Film Photography Basic Information

Film Speed

Each type of film has an ASA or speed, e.g. 100, 200, 400, 1600, 3200 etc

The higher the film speed, the lower light the film becomes. i.e.; very bright conditions – 100 ASA Low light – 3200ASA.

However the grain increases as film speed increases.

35mm is the everyday film format for compact and SLR and is also in disposable cameras.

120 is medium format.120 produces larger image sizes form 6 x 4.5 cms, 6 x 6 cms, 6 x 7 cms, 6 x 8 cms, 6 x 9 cms, depending on the brand of camera.

Colour Negative Film

produces ‘negative’ images for printing large professional prints to minilab style prints.

General purpose neg film e.g. Fuji superia 100/200/400/800/1600.

This is known as C41 process.

Transparency Film

produces ‘slide’ type images. Can also be printed but produces poorer quality prints than neg film.

General purpose transparency film is Fuji Sensia 100/200/400

Professional transparency film e.g. Fuji Provia 100F/400F, Fuji Velvia, Kodak EPP.

This is known as E6 process.

Black & white film

e.g. Ilford  FP4, HP5 traditional film technology (50 -70 years old)

Ilford Delta 100/400/3200  new technology, finer grain and sharper than traditional.

Fuji Neopan 400/1600 very similar to Ilford FP4/HP5

‘Pushing’ film

It is possible to increase the film rating on the camera e.g. A 200 ASA film rated as a 400 has been pushed 1 stop. This is useful in lower light conditions with bright light film. Camera function would indicate a slower shutter speed to get enough light to produce a decent negative. Too slow would produce ‘camera shake’ casing a blurry negative. By pushing the film you allow shutter speed to increase so camera shake is not visible. 

However Pushed films can typically have higher contrast and with colour films have a colour bias. They also have a higher granularity.

Photographic paper

For photographic prints form negatives, for use only in a dark room.

Ilford multigrade paper is one of the best printing papers.  It has a full multigrade range. (00 – 5) This means from any negative you can produce a very soft feel (grade 00 – low contrast) to a very hard feel (5 – high contrast), by using multigrade filters.

These effects can be combined in a print to produce strong contrast whilst maintaining shadow detail, some expertise will be required to do this. Other brands have an effective multigrade range of 0 – 3, and therefore inferior.

RC - Resin coated paper

Is the most popular, this has the full multigrade range and is much quicker to dry, whilst maintaining it’s flatness. This is in contrast to FB - fibre-based.

Resin coated comes in three surfaces; gloss/pearl/satin.

Size varies, but for a contact sheet a page of film is laid on multigrade paper and is exposed to even light through an enlarger, 9.5” x 12” is normal. RC papers are the only ones that can go through processing machines.

FB – fibre based paper

Is for the experienced printer. This paper cannot be processed in open trays. It dries unevenly and can curl up, may need to go through a machine to flatten it. It does however produce a beautiful print with a nice ‘heaviness’. There is more silver in these papers, hence producing a richer image. This paper is available in matt or gloss. N.B. This paper cannot be put through processing machines.

See Kodaks website and Ilfords website for further more technical information.