I am grateful to Paul Bradforth and others for their contributions to my question. I mentioned 800ASA film really to cite the extreme. I don't think I've ever used such a fast film, and certainly couldn't see myself using it in the flower/plant photography I do most of the time! Although the grain does show, these fast films are almost too good - they don't supply the obvious graininess I might look for to produce a photo in an "aesthetic", arty sort of way; well not without uprating it considerably. What interests me more is the decision over whether to use Fuji Velvia wide open at f/2.8 or Fujichrome 400 stopped down to f/8, particularly when I go without my tripod and it's a dull English November day and I'm working at 1/30th second. Which combination gives the sharpest results? On a slightly different note, over the years I have acquired a 50mm Series E, a 50mm Nikkor AI and now a 55mm MicroNikkor AIS. I recently took a photo of a page of magazine print from 50cm distance using each lens, camera on tripod, Fuji Velvia. Looking at the resulting slides on a light box with a Nikon x8 lupe, there was little, if any, difference between the two 50mm lenses, but the MicroNikkor was definitely sharper. However, I'm not convinced there is such a large difference at greater distances.
