slides vs. print film
Alan Zaza
ra...@polya.ece.wisc.edu (Rajiv Jain) wrote:
>
>I was talking to a local salesman and he remarked that
>if I wanted to get prints, I should use negative film
>and not slide film. Slide film, he carried on, is used
>for brochures and advertising where the one can
>directly transfer the image onto a brochure.
>
>Can someone explain the pros and cons and the uses of
>these films? Maybe there is a FAQ in this topic?
>
>thanks.
>
>rajiv
>--
>Dept. of Electrical & Computer Engr.
> ra...@ece.wisc.edu 1415 Johnson Drive
> work: (608)262-3610 University of Wisconsin fax:
>(608)265-4623 Madison, WI 53706-1691
Well Rajiv, I'll tell you what I know.
The main thing about print vs. slide is that print film has a
greater exposure latitude (typically 3 stops or more ) than
slide film. So you dont have to be too concerned with lighting
and proper exposure using print film. It is more forgiving.
Wedding photogrophers like to use print film for this reason.
It is also easyer and less expensive to make prints from
negatives.
Slide or transparancies require careful exposure ( within 1/2
stop ) but give better color saturation. Nature and advertising
photographers prefer slide film . You can get some pretty
dramatic results. And slides are widely accepted by magazines
and publishers as they can see the results before printing.
Good luck.
rob...@hk.ncc.se
>The main thing about print vs. slide is that print film has a
>greater exposure latitude (typically 3 stops or more ) than
>slide film. So you dont have to be too concerned with lighting
>and proper exposure using print film. It is more forgiving.
>Wedding photogrophers like to use print film for this reason.
>It is also easyer and less expensive to make prints from
>negatives.
Color negative films tend to have a more faithful reproduction of
skin tones, and is available in a greater contrast range. THAT'S
some of the reasons why wedding, portrait and other photographers
use color negative film.
>Slide or transparancies require careful exposure ( within 1/2
>stop ) but give better color saturation.
Portrait and wedding photographers aren't that thrilled by great
color saturation.
>Nature and advertising photographers prefer slide film . You can
>get some pretty dramatic results.
I am an advertising and fashion photographer. I also shoot stock
for a stock agency, some of that work is nature and landscapes.
For advertising and fashion, the film used is completely determined
by how the end result should look. Slides are usually used for "quick"
jobs where there's little time for printing etc. It is also used
when "punchy" colors and high contrast is desired. More different
looks can be achieved with prints. The current trends for image
"looks" also favour color prints. Subtle hues show better in prints,
and they handle great contrast better. For example, using Kodak VHC
and "hard" light, I can get a very hard look with a burned-out
background and contrasty faces without suffering from burnt-out
detail in them. That's almost impossible to achieve with color slides.
>And slides are widely accepted by magazines
>and publishers as they can see the results before printing.
You mean that one cannot look at a print? In fact, publishers says
that color prints look more like how the image will look on the
printed page in a magazine. More changes can be done at the reproduction
and magazine printing stages with slides, however.
Having said that, yes, I do use lots of slide film. All my stock images
are shot on it, as well as much advertising and fashion work. But I feel
that color negative film and prints (which should be large, like 16x20"
to reproduce well) has many advantages over slide film. Several colleagues
now only submit prints. Even when they have to shoot on slide film for
reasons like they desire a special feature of a certain slide film, they
make internegatives from the slides and makes prints from them. Few
prints are "straight" prints, by the way. Many things are done in the
darkroom that are very hard or impossible to achieve at the time of
shooting.
In the rare circumstances where the customer wants slides, the prints are
made on clear transparency film instead of on paper-based printing
materials, or a professional lab is used to make large format slides from
color negatives.
--
Robert Claeson Electronic mail: rob...@hk.ncc.se
Zone V Tel: +46 (0)70-593 48 92
Ringvagen 129, 1 tr.
S-116 61 Stockholm, Sweden