Super8 cartridges have a speed notch which enables cameras to identify the asa or 'speed' of the film - its light sensitivity. Kodachrome and many other older stocks had a speed of 40 ASA. The standard speed of older Ektachrome stocks was 160 ASA. Some super8 cameras are capable of reading the full range of possible super8 asa speed notches (there is a link regarding super8 notches on our 'small film links' page). Many cameras, however, were only designed with the standard speeds of 40 and 160 asa in mind.

The new Kodak Ektachrome 64t is rated as 64ASA. For cameras of the 40/160 type this will most probably mean that the camera's internal light meter will expose the film as though it were 40 and not 64asa - an over exposure of two thirds of an 'f' stop. A minority of 40/160 cameras may expose the film as though it were 160 asa - an under exposure of one and one third 'f' stops. The Super8wiki camera list link in our 'small film links' page may well have information about whether or not your camera can read the 64t notch.

Some 40/160 cameras have an exposure compensation dial (usually marked '+/-'). If your 40/160 camera has one of these, you are in luck. Just set the dial 2/3 (two-thirds) of a stop in the '-' direction. If your camera doesn't have this (and most don't), there are a number of things you can do to correctly expose Ektachrome 64t.

Method 1 . All super8 cameras have an internal filter for shooting outdoors with tungsten film (like Kodachrome or 64t). When this filter is in place (the normal mode of operation of a super8 camera when outdoors) there is a small reduction in the amount of light that gets to the film. This is why Kodachrome was 40 asa under tungsten lights and 25 asa in daylight, old Ektachrome 160 was 160 asa under tungsten and 100 asa in daylight, and the new Ektachrome 64t is 64 asa under tungsten (hence 64 't') and 40 asa in daylight. From the above you can see that Kodachrome used under tungsten without the internal camera filter, and Ektachrome 64t used in daylight with the internal camera filter in place, both have an asa rating of 40. This fact can be used to your advantage when using 64t in a 40/160 camera by doing the following: switch out the camera's internal filter by putting the camera in 'tungsten' mode. In some cameras this is just the flick of a switch, in others a screw needs to be inserted which pushes in a little button. With the camera's light meter on 'automatic', it will now provide an exposure reading - ie. a lens 'f' stop - suitable for 40 asa film. Since 40 asa is the speed of Ektachrome 64t with the internal filter switched in, the 'f' stop reading the camera just gave with the filter out will be correct for shooting 64t with the filter in, so switch the camera back to the daylight mode (or take out the screw), flick the camera to manual exposure and set it to that 'f' stop.

Here's an example. With 64t film in the camera I point the camera to my subject. With the camera on automatic exposure, I switch the camera to 'tungsten' by sliding the filter switch to the picture of a light bulb (or inserting the filter screw or filter key on some cameras). In this example the camera's internal light meter gives a reading of f 11. Now I quickly switch the camera to daylight (or take out the screw), put the camera in manual mode and set it to f11. It may sound involved, but with some practice this is a routine that takes just a few seconds:

1: switch camera to 'tungsten'.
2: set the camera to automatic - what reading do you get?
3: switch camera back to 'daylight'.
4: switch camera to manual and set the exposure to the reading obtained at 2.

This method of course only works when shooting in daylight. You also have to concentrate a bit to make sure you don't shoot with the filter in the wrong position.

Method 2 . It is also very easy to simply take an automatic exposure reading then switch the camera to manual and set the exposure two thirds of a stop higher (more closed) than the reading. For example, if the automatic reading was f8 set the camera two thirds of the way beyond f8 towards f11.

I find this very quick and easy, and it works just as well under tungsten lights as daylight.

Method 3 .
Have Nano Lab 'pull process' your Ektachrome 64t as 40asa! Thats right, just shoot as normal THEN MAKE SURE YOU TELL NANO LAB YOU WANT YOUR FILM 'PULLED' TO 40 ASA! This service costs no extra, but it is only available in multiples of 2 cartridges. Sometimes you just have to shoot on auto exposure - for instance when you want the camera to respond to light changes within the shot, or the camera is being used by a less experienced user. This is the ideal option in such cases.

We can also go the other way and 'push' process your roll to 160 asa if you so desire (again, multiples of 2 only). This is great when filming in low light. To do this when using a 40/160 asa camera, you need to enlarge the speed notch on the super8 cartridge. How do you do this? When looking at the super8 cartridge end on with the film opening facing you, there are three notches visible on the left hand edge. The top notch is the speed notch, the middle is a centering notch and the bottom notch is the filter notch. Simply snap off the little flap of plastic that extends from the bottom of the filter notch towards the cenetering notch.

The 85B Filter Issue and 64t.
All super8 cameras have an internal 85A colour correction filter for shooting 'type A' tungsten film outdoors. The new Ektachrome 64t (as with 7240 vnf Ektachrome recently discontinued) is technically a 'type B' film - meaning it requires an 85B filter. The difference between these filters is very slight and for practical purposes I believe it is irrelevant. However, if you do wish to use an 85B filter, method 1 above for shooting with 40/160 film would be very time consuming and difficult. Use method 2 or 3!