Analogue films: Simple film selection

The world of photography can quickly seem complicated and intimidating, especially for beginners. Compared to digital photography there is a lot more to consider for a good image than just pressing the shutter release.

Photographers quickly get past the point where the neighborhood drugstore has the film they need. Once you dive a little deeper into the wide world of analogue photography the many different terms and abbreviations can quickly get confusing and make it difficult to find what you want.

The good news is that it's less complex than it seems at first. We have put together a little guide to help you, and clarify the most important criteria when selecting a film.

Films can generally be described with 6 feature:

1. Format
2. Positive or negative film
3. Black and white or color film
4. ISO / ASA
5. Standard or premium
6. Number of images

The right film format

The film format simply describes the size of the film. In the long history of photography there have been a variety of formats on the market. From the large-format sheet films which are individually placed into the camera like a sheet of paper and need to be exchanged after each picture is taken, to the tiny Super16 film format.

Selection of the "right" film format is usually determined by the camera, as there is generally only one format that fits. For a beginner there are generally only two film formats which are relevant: the 35 mm format or 135 film and the medium-format film or 120 roll film. Most cameras are only suitable for one of these two film formats, which means the selection is considerably reduced and the question about the "right" format is quickly answered.

Both films are wound onto a spool, which means that the somewhat cumbersome exchange of film after each picture is not necessary. The film is simply wound on after each exposure and it's time to take the next photo.

The most frequently used format is 35 mm, which is well-known from past holidays. The film is guided through the camera with the perforations (holes on the edge). The classic 35 mm format film has many advantages compared to other film formats. The 35 mm film format not only makes it very easy to place the film in the analogue camera, the complex packaging in light-proof canisters also reliably protects the film from undesired exposure to sunlight. 35 mm film can be placed in the camera or taken out in daylight without the need to worry. Another advantage is the availability of this format, as almost all film types are available in 35 mm format.

Medium-format or roll film is available in various sizes. As well as 120 roll film format, which is the most common, there are also medium-format films available in the sizes 70 mm, 127 mm and 220 mm, though these are rarer and only mentioned for the sake of completeness.

In contrast to 35 mm film format, roll films do not have perforations on the edges. These films are either packaged in a light-proof film container or sealed in an opaque Triplex cover. Where possible, medium-format films should not be placed in the camera in direct sunlight. However the photographer's own shadow should be enough to protect the film when it is taken out and removed from the paper cover.

One advantage of the medium-format films is the larger negative. The larger negative means that medium-format films can be enlarged more than the 35 mm format without influencing the image quality. The interchangeable film magazines for medium-format films are also very practical.  These interchangeable film magazines mean that you can only partially expose a film, put another film in and then later switch back to the film in the interchangeable film magazine.

A disadvantage is that although many films are made in 120 roll film format, not all are available.

Positive film or negative film

Many people probably already know the difference between these two film types. But it's not easy to comprehensively summarize. For simplicity's sake, we will save ourselves the explanation of layer structure and density of the films, and focus on the visible differences between the two film types.

Quite fundamentally you need to decide whether you want to photograph in positive or negative. As both film types are available for both black and white or color photography the decision is unfortunately not made for us. So how do we decide?

The obvious difference is visible to the naked eye. Positive film, also known as slide film or reversal film, creates a color and brightness-true image when exposed. This means the film does not make negatives, but rather positives. The image can be viewed as a transparency or with a slide projector because the color reproduction is true to the original, meaning that the colors look like they did when photographed.

When negative film is used the developing creates negatives, on which the colors and brightness are reversed. The "right" colors or grey tones and brightness only appear during enlargement and printing on light-sensitive photo paper.

In the past slides were practical for viewing with a projector or as a printing template, and negatives were used for photo prints. This fact also makes the difference between these two film types clear. The negative is basically an intermediate product, as the end product, the finished photographic print, can only be made by exposing the negative. The slide, on the other hand, is already the final product as, although it can be enlarged, that is not the idea behind this film.

Negative films have increased in popularity with decreasing usage of slide projectors. Lower demand for positive film has made these more expensive, but there is still some slide films on the market. We recommend every photographer tries a slide film in their camera. The brilliant colors and excellent sharpness of these films often outperforms negative films. Unfortunately the special E6 development process needed for slides adds extra costs. In our opinion this additional expense is worth it. Why don't you try it? The image quality is worth it.

Black and white or color film

The difference between black and white or color film is clear. Color film creates a colored image, whereby black and white film depicts the colors of the motif in black, white and grey tones.

