Film

by Patrick Young
Created: June 20, 2003
Last Updated: July 10, 2004

Loupe and some unmounted slides on a light table waiting for examination.
(Canon D60 EF 50mm)

Introduction

Film is the traditional medium used to record photographic images. It's been around since photography was invented and remains the most popular and ubiquitous photographic medium today despite the rapid growth of the popularity of digital photography.

Film itself has evolved a great deal since its humble beginnings. Emulsion technology has evolved a great deal, especially in the past two decades. There so many different types and brands avaiilable now that it can be a very confusing matter choosing which film to use and when to use it. The cost of film seems to vary widely depending on where you look. In this article we will examine some of my favorite films and look at what films are best suited for several photographic situations.

I myself specialize in color photography so this entire article will concentrate on color films. (If you're interested in B+W, sorry about that.)

Film in the Digital Photography Age

It has been predicted (and indeed in some circles proclaimed) that digital photography has surpassed film qualitatively and that the end of film is now. Hard to argue when you consider incredible advantages that come using a digital camera--increased gamut, precise color management, and the instant gratification of being able to preview your images right after you have taken a shot.

Digital is the next stage in the evolution of photography. If photography were simply about resolution and ease of use, then indeed the end of film has come. But a photography is much more simply recording a moment in time. Photography is about capturing a moment in time; our brushes are the dials of our cameras and our canvas is film, providing us unique textures and colors. To say that digital photography has obsoleted film photography is to say that photography itself has made painting obsolete.

Digital photography has its place; indeed for general purpose photography it seems inevitable that it will become the de facto standard. But digital is by no means a blanket replacement for film. Film has its place, as an choice for creative expression. I still use film extensively. I use digital quite a lot as well, depending on the situation.

Film Properties

What is film in the first place? Without going into too much detail, it consists of multiple layers of photosensitive crystals sensitive to the the primary additive colors of light--red, green and blue. When an exposure is made, each of the layers react.

The photosensitve crystals determine the properties of the film. Each brand of film has a different formulation, creating variation in the way color is reproduced. Some films for example are designed to be lower contrast, which increases film gamut but reduces color saturation. Other films are designed to be just the opposite--high contranst and saturation but only able to record a very narrow gamut of color. Some films may be more sensitive to red hues, others more sensitive to green or blue.

The size and density of the crystals determines a film's grain. It also for the most part determines film speed and resolving power. Higher film speeds usually correlate to coarser film grain and lower image resolution. They also tend to be lower in contrast and color saturation.

From this we can see several basic properties of film in relation to film speed (ISO rating):

Low speed films (ISO 25, 50, 64) have the greatest resolving power, highest contrast and highest color saturation. If image quality is of the utmost importance, these films are for you. With such low speeds, a tripod will almost always be necessary. These films also have very narrow exposure ranges. Such films are ideal for landscape photography.
Medium speed films (ISO 100, 200) have very good resolving power, high contrast and high color saturation. These films have moderate exposure ranges. These films are often considered general purpose films. Grain is somewhat evident in print enlargements of 8" x 10".
High speed films (ISO 400, 800) have moderate resolving power, contrast and saturation. Grain becomes much more evident on enlargements, noticable in 5" x 7" prints. These films are useful for high speed or low-light photography.
Ultra high speed films (ISO 1600+) tend to be very grainy, very low in contrast and saturation. Grain is evident even in prints as small as 4" x 6". These films are most suited for very low light situations.

Types of Film

Print Film

There are basically two different types of film that we will be concerned with. Negative film (or print film) is the class of film primary used for the creation of prints. Print film is the most common film and the one most people are accustomed to. With print film, the negative is a intermediate medium used to create the true image presentation--a print. Print film have these qualities:

Advantages:

High tonality: Handles high contrast scenes much better than slide film
High tolerance: You can be up to up to +/- 1.5 stops off and still have usable images
Lower contrast and saturation: Good for portraits
High availability: Sold just about everywhere
Easy to make prints: Easy to find photo labs to make prints; inexpensive.
Low density: Easier to get detail from shadow regions using high resolution negative scanners.

Weaknesses:

Grain: Much grainer than slide film, especially noticable when making high resolution negative scans.
Lower resolution: Less resolving power than slide film.
Low saturation: Does not have as much 'pop' as slide film.
Fewer variations: Much less variety of print films available.

