Introduction
The choice of film type has major impact
on your photography. This guide is designed to help beginners understand
film.
There are three main types of film, colour
negative (or print), colour slide and black and white.
Colour Negative
Colour negative is what the 90% of photographs
are taken with and you've probably used it before. It is also known
as C41 after the name of the process used to develop the film. The developed
film (a negative, all colours and tones are reversed) is used to make
colour prints. This is done at a commercial laboratory such as Boots
or Jessops. As the final image depends upon the printing of a negative,
the photographer has little control over the final product and the quality
depends upon the processor.
Colour negative film is convenient as it
is available everywhere, fairly cheap and very easy to use. It is also
very forgiving in that the exposure doesn't have to be perfect to get
a good print. Most photographs in newspapers (even the ones in black
and white), and wedding photographs are taken using colour negative
film for this reason.
Colour Slide
Colour slide film (or E6) gives the photographer
much more control. The film itself is the end result, being a positive
image. Colours are much more saturated than for C41, meaning that they
are brighter and have more 'punch'. Unfortunately, to be viewed properly
the slides must be projected onto a screen, expensive and a hassle to
set up.
Exposure must also be much more accurate
than for other films. Slide film tends to be more expensive than other
types. Most published photographs outside of newspapers are taken with
slide film.
Black and White
Black and white film gives the photographer
complete control over the entire image making process. The film is a
negative type, meaning it must be printed onto paper for viewing. However,
unlike colour negative, the photographer can do all this himself easily
(especially in our own darkrooms). The film is less forgiving than C41,
but more than E6. The film, processing and printing are much cheaper
than the other processes (Free except for film and paper in our darkrooms).
Black and white is also the best way to learn photography as the photographer
as the photographer learns about taking the image from conception to
final print.
Black and White is also the cheapest film
to use, as the film itself is cheap (especially when bought through
our photosoc shop), processing is free, and the photographer need only
print the shots he/she wants.
Film Speed
Film requires a certain amount of light
to be properly exposed. Too much light, and the resulting image
is too light, too little and it is too dark. See the Beginners Guide
o Exposure for more information.
Different films require different amounts
of light to be properly exposed. This concept of film speed is
covered by the ISO number of a film, also known as the ASA number of
a film. A film with twice the ISO number requires half as much light.
For example, a 100ISO film requires twice as much light as a 200ISO
film, and four times as much as a 400ASA one. The speed of a film should
be set in your camera. In general, the slower a film, the more detail
of a scene it can detect and the better the colours.
Black and White Films on Sale from Photosoc
Here is a short description of the two
main black and white films that Photosoc sells cheaply.
- Ilford FP4+ 125ISO. Very robust black
and white film, meaning mistakes made in processing might not ruin
the image. Good contrast and easy to develop and print. Good film
for beginners to black and white photography.
- Ilford HP5+ 400ISO. High speed counterpart
to FP4+. Negatives less contrasty and slightly more difficult to print.
Excellent for low light work, or Scotland in winter.
