I’ve been asked several times over the years of working in photo retail and in teaching photography, “how do I buy a good camera?”. That’s a very good question. But, we often forget that a camera is only as good as the film you use. So, let’s take a look at how film affects our pictures.Film is composed of tiny particles of silver that capture the light and then are developed chemically into negatives (or slides, also known as “positives), and printed into pictures. These particles also affect the picture quality. This is known as the “grain” of a picture.How quickly the particles respond to light is known as the film speed. The smaller the particles of silver, the more slowly they react to the light. This is called “slow film”. “ISO” numbers rates film speed, with the slower films having lower numbers (ISO 25, 100, 200, 400, etc.) Slow film is best used when you have lots of natural light or are using a flash unit on your camera while fast film is best used for lower light or action pictures.Film with larger particles of silver requires less light to obtain a properly exposed picture. However, this kind of film does not give you photographs that are as sharp and clear as film with smaller particles. This is generally not a problem if you are not going to enlarge your pictures bigger than 5 x 7 inches and have a good exposure. Use this type of film if you have low light, do not have a flash, or are taking action pictures.
The slowest films are slide films. These films are used for slide presentations, although you can have prints made from the slides. These come with a film speed of 25, 64, and 100. This film will give you very sharp pictures but the cost of having prints made from slides can be high. So, avoid this type of film unless you also need slides.
As recently as ten years ago, 100 speed was the standard film speed for people wanting prints. The 200 film speed was introduced and gave the photographer a good quality print film, which reacts to light reasonably well, and gives good quality pictures. This speed of film is available by most manufacturers. I find this to be the best quality, “all purpose” film to have on hand.
400, 800, and 1000 speed films are very fast films. These are great films for sporting events, action shots, ballet recitals, school plays, and more. Choose one of these films whenever light may be an issue. If you think you may not be allowed to use a flash unit, then go with 800, 1000, or the newer 1600 speed film.
Like many areas of technology, film has improved a great deal over the last decade. There was a time when a serious photographer would never use a film rated at 400 or higher on a regular basis. It just wasn’t not possible to get a sharp photograph out of that film. But, recent developments in exposure technology and film processing make it not only possible, but also typical, to get excellent, properly exposed, clear pictures from these fast films.
If this is true, why not uses a fast film all of the time? That’s an excellent question. Remember that the “fast films” require less light for exposure. So, if you have a lot of light, a fast film may be over exposed when you take your picture. This is especially true if you want to use your flash unit with the film. When you go to the store, how do you remember which film to buy? This chart below may help you. And good luck with your shooting. If you have any questions you can write me at
Photography Questions
| FILM SPEED | WHAT KIND OF SUBJECTS SHOULD I USE THIS FOR? | HOW MUCH IS LIGHT NEEDED? | HOW SHARP ARE THE PICTURES? |
| 25, 64, 100 | Landscapes, portraits, subjects that are not moving | Use with lots of natural light of with a flash unit indoors. | Very sharp. Speeds 25 and 64 are only available for slides. 100 is available for slides and prints. |
| 200 | Will work with most subjects, including those that are moving at a moderate speed. The best "all purpose film" | A moderate amount of light. Can be used with or without a flash unit. (I do recommend a flash unit for indoors). | Sharp pictures. Properly exposed pictures will give you pictures that can easily be blown up to 8" x 10" and maybe 11" x 14" without loosing any clarity. |
| 400, 800, 1000, 1600 | Sporting events (ranging from little league to Major League Baseball!), the theatre, recitals, concerts, or when your subject is moving quickly. | Excellent for low light situations. 400 and 800 speed films can be used with a flash. 1000 and 1600 are great for situations where no flash can be used. | Excellent for 4 x 6 or even 5 x 7 prints. Cannot generally enlarge to bigger than this without loosing some clarity. |
