Film Easy Guide
So, you've bought a great camera and now your ready to take pictures, but what film do you choose? Film is one of the cheaper elements of photography, but it is also one of the most important. Therefore shooting with the correct film for the conditions and photographic subject is a prime consideration.
Typical Users of Slide Film or Print Film
Slide film is the choice of the professional photographer. This is because slide film provides the sharpest images and the best colour reproduction. Prints can be produced from slide film, but the end result does not usually have the same quality as that from print film. Also because of the advanced techniques available in the development of print film, a level of compensation can be applied to mistakes made when the picture was taken. So if it's high quality print of your holiday photographs that you are looking for or a film that is a little more forgiving of your own technique, then it's print film that you are after. If it's quality you are after, pure and simple, or you want to give the neighbours a slide show of your holiday, then slide film is the medium for you. As ever, one of the great things about photography is that it pays to experiment. So if you've never tried slide film before why not try some and see how you get on.
Film Technology
Films possess a layered emulsion coating. Each different emulsion layer has a sensitivity to a different colour, blue, green, red and cyan. Silver crystals, known as grains, are embedded in the emulsion. When a picture is taken, these grains are exposed to light.
This light causes the crystals to change, forming a latent image. On development of the film, these crystals change again to become metallic silver. The greater the amount of light captured when the picture was taken, the greater the amount of crystal that turns metallic.
The areas that received the most light turn darker, while the areas receiving least light turn lighter. This therefore generates an image that is the opposite of the original picture subject, hence the term negative. The process that creates the final print reverses
the negative image to reveal the final print in it's true colours. The transformation of slide film works in a similar way, but the change from negative to full colour image occurs during the processing of the film itself, providing the final image on the actual film emulsion.
Film Speeds
Selecting the right film speed is crucial. Film speeds range from ISO 25 all the way up to ISO 3200. ISO 25 having the slowest film speed, ISO 3200 having the fastest. Film is like blotting paper. It absorbs light in the way that blotting paper absorbs ink. It therefore follows that the faster the film speed the more light that will be absorbed by the film. This means that in poor light a higher speed film can give better results. As a rule of thumb, inexperienced photographers tend to fare better with film in the range of ISO 100 to ISO 400. As you gain in experience or if you wish to experiment try some of the ISOs outside of this range. Be patient the best results always come with practise.
The lower the ISO number the higher the grain of the film. The higher the grain the sharper the final image.
A simple guide to when to use each ISO is set out in the table below.
ISO 25 - ISO 100
Best used on bright sunny days. Great for portrait photography, landscapes and still wildlife.
ISO 200
For use in overcast conditions or indoors with a flash. A versatile ISO for use in general photography.
ISO 400 and above
Best used where lighting conditions are poor. Best for sports and any pictures where there is an element of movement. If you are a casual camera user, who takes the occasional picture now and again, in differing lighting conditions, this is probably the film for you. It can also be the most forgiving in terms of mistakes made when the picture is taken.
As you become more serious about your photography we recommend that when you are shooting with films below ISO 100 you strongly consider using a tripod. A tripod is the best way of completely eradicating camera shake. After all you never see a wedding photographer turn up without a tripod. What's more the tripod isn't just something to rest the camera on whilst he arranges the family groupings!
Processing Labs
The quality of the final print can depend on the processing lab used. If you are not happy with the output from a film, try a different place to get your photographs developed.
Film Quality
The lower the ISO number the higher the potential quality of the final slide or print.
Tripods
For low level ISOs consider using a tripod.
Shooting in Poor Light
When the light is poor use a film with a higher ISO.
Take Care When Buying
Ensure that you buy the right film for your camera. APS camera films are not compatible with other types of camera.
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