Film Basics
Common Film Sizes
-
8 mm
Home, Consumer format
-
Super 8
High-end Consumer, Academic format
-
16 mm
Consumer, Advanced Amateur, Academic, Entry-level Pro format
-
35 mm
Professional format (Same as still camera film, different image orientation)
-
70 mm
Professional format (Hi resolution, specialized applications)
-
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There are several other specialized(in size and aspect ratio) formats in
use.
Be
aware of the quadrupling (rather than doubling) of area when one moves
from 16mm to 35mm.
What
does that imply in terms of resolution? Sensitivity to damage? Generation
loss?
Film Types
-
Negative
Produces a negative when developed. Progression is:
-
Negative> Master Positive> Duplicate
Negative> Distribution Prints
-
Reversal Produces
a projectable positive when developed (Slides are reversal film).
-
Positive (projectable)>Master
Negative> Distribution Prints
-
The key to early home movies -
one step to projection.
16mm film is almost all reversal
film. Negative 16mm film is available but generally considered too optically
fragile for processing like
35mm film. The impact of damage to negatives is much greater in the smaller
format.
Film Speeds
-
Designated as ASA (American)
or DIN (German)
-
Combined designation is ISO,
commonly seen with only the ASA component (ASA 200 = ISO 200)
-
EI refers to Exposure Index
-
Higher ASA numbers indicate faster
films (greater light sensitivity, lesser resolution, more grain)
-
Color film normally configured
for tungsten light or daylight.
-
B/W film not so concerned with
color temp as with intensity. Contrast is the issue.
-
ASA Daylight (85) - 80. Tungsten
- 125 where 85 designates a recommended filter for the lens.
-
Color film must be configured
(in manufacture) to match the color temperature of the light used.
-
Daylight film with tungsten light
makes reddish look. Tungsten film in daylight makes blueish look.
-
Filters can be used (blue filter
fixes the former, orange filter fixes the latter) but . . . .
-
Filters reduce light reaching
film, thereby necessitating . . yada, yada, yada. . NFL
Trade Offs
16 mm film
-
36 ft/minute, 2160 ft/hour
35 mm film,
-
90 ft/minute, 5400 ft/hour (over
a mile of film for a 20 minute short shot at 3:1, a difficult ratio)
-
Four times the frame area of 16mm
(Higher resolution, less noticeable micro scratches)
-
Six times the cost of 16mm for
processing.
-
More control of the printing process.