All my Velvia 100 and Provia 100F 4x5 sheets have been at least one stop to dark. Exposure times are typically 5-30 seconds due to low light and a polarizer (I add two stops for the polarizer). My primary meter is a Gossen LunaPro SBC and I use reflective if I can't get into the shot and incident if I'm in the same light. I have checked the LunaPro SBC against a little Sekonic L208 twinmate and the meter in my Nikon D40, everything set at 200 since that is the lowest I can go with the D40. They all agree with each other which is great. This morning I shot off a roll of Provia 100F 120 in my little Minolta Autocord TLR at N-1, N-1/2, N, N+1/2 and N+1 according to my LunaPro SBC. I did two compositions this way and kept the shutter speed at 1 sec (pretty reproducible and accurate) and varied the f-stop. The last two shots I did at N and N+1. In every case the N+1 was the best, I maybe should have gone to N+1 1/3. There is no problem with 135 slides from this lab but they are down to 1 E6 run MWF when it used to be two runs every day just a couple of years ago. I did Velvia 100 4x5s in June that came out fine.
For what it's worth I did a film speed test with FP4+ 4x5 sheets and this meter earlier this year and I rate it at 64 but I think a lot of people rate it near there.
So, is it something I'm doing or should I talk to the lab?
Scott
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