35mm film explained: types, brands, usage, ISO, scanning. How to choose the right film for your camera.
A 35mm SLR or rangefinder camera can create high quality images, especially when used with the right film.
Digital cameras have a fixed electronic image sensor. The way to upgrade the image sensor is to buy a new camera. To change the image sensor on a film camera, you simply change the film. The question is then, What film should you use?
Types of 35mm Film
There are three main types of film:
Color negative (also called print).
Color positive (also called slide, chrome, reversal or transparency).
Black and White negative.
There is no Black and White positive film on the market.
Each type of film will have different ISO "speeds." The ISO speeds typically range from 50 to 3200, with 100 to 800 films being the most common. The higher the ISO, the more sensitive the film is to light, allowing higher shutter speeds to be used and reducing motion-blur and camera-shake that makes photos blur.
However higher ISO generally means more grain (equivalent to "noise" in DSLRs). Photographers will need to decide on how much ISO speed they need, versus how much grain they can tolerate. This will depend on:
The type of subject (people, sports, landscape). Fast-moving subjects need higher shutter speeds, and higher ISO.
Scene brightness (sunlight, indoors, night).
Maximum lens aperture (f1.4 prime lens, f3.5 consumer zoom).
Size of the photo (most people print up to only 4R, 4 x 6 inches).
Films also differ in the way they reproduce color and contrast, their color rendition. Manufacturers will have different types of film, optimized for different characteristics:
Natural skin tones (Fujicolor Superia Reala, Kodak Portra 160NC).
High contrast.
General purpose.
Vivid color (Fujichrome Velvia, Kodak Portra 400VC).
Balanced for tungsten (incandescent) light (Fujichrome T64).
Most 35mm film cartridges (also called 135 film) are sold with 36 frames (photos) in a cartridge.
Color Negative Print Film
This is the most common type of film, the orange film strips that everyone is familiar with. They are usually cut into strips of about 5 frames, and stored in plastic sleeves.
Advantages
Most popular type of 35mm film, widely available.
Wide exposure latitude. Handles over-exposure well.
Disadvantage
Difficult to get consistent color with prints. Different shops can print the same negative, and end up with different color tones.
Examples
Kodak Gold, Ultra Max, Portra, Ektar. Kodak claims that Ektar 100 is the world's finest grain color negative film.
Fujicolor Superia, Nexia, Pro.
Color Positive Slide Film
Unlike negative films, developed ("washed") slide film has natural colors and can be viewed directly. The film is commonly cut up into individual frames and inserted into square, plastic slide mounts. The slides can then be:
Viewed on a light table (with a back-illuminated translucent top, like the light panels used by doctors to view x-rays). A 10x loupe or magnifier is often used.
Projected through a slide projector.
Viewed through a slide viewer, such as the Kaiser Diascop.
Advantages
Richer color compared to negatives. Kodak says that, " Color slides produce a wider density range, richer gradation, and deeper color saturation than color prints but they require a tighter exposure control."
Easier to scan properly . Ken Rockwell says that, "Slides are also better than negs for scanning because all slides scan with the same settings. All negs need to be scanned with different settings, and therefore the colors are always off, just like your Wal-Mart prints."
Disadvantages
Difficult to make prints using traditional analog methods. Ilfochrome (previously called Cibachrome) is the main analog method to make prints from slide film. Unfortunately it is not widely available. It's more common now to make a digital scan of the slide, then print the digital file. This makes it as convenient as negative film. For example, BPD PHOtech stopped their Cibachrome printing service and now offers a digital scanning and printing service instead.
Difficult to view the slide. Projecting slides through a projector is troublesome and the heat from the lamp fades the slides' colors. A light table or slide viewer is also inconvenient.
Requires accurate exposure. Slide film does not handle over-exposure or under-exposure well.
Examples
Fujichrome Sensia, Velvia, Astia, Provia. Velvia is the most famous of the Fujichromes, known for its rich and warm colors.
Kodak Professional Elite Chrome (the classic Kodachrome has been discontinued)
35mm Black and White Negative Film
Why bother with Black and White film? The Ilford websites says that, "The absence of colour can give photographs ranging from those with a wide flowing spectrum of soft grey tones to those with dramatic extremes of light and dark. This gives the photographer an almost unlimited range of artistic interpretation and control that is just not available with colour photography."
Advantages
Higher resolution, lower grain, than color film with the same ISO speed.
Wide range of darkroom manipulation techniques.
Possible to over-expose some areas of the photo, without looking unnatural.
Looks artistic.
High cool factor.
Disadvantage
No color.
Examples
Ilford HP5 Plus, Delta.
Kodak T-Max, Tri-X.
Which is the Best 35mm Film?
One of the advantages of a film camera is that you can change the type of film used. There's no need to stick to one brand or type of film. With the price of old cameras being so low, it's possible to use two or three cameras at the same time, loaded with different film (ISO 100 for outdoors use, ISO 800 for indoors).
Experiment, but don't switch films too quickly. Use one type for a while, to develop a good feel of its characteristics.
I work at https://essayup.com/assignment-help/ and in my opinion when choosing a film, how the film is to be digitally scanned, should be considered. If the film is scanned, slide film gives more consistent results. The difficulties of making prints from slides, also go away.
Some film processing shops will develop and then scan the film that is dropped off at their shop. This gives you the best of both analog and digital worlds.
