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Film Choice
Director - www.MLKstudios.com
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Many people have switched to digital cameras. However, those of us who appreciate the great quality of film and still use traditional 35mm cameras need to know which film works best according to the conditions at hand.
When you go to your local camera store, you’re bombarded by “information” that recommends 100 ISO for outdoors and 800 ISO for sports. This advice is only a marketing tool. It makes little sense unless all you have is a tiny point-and-shoot camera. Many great covers for Sports Illustrated magazine were shot with 100 ISO or slower. All you need in order to use slower speed films is plenty of light and a fast lens (f/2.8 or better). (Note: Lens speed is the maximum aperture to which the lens can open. Film speed is the film’s sensitivity to light.)
In the old days of photography, 125 ISO was considered middle speed, because 400 ISO was the fastest film available. Now film manufacturers make 1600 and 3200 ISO films. This new technology has shifted the middle range to 200 ISO. Two-hundred-speed film is practical for shooting outdoors or indoors with a flash. I also recommend it for people with pocket cameras, since the lens speed for pockets is usually f/3.5 or above. If you have a 35mm SLR type camera and a fast 50mm lens, you can shoot 100 ISO or even slower speed films.
Why would you want to use a slow film? Faster film speeds are achieved by increasing the size of the silver grains that make the image. Since fast films have larger grains, they also produce less sharpness than slow films. For the maximum detail, you should use the slowest film possible for the light. You’ll gain the ability to blow your image up to 11”x14" or larger while preserving clarity in the picture.
In addition, using fast film in bright light limits your use of the camera's exposure controls. An 800 ISO film in bright light needs f/16 @ 1/1000 for a normal exposure. Your camera may have a shutter speed of up to 1/2000, so using the rule of reciprocity will let you shoot f/11 @ 1/2000 in the same light. However, you won’t be able to open the lens any more to lessen the depth of field. In other words, you’re stuck with fast shutter speeds and small apertures. On the other hand, if you had 100 ISO film in your camera, your normal bright light exposure would be f/16 @ 1/125. You can open the lens to f/4 @ 1/2000 using the reciprocity rule. So, the right film ISO for the light gives you more control of the f/stops and shutter speeds.
Another factor in choosing film is the usage you plan for your image. In professional color applications in which the image will be reproduced in a magazine or a brochure, professional photographers usually choose color slide films--known professionally as "chrome" films. Examples of slide or chrome films are Kodachrome, Ektachrome (marketed as Elite chrome), Fujichrome, and Agfachrome. (Notice the word "chrome" is in the names of all the films.) Chrome films have the best color and contrast for reproduction.
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The original chrome film from Kodak is Kodachrome. Around eighty years ago, George Eastman of Kodak heard about two Russian musicians who were working on a color film. He offered them a lab and everything they needed to finish their work in exchange for the patent. For many years, National Geographic magazine used nothing but Kodachrome for color reproduction. The beauty of Kodachrome is two-fold: The processing called K-14--which is done in only a handful of labs in the world--yields one of the most permanent color images presently possible. Also, Kodachrome was originally available in only 25 and 64 ISOs, so the detail was incredible. (More recently, Kodachrome has become available in a 200 ISO version.) When you purchase a roll of Kodachrome, you need to pick up a yellow mailer to send the film to the nearest Kodak lab.
After the success of Kodachrome, Kodak came up with Ektachrome film that could be processed anywhere in about an hour. Like other chrome films—with the exception of Kodachrome—Ektachrome is processed E-6. (Notice the "E" for Ektachrome and the "K" for Kodachrome in the processing names.) Ektachrome has the advantage of coming in a wide variety of speeds from 25 to 1600 ISO to enable it to be used in low light applications. Also, you can retrieve the results from a lab in twenty-four hours or less.
Most people shoot color negative film that is available in professional and amateur versions. The professional version must be kept refrigerated as the colors fade quickly. Amateur color films contain chemicals designed to preserve the colors. However, to achieve the best color when shooting, select the professional versions. Kodak has added a new line of color negative films called “Portra.” Portra is available in 160, 400 and 800 ISO. Color negative films are processed C-41 at many labs around the world.
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Black-and-white films come in the greatest variety and offer archival quality in the images and negatives. The most common today is Kodak's TMAX line. TMAX utilizes T-Grain technology and is available in speeds up to 3200 ISO. For those of us who like the traditional grains, Kodak makes Plus-X and Tri-X at 125 and 400 ISO. The common developers for black-and-white films are Kodak's D-76 and HC-110, as well as Ilford's (an English film manufacturer) ID-11.
A newer black-and-white technology is chromogenic black and white film. This film starts out as a normal black-and-white silver-based film, but it’s processed like color negative film (C-41). The silver is replaced by color dyes. It doesn't have the archival quality of normal black-and-white film, but it does offer significantly reduced grains and increased exposure latitude. The 400 ISO version can be shot at 100 ISO or even 1600 ISO without changing the processing times. Ilford's version of chromogenic black-and-white film is XP-2. Kodak calls theirs TCN400.
Remember, when you’re shooting with color films, the important element in the image is COLOR. Fill the frame top-to-bottom, left-to-right with color. When you’re shooting with black-and-white film, it’s the moment that excites. To understand, use Tri-X outdoors to try to grab the perfect moment of an event. Whichever film you choose, make sure to take it to a good lab for processing. One-hour photo labs are fine for everyday color negative shots, but to reach a professional level, your shots need the special handling and printing that only pro labs can give.
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You can learn more about films and photography in my online course at <http://www.MLKstudios.com>. MLK Studios offers personal professional training in the comfort of home. We guarantee you’ll make great pictures! Note: Kodachrome, Ektachrome, Elite Chrome, Portra, TMAX, Plus-X and Tri-X are all trademarks of KODAK.
