Film Format

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Film Format Film Speed

• By Amit Chawla

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Difference

• Film Format refers to the size of the film and
  with it the quality of photograph that is taken
  with a particular type of film.
• This should not be confused with film speed.
• Film speed describes a film's threshold
  sensitivity to light. It is related to the size
  of the Grains in the film.

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Film Formats

• Films are available in various sizes and ratios
  ranging from
• Large Format
• Medium Format
• Small / Standard Format

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Various Film Formats
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Standard Large Medium
Available Less available Less available
Affordable Expensive Expensive
developed widely Spl film developing Requires spl film
35 to 36 shots per roll 1 shot. Less shots per Roll (12-15 )
Used by both amateurs and professionals used by professionals used by professionals
Allows manipulation but graininess comes in doesnt allow manipulation allows manipulation
light equipment heavy equipment heavy and bulky equipment
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Why different formats?

• Larger formats mean finer quality, bigger
  enlargements and also better camera movements.
• Small formats mean smaller camera which are
  faster to use and also portable. Also smaller
  formats give a greater depth of field than
  pictures on larger formats (keeping lens and
  f-number constant)
• Small cameras as well as small format films are
  cheaper than medium and large formats.

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MOST COMMON FORMAT

• 135 (ISO 1007) is a film format for still
  photography, also widely referred to as "35 mm".
  Introduced in its modern form in 1934 it quickly
  grew in popularity, surpassing 120 film by the
  late 1960s to become the most popular
  photographic film format.

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What is film speed ?

• Film speed describes a film's threshold
  sensitivity to light.
• The international standard for rating film speed
  is the ISO scale which combines both the ASA
  speed and the DIN speed in the format

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What does grain size do ?

• Grain size refers to the size of the silver
  crystals in the emulsion. The smaller the
  crystals, the finer the detail in the photo and
  the slower the film.
• The lower the number (e.g.. 100), The less
  sensitive to light your film is, the higher the
  number (ISO 3200), the more sensitive to light
  your film is.

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100 1600
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Common film speeds

• Common film speeds include ISO 25, 50, 64, 100,
  160, 200, 400, 800, 1600, 3200.
• Consumer print films are usually in the ISO 25 to
  ISO 800 range
• ISO 25 film is very "slow", as it requires much
  more exposure for usable image than "fast" ISO
  800 film.
• Films of ISO 800 and greater are thus better
  suited to low-light situations and action shots
  (where the short exposure time limits the total
  light received)

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DIFFERENCE

• SLOW FILM
• finer grain and better color.
• Slow film resolves finer resolution than fast
  film.
• It requires longer exposure times, so you might
  need a tripod
• At some point, it becomes wasteful to use slow
  film if u dont enlarge

• FAST FILM
• Not as fine
• Less resolution
• Short exposure . Good for motion and less light
• Shows same product at small enlargement

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An example
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EXTRA INFO

• Film speed is related to the size of the grains
  of silver halide in the emulsion, since larger
  grains give film a greater sensitivity to light.
• Fine-grain stock, such as portrait film, is
  "slow", meaning that the amount of light used to
  expose it must be high or the shutter must be
  open longer.
• Fast films, used for shooting in poor light or
  for shooting fast motion, produce a grainier
  image.
• Each grain of silver halide develops in an
  all-or-nothing way into dark silver or nothing.