Comapring Film

coakdawg22 · Jan 26, 2004

I'm new to this sort of stuff, but you gotta start somewhere right? How would I compare film, say ISO 50 and Tri-X 400? What are the differences?

- Mike

voodoocat · Jan 26, 2004

Well the two main differences between ISO50 and ISO400 film is the speed and grain. ISO50 is 3 stops slower than 400. You'll probably need a tripod to avoid camera shake with the ISO50 film unless you have very bright light. Where as the 400 speed film gives you 3 more stops to work with.

The grain on slower film is considerably less than higher speed films like 400. So you can enlarge it more without seeing the grain.

terri · Jan 26, 2004

Yeah....what Voo said.

Go out and shoot a roll of various film speeds, mimicking the surroundings for each roll as closely as possible. Also, it can be a pain, but keep a film log for every frame and note your f stops and shutter speeds. When you get back your prints, spread them out and examine them. What do you like? Is grain on high speed film attractive to you or not? Was the tripod a hassle for the slow speed? etc, etc. Factor in all these things to help you develop your style.

Nothing beats the old fashioned approach of shoot, shoot, shoot. And keep records, you'll retain what you've learned better than way. Have fun!!

MrEd31 · Jan 26, 2004

Just to add a few ideas...

1) film has come a long way since what it used to be. 400 ASA films have pretty fine grain nowadays.

2) In my experiences, 400 ASA film tends to be a little more forgiving on exposure and development. If a beginner makes a mistake, you can still make prints from the not so good negatives.

my point...

400 ASA film is very functional. It can be used to do a lot of things. I'd start with it in the beginning. Slower films have their place, I use FP4+ a lot, but I don't think it's a good starting point. Hope that helps!