Absolute Beginner's Guide to Digital Photography

CHAPTER 3 FILM BASICS 35

Storing Film Properly

Store film away from heat. Heat affects any film badly, so don’t leave it where tem-

peratures might be high, such as in the glove compartment of a car on a hot day or

near a heater in winter.

For long-term storage, refrigerate film. Refrigeration extends the life of film. Room

temperature is fine for short-term storage, but for longer storage, especially in warm

weather, a refrigerator or freezer is better for most films. Make sure

that the dealer has refrigerated film if that is what the manufac-

turer recommends.

Protect film from moisture. The original film

packaging should be moisture-proof, but if you

refrigerate the film after opening the box, put the

film in a moisture-proof container like a tightly

closed plastic bag.

Let refrigerated film warm to room temperature

before using it to prevent moisture from condens-

ing on the film surface. One roll of film (or a 10-

sheet box of sheet film) needs about an hour to

warm up; a 100-foot roll of bulk-loaded 35mm

film or a 100-sheet box of sheet film needs about

four hours to warm up.

Film Speed

The faster the film speed, the less light required to produce an image. Therefore,

faster film can be used in dimmer light, with faster shutter speeds, or with smaller

apertures. A fast film is useful indoors, for example, especially if you use only the

existing light in the room and do not supplement it with electronic flash or

photofloods. A slower film is good for brightly lit scenes, such as outdoors in bright

sun. The faster the film, the higher its film speed number.

What film speed should you use? Faster films tend to produce grainier pictures, so

theoretically you will get the best results by selecting the slowest film usable in each

situation. In practice, however, it is inconvenient and unnecessary to work with sev-

eral film speeds. Some photographers use a relatively fast ISO 400 film for almost all

their work. One type of film might not be enough, but a fast ISO-rated film and a

slower, finer-grain film are enough for most situations (see Figure 3.2).

Do not freeze or refriger-

ate Polaroid instant-

picture film. In the

freezer, the film’s devel-

oping chemicals could

separate or burst. In the fridge,

even unopened Polaroid film can fail

because of moisture.

caution