Print or Slide Film?

Question

Normally I'd just look in my photography book but I don't have it right now, but anyway...
what's the biggest difference between pring and slide film if there is any?
What IS print and slide film?
Are they specialized for certain situations?
Where can I normally get these films? (I don't know if the film I'm using now is print or slide, but I'm pretty sure it's print, because it seems to be more common)

If there's any other things you can add, please add them.

Thanks

Answer 1

Print films are all negative film. If you ever seen B/W or Color negative film all the colors are reversed.

The slide films were originally means to be projected using a "slide" projector. So the colors were NOT reversed. The pro always called them "chromes". It is just a snobby way to distinguish themselves because all the slide films were always called "fuji chrome", "koda chrome", "Agfa chrome", etc.

As you said print films are specialized for printing. They have a "fog" layer to reduce contrast (yes I said reduce) so they can be printed better. The slide films originally design to be projected and that is their original specialization. Eventually magazines editors found that it was easier for them to work with. If used correctly the colors are more vibrant (because of the lack of fog layer that reduced contrast).

You can get these film anywhere you normally have film processed (1 hour, drug stores, walmarts, target, etc.).

The slide film has to be exposed very carefully. Negatives (print) films has much wider exposure latitude (much like using RAW format on digital) that images can be successfully corrected in the darkroom for over or under exposed film.

Somebody here said that negatives are "amateur" film. Not true. 99% of professional wedding photographers use negative film. The reason is that weddings are once in a life time event. And they happen in real time. There are no do-overs. Negatives gave the photographers the kind of assurance that your digital LCD does today. Imagine taking all your digital pictures and having no LCD to verify. Every negative image is like 3 shots in one (one under, one over and one just correctly exposed).
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As you probably guessed, neither are being used very much these days. Digital cameras have all but killed off film (positive and negative kind). There are few people who feel that film is better. I agree that film CAN be better but not automatically. For example I would shoot slide (chrome) again if I need to print using CibaChrome (or IlfordChrome). But for the most part digital is better.

Good Luck.

Answer 2

Print film is negatives, that you make prints and enlargements from, simple as that.

Slide film will look like the actual image you shot, in a miniature "window". You can make prints from them, but they are meant to be displayed via projector or light box.

Art directors of magazines used to insist on slides because of the quality. You had more detail all across the spectrum. In prints, you can't have that range of lights to darks. Now they probably want digital files.

Print, or negative, film has more exposure latitude, meaning you can under or overexpose and they can be fixed in the print. Slides are much touchier, and you need to get the exposure just right.

If you tell me what kind of film you're using, I can tell you if it's slides or prints.

Answer 3

Prints or slides, a good photographer can get good results from either. Few things match the beauty of a well-done slide projected on the screen!

But, if you like to look at prints on paper, then use negative film. You can make prints from slides, but it is fairly costly to get good ones. Easier to shoot negative film from the start if it's prints you want.

Answer 4

exactly what Terisu said!

slide/e6/trannies/transparency are projected, or scanned, many editors/magazines still insist on transparency because the quality is so much better than digital (the macdonalds generation of photographers will thumb that down cause they think digital is better?), take negitives to an editor and they will laugh at you.

negitives are for amateurs (generally) and usually give good results on automatic, trannies require exact expose - hence amateurs rearly get good results from them

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