mobow

I have this in the trail cam forum as well, but since you guys do a lot of filming I figured maybe you could help me out.

I have a 35 mm trail cam, and I typically use 400 film in it. But the pics, especially at night, are extremely grainy. I know the flash effectiveness is different on different films, but I just don't really know anything about film.....Can somebody explain things a little?

Pass_Thru

400 is the speed you want. maybe it is moisture in the air that the light is bouncing off of. Posta pic and maybe we can tell better.

Jay

mobow

Thanks.....I'm thinking I just need to break loose w/ some grip and get a digital....[&o] I'm a tight wad though...

WKP Todd

Don't know much on this topic, sounds like Jay does though!

pixeldoctor

The grain can be associated to low light and your camera not being able to handle low light, whether it is film (film grain) or digital (digital noise). In film, if you use too low of a ISO or film speed you will see grain, try using a 800 speed film if you are getting alot of night pics, or try using another brand of film. 100-400 iso film is used in bright light (100 iso being a faster film) to moderate light with or without flash and 400 - 1600 for low light to no light (slower speed films) I use strictly 400 speed film in my game cams as at night the flash will help expose the shot with a medium speed film. If you are not used to ISO settings and film speeds it can be confusing, so I hope I did not confuse you more.

Justin

From what I've found over the years is that the cheaper the trail camera, the grainier the photo is at night. As pixeldoctor says, perhaps your camera just can't handle the low-light conditions. When I was using 35mm trail cameras I used 400 speed film all the time, and only had that problem with my cheap-o Stealth cam. My expensive CamTrakkers worked beautifully.

tanktrunk

The Camtrakkers are definately worth it and if you do buy a digital its alot cheaper in the long run than film.

mobow

Thanks, pixeldoctor, and Justin....I appreciate the info. The rig itself has a quality Olympus camera in it, though I will readily admit I don't know enough about it to determine whether it's capable of low light or not....As I mentioned, I've been using ISO 400 film ( and yes, it is quite confusing, I know next to nothing about film) and when I reloaded the camera, I spent a little money and bought 3 rolls of ISO 400 again, but instead of the el cheapo film I got Kodak HD......I hope that helps.....

The pics I get in bright sun are absolutely beautiful, it is indeed the lowlight that they suck.....The one I posted is actually pretty good, I've got a couple with a bit more light actually, that are considerably worse....Photoshop can be a wonderful thing though.

Ok, so ISO speeds.......How is the flash effectiveness affected by the different speeds, and is ISO speed comparible to shutter speed?

pixeldoctor

ISO speeds... Flash just adds light to medium speed films to make the exposure correct, but with a trail cam you have no control over ISO, shutter speed or aperture values, the only thing you can do is to change film speeds. If your new kodak films do not make a change try the 800 ASA film. I run a 35mm stealth cam with WalMart 400 speed film and I get decent pictures. Remember, the purpose of a trail cam is not to win a contest with your picture, but to be able to see what animals are in your area so a little grain doesn't hurt much. If it bothers you go to a digital cam and it will go away (to an extent)...

mobow

Thanks for taking your time to explain that, I think I understand. I don't know why itbothers me, because you're right, it's not about beautiful pictures.....But it does sometimes make seeing racks a bit difficult. I also agree digital would be the way to go, and will be saving up for one which I will purchase hopefully later this fall.

Thanks for all the help.