quite good:

https://imaging.kodakalaris.com/sites/default/files/files/products/e4000_ektachrome_100.pdf

Still nowhere the QE of a modern sensor but H-alpha can be done...

If film and the processing kits were not so expensive I'd have a go myself just for old times' sake. SLR bodies are 10-a-penny in charity shops. 

Ektachrome 100 seems almost identical to Fuji Velvia when it comes to the spectral response and exposure compensation figures. It does seem they are two of very few films that don't clip out the Halpha line while also staying in a sensible wavelength range for the type of lens you could use (without spending silly money). Black and white films like Ilford SFX200 and Rollei Infrared are sensitive up to 750-800nm+ but they could suffer some focusing and or CA difficulties, potentially...

Maybe I am overthinking how precice E6's temp needs to be haha. I was believing even a 1c change could be disastrous but if it's possible in a bath tub then small variations must be somewhat acceptable I guess...