Slide Film

Slide film or transparency film as it sometimes is referred to is primary used for presentation using a light table or using a slide projector. Unlike negative film, exposures on slide film are not inverted as appear as photographed (a "positive" image). Unlike print film, the transparency is the final product. Transparency film has the folllowing qualities:

Advantages:

High contrast and saturation: Very deep and rich colors
Low grain: Exceptionally fine grained for extremely high resolution
Wide variety: Many different types of slide film available
Changeable ISO: Slide films can often be "pushed" or "pulled" to different ISO settings and developed at those settings with little grain or color distortion.

Weaknesses:

Narrow tonality: very small tonal range, unable to handle high contrast scenes without sacrificing highlights or shadows
Low tolerance: Exposure errors of even 1/3 stop are noticable.
Harder to buy: Much more difficult to find than print film; some types only available at professional photo stores

Grain: Much grainer than slide film, especially noticable when making high resolution negative scans.
Lower resolution: Less resolving power than slide film.
Low saturation: Does not have as much 'pop' as slide film.
Fewer variations: Much less variety of print films available.

Film Recommendations

So which to use? Print or transparency. That depends on the situation and application. What types of films are available? What brand should I try?

There are many brands of film, but the biggest and most well know are Fuji and Kodak. Their films are available everywhere. These are the only two brands of film I use. I have no preference for either--I have no brand loyalty. They each produce very fine films. I do tend to use more film by Fuji. Prices for films by Fuji are much lower than Kodak, and the quality is equal if not better. Fuji also produces my favorite film Velvia.

Slide Films

These are the primary films that I use. There are a wide variety of slide films available to choose from and which to use depends more on both personal perference and situation. Most films I use are professional films. Here is a look at some of my favorite slide films:

Fuji Velvia (RVP)

Velvia is the choice for most of the top landscape photographers. Many of the photos seen in such renoun magazines like National Geographic were taken using Velvia. If it is good enough for these people, it is good enough for me. Interesting attributes of Velvia:

Very low ISO (rated at ISO 50). Incredible resolving power.
High contrast and extreme saturation. Velvia is known for it's ability to add a lot of "pop" to its colors, expecially green
Can be pushed to ISO 100 or pulled to ISO 32 without significant image or color degredation

There are several caveats of course to Velvia. It has a very narrow exposure range, so expect to burn out highlights or black out shadow detail a lot. If you have any shadows in your photograph, you can pretty much forget about having any detail in those regions. Velvia is also very ill-suited for people--especially portrait photography. Blemishes, lines and shadows will be exagerated.

Using Velvia is challenging but quite rewarding. Exposure measurements need to quite accurate. Velvia is not suited for every situation, however for landscape photography it is the top choice. Some people dislike Velvia, other people love it. It's a personal choice.

(Fuji has just announced a new version, Velvia 100F. More details when they become available.)

Kodak Kodachrome 25

Kodachrome 25 is one of my favorite films. Unfortunately it was discontinued in 2002, a shame because it is a wonderful film. Kodachrome is a very old film, which uses a proprietary development process (K-14). Here are some interesting attributes about Kodachrome 25:

Incredibly low speed at ISO 25. Unmatched resolving power.
High contrast and high saturation.
High color accuracy.
High archival value.

Kodachrome 25 was one of my favorite films simply because it produced incredible images. It was well suited for both landscape and portrait photography. Unlike most films today which emphasize "pop" in colors, Kodachrome colors are very accurate. The only real disadvantages were it's very low ISO speed, making a tripod almost always necessary, and it's costs (Kodachrome 25 was not cheap, nor were the development costs). It is sad to see the end of such a great film. Kodak recommends using Kodachrom 64, but I've never been as impressed with that as I was with the old Kodachrome 25.

Fuji Provia F (RDP)

Provia is an excellent film. I have used it on many occasions, although I have not recently because I prefer Velvia (which is also cheaper). Here are some interesting things about Provia:

Two different ISO speeds of Provia are available, 100F and 400F (ISO 100 and ISO 400 respectively).
High contrast and high saturation (not as gaudy as Velvia)
Very low grain, very resolving power
Wider exposure range than Velvia
Can be pushed up to one stop over standard rating.

