What Type of Film
Should I Use?
By Andrew Hudson
For more photographs, you can successfully use a name-brand, 200-speed print
film like Kodak Gold or Fuji Super G Plus. Let's look at these three factors - speed,
brand, and print vs. slide.
How Do I Choose A Speed?
The numbers - 100, 200, 400 - refer to how quickly the film reacts to light. A 400-speed
film reacts twice as fast as a 200. Higher-speed film is used for action shots, because it
helps reduce blurring, and for low-light, indoor settings. But higher-speed film also
results in weaker colors and grainier images in your finished photographs than slower
films. If your prints are blurry, try using a faster film. If you want better (less
grainy) resolution for enlargements, try a slower film.
Does Brand Make A Difference?
Film brands do vary somewhat, but as long as you choose a known brand from a reliable
supplier, you won't notice a great amount of difference between brands. Because film
deteriorates with age and heat, buy it fresh (the packages are dated), keep it cool, and
use and develop it promptly.
Should I Use Print or Slide Film?
Color print film accounts for 90 percent of film sold and is best for most consumer uses.
Prints are easy to store, view, and show, and enlargements are relatively inexpensive.
Print film is also more forgiving - it has a wider exposure latitude than slide film,
meaning that you don't have to have exact setting on your camera for a good shot.
Copyright 1998 Andrew Hudson for PhotoSecrets Publishing. All rights
reserved. If you want to use this article in any way, please e-mail us for permission. This article was
edited by Matt Wiseman and first appeared in Postcards Magazine, a publication for Carlson
Leisure Group by Cowles Creative Publishing.
 Andrew Hudson is
the author of PhotoSecrets, a new series of adventure
guides that takes you on a photographic discovery of the best views in the best places.
They are the first-ever, full-color, full-length, location-specific travel guides for
amateur travel photography.
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