| The final result of your photographic | | | | sensitive due to fact that you view the |
| ventures is a roll of film, a handful of | | | | film itself not prints.The manufacturer |
| prints or a box of slides. Other than | | | | knows this and will endeavour to have |
| your choice of lens, the film choice | | | | the film shipped and on the shelves when |
| will have the biggest impact on the | | | | it is almost at optimum so that is |
| quality of the final results.DIGITAL | | | | optimum (or near-optimum) for the time |
| CAMERASWhile most of this is irrelevant | | | | it is expected to be on the shelves. |
| for digital cameras, "film" speed still | | | | Think of fruit in the grocers. The new |
| applies. In this case the speed affects | | | | bananas arrive slightly green and ripen |
| the noise level rather than grain size | | | | on the shelves.Manufacturers also make |
| but the final result is somewhat | | | | "professional" film. This is the same as |
| similar. Choose the smallest ISO for the | | | | the non-pro film (though often it |
| required shutter speed, ie to allow | | | | actually is better quality) but has been |
| hand-held shooting or freezing sports | | | | allowed to age at the manufacturers to |
| action.CHOOSING A FILM1. First choice is | | | | optimum colour balance. The extra cost |
| slide (positive) or print (negative) | | | | for pro film assures this. Some camera |
| film.Print | | | | shops and photo labs have a fridge |
| greater exposure latitude (some 9 stops | | | | containing professional slide film - |
| vs 5 stops for slide) | | | | keeping the film cool slows this aging |
| cheaper | | | | process. Storing film in your own fridge |
| easy for prints | | | | helps to keep it fresh if storing for a |
| ideal for cheap compact camerasSlide | | | | period or in hot climates. Keep them in |
| (also known as reversal or tranparency | | | | their containers.You should get films |
| film) | | | | processed as soon as possible after |
| greater colour saturation and contrast | | | | exposure as the latent image will begin |
| (especially professional film) | | | | fading.Films beyond expiry dates can |
| no "middle-man" adjusting colour | | | | still be used but you should exercise |
| balance or exposure | | | | caution. Do not use them for anything |
| much easier to digitise | | | | important. As well as the aforementioned |
| requires good camera to obtain correct | | | | colour cast, which might be significant, |
| exposureAs slide film has 5 stops of | | | | the film can dry out and crack. The |
| latitude, correct exposure is much more | | | | result is prints that look like crazy |
| critical than print film. This means the | | | | paving! (I've had this experience with |
| use of a camera with a precision | | | | an old black and white film). Buy film |
| auto-exposure meter such as an SLR (or | | | | as you need it. Extreme temperatures and |
| very good compact) or using a light | | | | moisture can really make the film |
| meter.Black and white film is all | | | | suffer, store them in a cool dry place. |
| negative nowadays. There was a wonderful | | | | Keep out of the sun, stuffy cars and |
| black and white slide film offering from | | | | away from radiators.Always use the |
| Agfa called Dia Direct. Now long | | | | container supplied, this keeps dust and |
| discontinued. There are some techniques | | | | dirt out and spoiling your film.FILM |
| for creating B+W slides from negative | | | | BRANDS AND QUALITYAs with everything |
| film.Slides are also a better choice if | | | | else in life, typically you get what you |
| you want to take film pictures and then | | | | pay for. Big brands like Kodak and Fuji |
| digitise them. Negatives are notoriously | | | | make very good films and you'll pay a |
| difficult to colour correct after | | | | bit more than lesser brands for the |
| scanning. You can look at the slide and | | | | better quality. Ilford makes some |
| compare with the digitised version to | | | | excellent black and white |
| get an accurate colour balance. Prints | | | | films.Kodachrome is number one for film |
| do not give you a valid reference | | | | archival. It's longevity is second to |
| point!Summary: if you want prints go for | | | | none.Kodak colour films typically are |
| print film. Slides if quality or | | | | strongest in the red/yellow part of the |
| scanning.2. Next choice is film speed.As | | | | spectrum. Rendering of reds, yellows and |
| with everything else in life, choosing | | | | skin tones look great. Fuji films |
| the film speed is an exercise in | | | | traditionally are strongest in the green |
| compromise. Slower film speeds (smaller | | | | part of the spectrum. Great for nature |
| ISO) have a finer grain but the greater | | | | and landscapes. Velvia 50 is superb, now |
| light required means slower shutter | | | | discontinued, replaced by Velvia 100.DX |
| speeds and could interfere with picture | | | | FILM SETTINGOn most rolls of 35mm film |
| taking. Faster film speeds allow for | | | | there is a pattern that looks something |
| faster shutter speeds but the increased | | | | similar to a barcode. This is the film |
| grain size can be distracting.ISO 100 or | | | | speed coded on the canister. It allows |
| slower for the finest grain. Use in good | | | | cameras that support DX coded canisters |
| lighting conditions such as bright sunny | | | | to automatically set the film speed. |
| days.ISO 200 is a good general purpose | | | | Very useful if you often use different |
| film for slower lenses such as those | | | | speed film and forget to reset the film |
| found on compact cameras or zoom lenses. | | | | speed. It also simplifies compact |
| In print film this speed has all but | | | | cameras to the point where they don't |
| replaced ISO 100 as the quality of | | | | allow manual setting of film speed.A |
| modern films have grain comparable or | | | | LITTLE HISTORYMany, many years ago two |
| better than last year's ISO 100.ISO 400. | | | | film speed designation systems competed |
| Where you require faster shutter speeds | | | | to be the standard. One was defined by |
| for action shots or in medium to low | | | | the DIN standards body the other by ASA |
| lighting conditions. Grain is getting | | | | standards body.The DIN system is an |
| noticeable at this speed.ISO 1000 or | | | | additive scale where each stop of film |
| faster. Use in low lighting conditions | | | | speed alters the DIN number by three. So |
| such as indoors and at dusk. Grain is | | | | to increase the exposure by one stop |
| quite noticeable. One can exploit this | | | | subtract three to the DIN film speed |
| resulting in grainy, gritty | | | | setting and to decrease the exposure by |
| photographs.STORING FILMAs film ages its | | | | one stop add three. Each "one" of the |
| colour changes. This colour cast is | | | | DIN scale effectively being one third of |
| subtle but noticeable. For example, a | | | | a stop.The ASA system uses a |
| brand new film fresh from the factory | | | | multiplicative scale where one stop |
| might have a slight red colours cast | | | | doubles or halves the ASA number. To |
| where the same film (and same batch) | | | | increase the exposure by one stop half |
| that has sat on a shop's shelf for a | | | | the ASA film speed setting and to |
| year might have a slight green cast. At | | | | decrease the exposure by one stop double |
| some point in its age the film will have | | | | it.The DIN system simplifies exposure |
| an optimum colour balance where the | | | | compensation settings but the ASA system |
| colour cast is a minimum.For print film | | | | is more akin to the way the rest of the |
| this effect can usually be ignored as | | | | camera works (ie shutter speed doubles |
| the photo labs' printing machines will | | | | or halves per stop) and ultimately |
| automatically compensate for this cast | | | | chosen for the ISO standard.You will |
| and produce acceptable prints (though | | | | still find both settings on the outside |
| probably inaccurate). Slide film is more | | | | of film boxes. |