Getting Back into Shooting Film (Nikon FM2)

[@MyPhotoStory_23]

Is photography a hobby or a profession?

[@b5fremdet]

Hi! Just ordered my first film camera (hasn't been delivered yet), it's a Minolta x300 with a 50mm/1.7 lens. Really excited to shoot on it, hopefully I get something good from it. I have a question though: I was practicing using the light meter app, to kind of get a feel for it, with my digital camera, and for an ISO of 200 (like the film that I bought) and at f1,4 I always wound up having to have a shutter speed of like half a second, or maybe one fifth a second if I'm lucky, to get properly exposed shots. And it's not even that dark of a day, pretty bright even, albeit cloudy. I guess I'm just used to variable ISO, but am I really doomed to such slow shutter speeds unless I use higher ISO film? Am I doing something wrong?

[@jthwai]

Hey! That does seem strange, I imagine the shutter speed you’d need should be either 1/500 or 1/1000+ based on the conditions and settings you’ve described here, the light meter in the camera is most likely misreading as it is old, which is very common in old film cameras. Try comparing against your digital camera or a light meter app on your phone. things I’d suggest could be changing the camera battery, or learning and getting to grips with the Sunny 16 rule, which can help you understand your general ballpark for correct exposures in various lighting conditions. Good luck!

[@Twinteaks]

no1 fan 🫢