Photography - What Film To BuyWriten by Michael Russell
So, you've just graduated to the big boys and got your first 35 mm camera. You're ready to take some professional quality photos, right? Well, not so fast. See, there is a little matter of film speed. When graduating to the ranks of the 35 mm camera, you're not just dealing with one film speed, but several. As a novice, you may be asking the question, What does it matter? The answer to that question is that it matters a great deal. Depending on what kind of photos you're planning to take and where you're planning to take them makes all the difference in the world to the film speed that you're going to want to use. Hopefully, after reading this little revelation on 35 mm film speeds, you'll know exactly which speed to choose for the job at hand.
The slowest 35 mm speed is 100. By slowest, we refer to how quickly the shutter opens and closes when taking the photo. While 100 speed is the slowest, it is by no means slow. Shutters open and close in fractions of a second. However, 100 speed when compared to the other speeds, is quite slow. So just when would you use 100 speed film? The ideal conditions for this speed is when you are taking photos outdoors in bright sunlight with a stationary subject. It is not recommended that you try taking moving photos with 100 speed film as the photos will most likely come out blurred.
After 100 speed film, the next fastest speed is 200 speed. This film is your most common speed that people will buy for everyday use. It is primarily used for indoor photos with flash. You can also use it for shots to be taken outdoors under partly sunny conditions. It is not recommended for photos under bright sunlight. This speed is also very good for photos that you plan to enlarge.
After 200 speed film is 400 speed. There is a big debate as to whether or not there's a whole lot of difference between 200 and 400 speed film for general use, as both are very good under normal conditions. The professional photographer may be able to tell you what the difference is but most people won't notice. However, if you look at photos taken with 200 and 400 speed film under the same conditions, which is the litmus test, you will notice that the 400 speed film photos are slightly sharper. The difference is so slight under normal conditions that one has to wonder if the difference in price is worth it.
Finally, the fastest film speed, which is also the most dramatically different in photo quality, is the 800 speed film. This film is mainly used for taking action photos such as stock car races. It is also very good for low light conditions. This film is very expensive and is mostly used by professionals. Unless you're planning on heading out to the track and taking photos of the ponies, most likely you won't have any need for 800 speed film.
There you have it. Now when you get your new 35 mm for your birthday, you'll have at least some idea of what kind of film you'll need based on what kind of photos you're planning to take.
Michael Russell
Your Independent guide to Photography