It's rather unfair but I always compare Provia to Velvia. The colors of Provia are not quite as saturated as those in Velvia and so I've pretty much stopped using Provia because of that. But of more significant to me, well rather my pocketbook, Fuji Velvia tends to be cheaper. Provia is well suited for many situations, including landscape photography. Provia is not really meant for portrait photography, but it's much better than Velvia.

Fuji Astia (RAP)

Astia is also one of my favorite films. On trips I often carry some Astia along. Astia has these interesting features:

Moderately rated at ISO 100
moderate contrast and saturation
Good exposure tonal range
Excellent color accuracy
Can be pushed up to ISO 400

Astia is great for taking photos where color accuracy has a high priority. Its larger tonal range also gives me more flexibility in high contrast scenes--much less sacrifice of highlight and shadow detail. Astia is ideal for portrait and catalogue photography. It does make a decent landscape film as well.

There is also a consumer version of Astia, Sensia II (RA) which is also a wonderful film. I often use Sensia II instead of Astia because it can be found very cheap and isn't too much different than Astia (I really don't know what the difference is between the "professional" and "consumer versions of this film, except that it's half as expensive and for the price I don't mind whatever it is I'm missing).

Kodak Ektachrome E100 VS

This film is Kodak's answer to Velvia. At first I did not like this film but over time it's slowly grown on me. Now that I have a working knowledge of it and when and where to use it, E100VS has become one of my primary films (replacing Kodachrome 25, because the don't make it anymore). E100VS has the following properties:

Moderately rated at ISO 100
Very good resolving power
Very high contrast and satuation. Like Velvia, colors "pop", especially the reds and the blues.
Narrow tonal range, but wider than Velvia

The only real disadvantage to E100VS is that it costs a lot. I don't understand why Kodak doesn't price this film more competively with Velvia, otherwise I would probably use more of it. Like Velvia it is ideally suited for landscape photography. It does have slightly more grain and does not have the resolving power of Velvia, but the trade off is fair for that extra 1/2 stop of sensitivity. Also, like Velvia, this film is terrible for people and portrait photography.

Print Films

I don't use print film very often anymore; my digital camera has replaced my film camera in situations that require print film. However print film still has it's place and for people who have not gone digital yet, it is still their primary film choice.

Print film remains the choice film for portrait photography where low contrast and low saturation are important. This is especially true for wedding photography, where you want to be able to capture detail in both the bride's white dress and the groom's black tuxedo. Such film also helps with blemishes, lines and shadows.

Print is also good for handling very high contrast scenes. The trade off is that print film is much grainer than slide film and is noticable on enlargements of 8" x 10" or greater (using 35mm film).

Often you'll see ISO 200 speed print film--it seems like the generic choice since it seems to have good resolution and is fairly high speed. I recommend you don't us it, stick with ISO 100 to get the resolution or go to ISO 400 and get the speed. Film technology is such that the differences between ISO 400 and ISO 200 resolution is very little, so you really don't lose out on much using the higher speed film. And of course image quality, contrast and saturation will all be better at ISO 100 than at ISO 200 (plus ISO 100 tends to be cheaper).

Here is a quick look at some print films that I have had experence with:

Kodak Gold

You can find this film just about everywhere. This is generic film, usable for just about any situation. It comes in many different speeds. Try to stick with the ISO 100 version to get the lowest grain and brightest colors. If you need the extra speed for fast action or low light situations, go with ISO 400.

Kodak Royal Gold

I like this film a lot. It has much better contrast and saturation than it's cousin, Kodak Gold. It is also a little more expensive, but it does make very good images. This is consumer stuff, you can pretty much find Royal Gold anywhere. Somewhat more expensive than Kodak Gold, but if you shop around it should be no problem.

Fuji Superia

I also like this film quite a lot. Superia at ISO 800 is definitely much better than any other ISO 800 print film I've tried. Superia tends to have more saturated green hues (doesn't mean it has a green cast, just means that the greens in Superia are much "greener" than other films I've noticed). Another good thing about this film is it is much cheaper than Gold and the quality is about the same.

