Fuji NPS 160 and interior shots with long exposure

[Michael Ervolina]

I have just started doing LF architecture shots of kitchens for my business. So far I have shot Provia 100F and been some what happen with the outcome. But, I was at the LF conference in May and heard Kirk Gittings mention using Fuji NPS didn't require filters. I like NPS and used it at a few weddings I shot for fun. And I love the idea of keeping my color meter in it's case!

But, in reading the data sheet it said that exposures longer than 2 seconds are not recommended. My exposures are from 20-30 seconds with a flash fill and I use a Fuji instant print to check the shot first.

My question is this, if I shoot NPS at 20 seconds are bad things gonna happen? Or am I just worrying about nothing (which, if it weren't for photography, would be my hobby)?

Thanks,

Michael

[Henry Ambrose]

It won't be a problem. Shoot one sheet at your metered exposure and another at one stop more and you will be well covered. I rate NPS at 100.

[David Luttmann]

Exposure latitude with NPS is such that if you are off by even a stop or stop and a half, it won't be all that noticable. For interiors, I rate at ISO 100. For the wedding work I do, I rate at 125. COlor shifts are minimal during exposures of 20-30 seconds. Give it a try.

[Kirk Gittings]

Michael,

The flash fill will appear a bit magenta against those long ambient exposures on NPS. You must not be using much fill or shooting at unnecessarily small apertures to need that much ambient light exposure. On kitchens, I am usually shooting at 1/2 to 4 seconds at F16 or 22 on 120 NPS with 3 to five heads and 2 to 4,000 watts of fill spread over those heads. At that combination there are no color crossover issues. I shoot it at asa100 and don't bracket but shoot two sheets for insurance. With single light sourse interiors or twilight shots like flourescents or halogen, I routinely shoot NPS at up to 3 minutes with no filters and and no fill and it corrects back fine to nuetral on scans or chromagenic prints.

How are you delivering the image?

[giancatarina]

For interiors and long exposure you should use her sister, NPL !

[Thilo Schmid]

Michael,

if you expose NPS too long, you may experience crossover casts that cannot be filtered in analog printing, but could be handled digitally. Use NPL instead. Color temperature conversion is not necessary (can also be filtered at print time), but a 85C or even a 81EF would improve image quality and would not involve a huge filter factor.

[Michael Ervolina]

Thanks to everyone for your responses, I have found it very informative.

Kirk,

"How are you delivering the image?"

So far, I am having the lab do a scan of the slide and make a print from there. Since my customers all want prints, I was leaning toward trying film, that seemed to eliminate the time and cost of making the slide a print.

Which leads me to my second question, if I ever want to submit my pictures for publication, do editors perfer slides to film? I realize that scans/digital are becoming more common so maybe the question is moot.

Thanks for the response and I did want to let you know how much I enjoyed your presentation in May, I learned a great deal.

Thanks,

Michael

[Kirk Gittings]

David,
Sorry but that is nonsense. NPS works great in all circumstances just like NPL works fine in daylight with short exposures. The printing filtration is different but works fine. Joel Merowitz shot the SL arch with unfiltered tungsten negative film.

[Kirk Gittings]

Michael,
Most magazines still prefer trans. and their own scans, but that is changing. Right now they will kind of reluctantly take your scans, but will take them.

[Sal Santamaura]

Fuji is (imminently) replacing NPS with Pro 160S, but seems to be dropping NPL. There's no mention of a long-exposure version in this

brochure

or any other documents I can find from Fuji USA or elsewhere. The Pro 160S

data sheet

indicates improved reciprocity performance compared to NPS.