Hi, > For example, two or three identical cameras > with different focal lengths loaded with identical film is an ideal > method for me, as when I'm photographing I may burn an entire roll or > more on just one subject, and what I need is not more film choices, but > more focal lengths, perspectives, and points of view.
this is pretty much the way I shoot too. I only rarely use more than one speed of film (always the same type, eg K64 and K200) and that's if I know I'll be in rapidly changing light. If I'm shooting b&w I tend to use either 200 or 400; outdoors I'll use a yellow/green filter which slows the film down a bit, and taking it off indoors brings the film up to speed. Since I use a handheld meter quite a lot having different film speeds in different cameras can cause more trouble than it's worth. As for quantity, I've found about 6 rolls/day to be about right for a day dedicated to photography. For a non-dedicated day then perhaps 2 or 3 rolls. I carry far more, of course - usually at least 10 rolls. If I'm working on a commission though - eg kiddy portraits for parents - I'll agree a number of rolls with them first - usually 2, and not exceed that because of the cost implications. In a (highly recommended) book I bought recently http://www.rotovision.com/description.asp?bookid=547 the photojournalist John Downing writes "When I undertake a foreign assignment I try to find out how long I'm going to be away [...] and then reckon on using 6 rolls of film a day and estimate it from there. It's a rough formula but it seems to work, because I've never run out of film to date. I usually end up shooting more like 10 rolls for the first 2 days and then become more discerning and shoot far less." My experience has been the same. I would refine his comments by saying that I calculate approximately how many *shooting* days I'll have - as opposed to travelling days - multiply by 5 or 6 and add a few for contingency. This has worked well for me and it's been a long time since I ran out of film. Another formula that somebody once told me is to calculate how many films you'll need, then double it. This is useful until you've done enough trips to know from experience what your shooting rate really is. It's always best to overestimate, of course. --- Bob mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] - This message is from the Pentax-Discuss Mail List. To unsubscribe, go to http://www.pdml.net and follow the directions. Don't forget to visit the Pentax Users' Gallery at http://pug.komkon.org .