Fuji Reala

This film is supposed to be the higher-end version of Superia I think. I have tried this film and I do like it, but I haven't worked with it enough to offer much of an opinion yet. Like Superia (and all Fuji films it seems), Reala has extra "pop" to its green hues. It also is competitive price-wise.

Kodak Portra

This is Kodak's professional line of films. The NC type is a very low contrast, very low color saturation film primarily designed for wedding or portrait photography. There is also a Vivd Color ("VC") version, which I have not tried before. One of the cool things is you can take this to any photo lab for processing, although there are labs that specialize in developing this type of film.

Fuji NPS/NPH

Fuji has their own professional line of print films. I'm in the process of trying them out.

What Films to Use When...

So what films the best films are best suited for this or that situation? Well it's really a personal choice. Your choice in film contributes what you intent to express in your image. Maybe what you want are bright colors to emphasize color, or maybe you would prefer more muted colors to emphasize structure. Perhaps you would like a grainy look, or perhaps you are looking for absolute maximum sharpness. Before you start taking photographs--before you even insert your film, you need to decide what your intent is, and from that decide the film you want to use.

How do you know what film to use? That comes from experience. It's a good idea to select several types of film and test them out extensively, carefully examining the results. Once you have picked a few favorites (or perhaps even just one), stick with it.

I started four years ago and tried out all sorts of films, then chose a set of films that I liked to work with and stuck with them. From those films it took many rolls, perhaps 50 to 100 of each before I realy got familiar with them. That's the only real way to know for yourself what films are best suited for you.

Here is a chart of some general situations and the films that I like to use:

Scenario	I Like to Use...	Notes
Low contrast general landscape - cloudy or overcast, front-lit and diffused shadows	Fuji Velvia	Velvia is the best landscape film in my opinion. It is ideally suited for these situations because of the lower tonality of the scene.
High contrast general landscape - sunny cloudless day, front-lit	Fuji Velvia, Astia, Kodak Ektachrome E100 VS	Velvia also works well in these situations, however you will have to sacrifice either shadow or highlight detail because of the scene's high tonal range. Be careful not to overcompensate to get detail, especially in the shadows or you may overexpose. E100VS is also a very good choice and has a bit more tonal range than Velvia, although it does have slightly more grain. I prefer Velvia for situations where I would like more green hue saturation, E100VS for greater red or blue hue saturation.
High contrast general back-lit scene	Fuji Astia	Back-lit scenes are tough because of the narrow tonal range of slide film. Astia has a much wider range than Velvia so I usually go with this film in such situations.
Early morning, late afternoon	Fuji Velvia, Astia, Kodak Ektachrome E100 VS	The ideal times to take photographs. Film choice here is really dependent upon one's own preference. If you prefer softer, lower contrast images to re-enforce the warm soft light, Fuji Astia is a good choice. If you are interested in making those warm tones "pop", use Velvia or E100VS. My preference is to use Velvia, however E100VS is also a great choice.
Sunset/Sunrise (silouette)	Fuji Velvia, Kodak Ektachrome E100VS	This is a very difficult shot to take no matter what film you choose to use. Here the objective is to capture the colors of the sunrise/sunset, maximize their saturation, and throw much or all of the rest of the scene into a dark silouette. A narrow gamut film has enough range for my own uses--but metering must be precise.
Portrait (close-up)	Superia 400, Kodak Royal Gold 400, Fuji Astia, Kodak Portra, Fuji NPS/NPH	The best films for portraits are low contrast, low saturation films. Print films work well for such photographs, especially at higher speeds like ISO 400. Fuji Astia is a good choice if you want to do portraits with slide film.
Landscape with people	Fuji Astia, Kodak Portra, Fuji NPS/NPH	You can get a good colors for both people and the landscape with Astia.

In Conclusion

Film is not dead yet. Even as digital imaging is revolutionizing photography, film is not obsolete. A lot of people still like film and still only have film cameras. A lot of professional photographers still prefer film. When the age of TV arrived, radio did not die out. When the internet arrived, paper did not become obsolete (Personally though I would love to get rid of all the paper clutter on my desk). Film is a choice of medium to use, in some cases better than digital. Making a good choice in film is very important to realizing the images you are looking for. Just as important is understanding your choice in films--how they perform, their properties and quirks. I still like using film and I hope you do too.

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