Slides or color neg?

As several people asked about slides on my site search engine, I've added this page!


Hints and tips
by Philip Grosset



If you'd like to submit photos for criticism,
click here.
Neg film
Most of us who still use film use color negative film. This produces complementary colors as shown on the right. Then prints or enlargements.are made from this.


Some people prefer to use color transparencies that can be viewed as slides. These are usually sold process-paid, so have to be returned to the manufacturer for processing. Different types of mount are provided by different manufacturers.
Slide



Taking transparencies has serious disadvantages because:
  • you have to get the composition and exposure exactly right when you take the picture, as no compensation can be applied during processing, and no subsequent cropping is possible.
  • transparencies not only have less latitude with exposure, but cope less well with contrast than color neg, so, to avoid deep shadow areas, you may need to use fill-in flash, or wait until the sun is weak or hazy.
  • you'll need a slide projector and screen to show the pictures properly. This requires a lot more organising, and your guests have to sit through an (overlong?) presentation in a darkened room, instead of just flicking through an album at their own speed!
The main advantages of transparencies are:
  • you get much brighter and more intense colors
  • you can capture more detail with no grain
  • you can show slides to large audiences
  • publishers prefer them.



I wouldn't really recommend slide film for beginners, although the quality can be really impressive. Prints can be obtained from slides, and vice versa, but at some loss of quality.

For most purposes, I'd suggest a color neg film with a speed (i.e. a sensitivity to light) of ISO (International Standards Organization) 200. Try several different makes, including Fuji and Kodak, to see which produces the coloring you prefer.




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