■ http://www.dpreview.com
■ http://www.pcphotoreview.com
■ http://www.largeformatphotography.infoTypes of Color Film
In digital photography, there is essentially only one kind of film. You could say that
file formats differ widely, such as RAW, JPEG, and TIFF, but this is just a software
issue.
You could also say that high-speed CF cards are much different from memory stick
media. However, they both store the same information, so again, it’s not a real dif-
ference. Slide film, however, works much differently from negative film. The differ-
ences reveal advantages and disadvantages to each format.Negative Film
Negative film produces an image that is the opposite of the original scene in color
and density. It can be printed on paper in a darkroom to make a positive or scanned
into a computer for editing and printing. It is usually easier to work with negative
film if the final medium is a print. Color negative film has a considerable tolerance
for under- and overexposure (exposure latitude), and, when scanned, is superior to
reversal film for photographs of very contrast-laden scenes.Reversal Film (Slide Film, Transparency Film, or “Chromes”)
Reversal film can be projected for viewing, printed on reversal paper in a darkroom,
or scanned into a computer for editing and printing. Reversal film requires more
precise exposure than negative film because it has less exposure latitude; errors in
exposure or color balance may be difficult or impossible to correct in printing.
However, reversal film has advantages in cost and convenience over negative film,
and images can be viewed directly. Reversal film, especially in large format sizes, is
almost universally preferred by professionals because its images will be reproduced
by offset printing presses. Reversal film often has “chrome” in its name
(Agfachrome, Ektachrome, Fujichrome).Professional Film
Sometimes the word “professional” in a film name is merely a marketing strategy.
For color film, however, the word bears a little more weight. Professional films, for
example, have exposure latitude—the amount of underexposure or overexposure
they’re capable of handling—that is much smaller than consumer-type film.CHAPTER 3 FILM BASICS 31