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Photography - Film Types and Film Speed

The final result of your photographicsensitive due to fact that you view the
ventures is a roll of film, a handful offilm itself not prints.The manufacturer
prints or a box of slides. Other thanknows this and will endeavour to have
your choice of lens, the film choicethe film shipped and on the shelves when
will have the biggest impact on theit is almost at optimum so that is
quality of the final results.DIGITALoptimum (or near-optimum) for the time
CAMERASWhile most of this is irrelevantit is expected to be on the shelves.
for digital cameras, "film" speed stillThink of fruit in the grocers. The new
applies. In this case the speed affectsbananas arrive slightly green and ripen
the noise level rather than grain sizeon the shelves.Manufacturers also make
but the final result is somewhat"professional" film. This is the same as
similar. Choose the smallest ISO for thethe non-pro film (though often it
required shutter speed, ie to allowactually is better quality) but has been
hand-held shooting or freezing sportsallowed to age at the manufacturers to
action.CHOOSING A FILM1. First choice isoptimum colour balance. The extra cost
slide (positive) or print (negative)for pro film assures this. Some camera
film.Printshops and photo labs have a fridge
greater exposure latitude (some 9 stopscontaining professional slide film -
vs 5 stops for slide)keeping the film cool slows this aging
cheaperprocess. Storing film in your own fridge
easy for printshelps to keep it fresh if storing for a
ideal for cheap compact camerasSlideperiod or in hot climates. Keep them in
(also known as reversal or tranparencytheir containers.You should get films
film)processed as soon as possible after
greater colour saturation and contrastexposure as the latent image will begin
(especially professional film)fading.Films beyond expiry dates can
no "middle-man" adjusting colourstill be used but you should exercise
balance or exposurecaution. Do not use them for anything
much easier to digitiseimportant. As well as the aforementioned
requires good camera to obtain correctcolour cast, which might be significant,
exposureAs slide film has 5 stops ofthe film can dry out and crack. The
latitude, correct exposure is much moreresult is prints that look like crazy
critical than print film. This means thepaving! (I've had this experience with
use of a camera with a precisionan old black and white film). Buy film
auto-exposure meter such as an SLR (oras you need it. Extreme temperatures and
very good compact) or using a lightmoisture can really make the film
meter.Black and white film is allsuffer, store them in a cool dry place.
negative nowadays. There was a wonderfulKeep out of the sun, stuffy cars and
black and white slide film offering fromaway from radiators.Always use the
Agfa called Dia Direct. Now longcontainer supplied, this keeps dust and
discontinued. There are some techniquesdirt out and spoiling your film.FILM
for creating B+W slides from negativeBRANDS AND QUALITYAs with everything
film.Slides are also a better choice ifelse in life, typically you get what you
you want to take film pictures and thenpay for. Big brands like Kodak and Fuji
digitise them. Negatives are notoriouslymake very good films and you'll pay a
difficult to colour correct afterbit more than lesser brands for the
scanning. You can look at the slide andbetter quality. Ilford makes some
compare with the digitised version toexcellent black and white
get an accurate colour balance. Printsfilms.Kodachrome is number one for film
do not give you a valid referencearchival. It's longevity is second to
point!Summary: if you want prints go fornone.Kodak colour films typically are
print film. Slides if quality orstrongest in the red/yellow part of the
scanning.2. Next choice is film speed.Asspectrum. Rendering of reds, yellows and
with everything else in life, choosingskin tones look great. Fuji films
the film speed is an exercise intraditionally are strongest in the green
compromise. Slower film speeds (smallerpart of the spectrum. Great for nature
ISO) have a finer grain but the greaterand landscapes. Velvia 50 is superb, now
light required means slower shutterdiscontinued, replaced by Velvia 100.DX
speeds and could interfere with pictureFILM SETTINGOn most rolls of 35mm film
taking. Faster film speeds allow forthere is a pattern that looks something
faster shutter speeds but the increasedsimilar to a barcode. This is the film
grain size can be distracting.ISO 100 orspeed coded on the canister. It allows
slower for the finest grain. Use in goodcameras that support DX coded canisters
lighting conditions such as bright sunnyto automatically set the film speed.
days.ISO 200 is a good general purposeVery useful if you often use different
film for slower lenses such as thosespeed 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 butcameras to the point where they don't
replaced ISO 100 as the quality ofallow manual setting of film speed.A
modern films have grain comparable orLITTLE HISTORYMany, many years ago two
better than last year's ISO 100.ISO 400.film speed designation systems competed
Where you require faster shutter speedsto be the standard. One was defined by
for action shots or in medium to lowthe DIN standards body the other by ASA
lighting conditions. Grain is gettingstandards body.The DIN system is an
noticeable at this speed.ISO 1000 oradditive scale where each stop of film
faster. Use in low lighting conditionsspeed alters the DIN number by three. So
such as indoors and at dusk. Grain isto increase the exposure by one stop
quite noticeable. One can exploit thissubtract three to the DIN film speed
resulting in grainy, grittysetting and to decrease the exposure by
photographs.STORING FILMAs film ages itsone stop add three. Each "one" of the
colour changes. This colour cast isDIN scale effectively being one third of
subtle but noticeable. For example, aa stop.The ASA system uses a
brand new film fresh from the factorymultiplicative scale where one stop
might have a slight red colours castdoubles 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 athe ASA film speed setting and to
year might have a slight green cast. Atdecrease the exposure by one stop double
some point in its age the film will haveit.The DIN system simplifies exposure
an optimum colour balance where thecompensation settings but the ASA system
colour cast is a minimum.For print filmis more akin to the way the rest of the
this effect can usually be ignored ascamera works (ie shutter speed doubles
the photo labs' printing machines willor halves per stop) and ultimately
automatically compensate for this castchosen for the ISO standard.You will
and produce acceptable prints (thoughstill find both settings on the outside
probably inaccurate). Slide film is moreof film boxes.



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