How to Choose the Right Camera Film

Understanding the attributes of each kind of film will enable you to achieve the right balance of tone, color, shadow and highlights in your prints.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Camera Bags
• Camera Batteries
• Camera Filters
• Camera Flashes
• Camera Lens Caps
• Camera Lenses
• Camera Straps
• Camera Tripod
• Cameras
• Film
• Insulated Camera Bags
• Cameras

1. Consider the lighting conditions in which you will be shooting.

2. Decide whether you want to shoot in black and white or color.

3. Choose a brand of film.

4. Select slow (25-64 ISO), medium (100-200 ISO), fast (400-1000 ISO) or ultrafast (1600-3200 ISO) film based on the lighting.

5. Use slow film in bright sunlight or a well-lit studio.

6. Use medium film in most typical daylight and indoor lighting situations.

7. Use fast film in a range of lighting situations from low light to bright light and to capture action.

8. Use ultrafast film in shadowy areas during the day, at night and in dark interiors.

Tips & Warnings

• Medium-speed films provide the greatest latitude with minimal graininess. They also deliver less contrast than slow films.
• Slow films are typically used for still life, landscapes and big enlargements with fine detail. Moving objects will often appear blurred when using slow film.
• Fast films produce grainy prints.
• Use 200- or 400-speed films for the greatest flexibility.
• Keep your film in a cool dry place, like a camera bag, to prevent damage and distortion.

on 11/22/2005 Sometimes the situation warrants a setting that may not be possible. For example: You are shooting action and want a 1/250 setting while at f2.8. Trouble is you only have a f5.6 lens and are using 400 asa film.

Simply set the asa to 1600 (while actually only using 400 asa) this will let your camera 'think' you need less light than you actually do.

Take the roll of film to a processing lab that can developed PUSHED film (most 1 hour type places CANNOT). Let them know you pushed the film to and they will be able to develop the film correctly. THEY MUST KNOW THAT IT IS PUSHED FIRST!!!

Other gotchas:

Push or Pull (the oposit of pushing) the ENTIRE ROLL. You cannot push just a few photos and then go back to normal settings.

Dont forget to change the camera settings back to the correct film speed when finished pushing.

Only push color film 2 steps. (100 to 400, 400 to 1600 etc) B&W has greater latitude - I have pushed 100 asa to 800 before).

on 11/22/2005 If you have a compact camera, get someone to put a shadow over the light sensor with a finger or corner of a postcard. The camera will then use the actual light without closing down due to the sun going into the lens.

on 11/22/2005 If you are using a compact camera and it is fairly dark and the subject is more than 10 metres away, turn the flash OFF and rest the camera on/against something. The camera will then do a time exposure