What do the ‘ASA’ and ‘DIN’ labels mean on my Rollei 35 film camera?

4103 what do the asa and din labels mean on my rollei 35 film camera

The ‘ASA’ and ‘DIN’ labels on your Rollei 35 film camera refer to two different systems for measuring film speed. ASA stands for the American Standards Association, while DIN stands for the Deutsche Industrie Norm. These are two different standards for measuring the sensitivity of photographic film.

The ASA system is the older of the two, and is based on a scale that goes from 1 to 3200. The higher the number, the more sensitive the film is to light. For example, a film with an ASA rating of 100 is twice as sensitive as a film with an ASA rating of 50. The ASA system is used primarily in North America and Japan.

The DIN system, on the other hand, is based on a logarithmic scale that goes from 10 to 36. The higher the number, the more sensitive the film is to light. For example, a film with a DIN rating of 21 is twice as sensitive as a film with a DIN rating of 18. The DIN system is used primarily in Europe.

Both the ASA and DIN systems are still in use today, although the ASA system is more widely used. Most modern cameras and films use the ASA system exclusively. However, some older cameras, such as the Rollei 35, may still have the DIN system as an option.

It’s important to note that the ASA and DIN ratings are not interchangeable. A film with an ASA rating of 100 is not the same as a film with a DIN rating of 21. The two systems measure film sensitivity in different ways, so a film that is rated for one system cannot be reliably compared to a film that is rated for the other system.

In conclusion, the ‘ASA’ and ‘DIN’ labels on your Rollei 35 film camera refer to two different systems for measuring film speed. The ASA system is used primarily in North America and Japan, while the DIN system is used primarily in Europe. Both systems measure film sensitivity in different ways, and are not interchangeable.