In this case everyone needs to decide for themselves whether they want a black and white picture or a colored one, though not all color films are equal. Some films, for example the ADOX Color Implosion let the subject's colors "implode" and create special effects. Other films, on the other hand, keep the subject's colors relatively neutral or colorfast. The preference is a matter of personal taste, and often depends both on the motif and the mood of the day.

The main difference, and the primary reason that many photography beginners start with black and white photography, is the differences in development and printing. If you want to develop negatives yourself we recommend starting with black and white photography, as this is relatively simple, even for beginners, and forgiving of small mistakes here and there. Color films, on the other hand, are generally developed in the standardized C-41 process, which is more demanding and less forgiving of deviations. If you prefer to have your films developed professionally then this can be done by a large laboratory or, our recommendation, by a specialist laboratory. Anyone who has put a lot of effort into their images expects the best possible results, as they only have one chance at good results.  Film development vouchers for the specialist laboratories Studio 13 and Agenzia Luce can be found in our film accessories section. If only the best is good enough for your films then only development at Agenzia Luce in Italy is worth considering. We believe that it is Europe's premium photo specialist laboratory when it comes to black and white and reversal processing.

ISO/ ASA / DIN

The ISO value found in every film description gives information about the light sensitivity of the film. The ISO value is made up of two parts: the ASA vale and the DIN value. The higher the value stated, the more the film reacts to light.

ASA       =             American Standards Association

ISO         =             International Standard Organization

DIN        =             German Institute for Standardization (Deutsches Institut für Normung)

The scales are not arbitrarily selected. Both follow a logarithmic logic. With both the DIN and ASA values a doubling of the sensitivity also means a doubling of the DIN or ASA values. The DIN range increases by one DIN value each time and every third DIN value represents a doubling of the sensitivity. The ASA range is similar. Here the doubling of the ASA value also means a doubling of the light sensitivity.

The following rows should make the logic more clear. Each doubling of the sensitivity is shown in bold.

ASA range
12, 16, 20, 25, 32, 40, 50, 64, 80, 100, 125, 160, 200, 250, 320, 400, 480, 640, 800, etc.

DIN range
12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, etc.

The two listed ranges, the ASA and DIN values, form the ISO value. This simply combines the ASA and DIN values and brings them together, e.g. ISO 100/21 or ISO 200/24.

Before purchasing film you need to decide what sensitivity you want to photograph with for that film. In general you will find that highly sensitive film (higher ISO values) produces more grainy images than film with lower ISO values. The less sensitive films tend to deliver sharper and clearer images.

The factor of light plays a very important role here and makes it difficult to make a universal recommendation.

 Generally the exposure is made up of three factors:

• Aperture
• Shutter speed
• Film speed

A combination of the first two factors determine how much light the film will be exposed to and for how long, and the film speed gives information about how strongly the film will react to the light.

If, for example, you have put a light sensitive film in the camera but the shooting ends up taking place in bright lighting, then the amount of light reaching the film can be reduced with the aperture and shutter speed to prevent overexposure.

The topic of lighting is something completely different, and gets more complicated the more you learn.

We recommend the following ISO values for beginners:

• Shoots on the beach or in the sun                                                           ISO 50-100
• Shoots in normal daylight or in well-lit rooms                                            ISO 200-400
• Shoots in dark environments, e.g. concerts, clubs or at night                    ISO 800

Standard or premium

In this area the film market is like most others. Good or outstanding quality has its price. But this doesn't mean that all expensive films are worth the extra money. In analogue photography the factor of "demand" plays an important role. There is no denying that the digital revolution has caused the market to consolidate. Many low-demand products were simply taken out of the range, or the producers simply demand an appropriate price to keep the products in stock.

With color films the price factor is more noticeable than with black and white films.

Here it's worth digging a little deeper into the wallet. The higher-priced color films by Kodak and Fuji deliver the corresponding added value with regard to processing quality and image result. These films impress with their brilliance and sharpness, even when they are developed in standard processes in large laboratories.

Things are a little different with black and white films. It's hard to find a bad or low-quality film at a specialist dealer. A couple of positive examples are the Ilford FP4 or HP5, the Rollei Retro and RPX films or the Kodak T-Max or Tri-X, which we stock for good reason!

Number of images – 24 or 36

With 35 mm film there is this question. However these days the question has become a little irrelevant as not many films are produced with 24 images anymore.

Films with 36 images offer the better price/performance ratio per image, though the films with 24 images have the advantage that the film can be changed faster, which lets you adjust the next film to the new lighting conditions.

If you are using medium-format film in your camera the number of images depends on what your camera can handle. The wider the format of your images, the less images you can take.