Which Film Should I use?
Before taking pictures
you'll want to select the kind of film you plan to use. Do you want
color or black-and-white photos? Prints or slides? Kodak, Fuji and other's
offers a variety of films for 35 mm cameras. This section describes
the characteristics of several films. Knowing the characteristics of
these films will help you select the best one for the kind of pictures
you want to take.
There are a lot of different color films to choose from, but all of
them fall into one of three categories: color slides films (also called
transparency or reversal films), color print (or negative) films and
black 7 white print film. Color slide films are direct positive films;
that is, the film that goes in your camera and the slides you get back
are the same film. With color print films and black and white, the film
that goes in your camera is processed to a negative that the processing
lab enlarges into color or black and white prints. Which is better?
It depends on your needs and your tastes, and also the particular shooting
situation.
First, consider your preferences. By far the majority of amateur photographers
use color print (negative) films because they are so convenient. With
print films, you get back fairly large prints that are easy to view
and can be readily shared with others or stored in an album for future
viewing. Print films yield excellent enlargements and can be transferred
onto video tape, CD or your computers hard drive. Color slides are used
mainly for projection or viewing in hand-held viewers, but you can also
use them to make color prints and enlargements, or have them transferred
to video tape, CD's or you computers hard drive.. Color slides are also
less expensive, since no printing stage is involved. If your primary
interest is in giving slide shows, use color slide films.
Each type of film also has technical characteristics that may make one
or the other better in a given situation. Color slides films, on the
whole, are more contrasty and can therefore add more snap to dull or
low-contrast scenes. Correct exposure is also much more critical with
color slide films. Color and black and white negative films, on the
other hand, can record a wider contrast range and allow greater room
for exposure error.
How Do I Choose A Speed?
100 speed Film
offers extremely fine grain and very high sharpness. Use it when you
want high quality in a medium-speed.
200 speed film provides excellent results for general-purpose
photography. It offers plenty of speed (ISO 200) for moderate action
and some existing-light situations. Considered have moderate grain.
400 speed film is an excellent multi-purpose film. It yields
clear colorful prints outdoors and great flash shots indoors. Considered
to be grainy.
800/1000 speed films are Good for shooting inside with no flash.
Pictures will be grainy and low contrast, and not good for enlargements.
Does Brand Make A Difference?
Film brands do vary somewhat,
but as long as you choose a known brand from a reliable supplier, Kodak,
Fuji, Konica or Agfa, you won't notice a great amount of difference
between brands. Because film deteriorates with age and heat, buy it
fresh (the packages are dated), keep it cool, and use and develop it
promptly.
Should I Use Print
or Slide Film?
Color print film accounts
for 90 percent of film sold and is best for most consumer uses. Prints
are easy to store, view, and show, and enlargements are relatively inexpensive.
Print film is also more forgiving - it has a wider exposure latitude
than slide film, meaning that you don't have to have exact setting on
your camera for a good shot.
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