5 replies to this topic

[PoiBoi]

Hello,

I'm relatively new to astrophotography on film and to film photography in general but I'm taking (digital) astro-landscapes since 2019 with continuous improvement. Now I want to try and take nightscape photographs on film. Since I cant track the Sky for to long I have to rely on fast Film witch there is very little of these days or I could push process. My question is has anyone tried to push say Kodak Portra 800 or Cinestill to ISO3200? For black and white I already got a plan of action and experimenting isn't as expensive. I'm planning to use my sky-tracker in half-time tracking mode but even with a fisheye I'm probably limited to 90s max.

 

Clear skys

Jakob

 

 

please excuse my bad spelling or grammar I'm not a native

 

[TxStars]

Depending on the software you are using you could scan two film images and combine them.

That way you can do a long tracked image with a long exposure fixed tripod image..

Fuji Across II would be a good B&W test film for this..

[AstroBobo]

In digital landscape astrophotography it's completely normal to blend a tracked long exposure of the sky with a static long exposure of the landscape. So why not do the same with film if you're using a tracker? With precise polar alignment and a wide angle lens I guess you should be able to make longer exposures than 90 s.

[PoiBoi]

I probably should have clarified. I don't want to create a digital composite. My goal is a single negative that I could print in a darkroom. I already considered some kind of double exposure or if there is such a thing a graduated ND 1000 Filter.

[TxStars]

Oh, Ok, to use a single negative would not be easy with a regular film camera.

With my Mamiya cut-film holders and roll backs I have dark slides that are placed over part of the frame.

These allow for a partial frame exposures of various sizes, but I have not seen something like this for a 35mm camera.

There are partial ND filters, but I'm not sure how well that would work for this.

 

You might try covering 1/4 - 1/3 of a clear filter with black paper (or tape) for the first shot the the other portion of the filter for the second.

Edited by TxStars, 07 February 2025 - 11:33 AM.

[TxStars]

Found this, but for $40  I would just use tape on a clear filter to test it..

https://www.amazon.c...r/dp/B0009UC2AM