Photography Basics - Film Speed 101
Posted: Thursday, January 14, 2010
by Autumn Lockwood
YourPictureFrames.com
Digital and film cameras have tons of little dials, knobs and meters. If you look long enough on a camera, you can find more ways to adjust your photographs than you can count, and for most of us, more than we can process all at once. But did you know that one of the most critical decisions you can make when preparing to shoot happens before you even take your picture. It happens when you choose the speed of your "film" on your camera and applies to whether you have a film camera or a digital camera. However, in this article, we'll focus on working with film cameras.
ISO and You
Film speed measures how sensitive your film is to light. Low film speeds mean that the film is less sensitive and will need a longer exposure; high speeds are very sensitive and require shorter exposures. The film speed is referred to as its ISO. Any film you buy will have its ISO marked on the box, and common speeds are 400, 800, and 1000, with 400 being the closest to the "standard."
The ISO of your film affects every aspect of the way your camera works. Your light sensor (if you have one) needs to be set correctly for the film you're using and your shutter speed will likely have to increase or decrease to accommodate the film. Even digital cameras have a simulated (and adjustable) film speed that they base their calculations on.
Choosing the Right Speed
The ISO of your film decides what you are capable of photographing, and how. Because high-speed film (ISO 800 or above is a good general rule) requires less time to expose, you can shoot images with much higher shutter speeds than with a slower film. The outcome here will be crystal clear action; fast film is wonderful for shooting sports or anything that moves quickly. When you see a photograph of a basketball player suspended in midair, you can bet that image was shot on high-speed film. With a slower ISO, the player in question would likely be a huge blur. Faster film also requires less light and can be very useful in an indoor situation where a flash is not appropriate.
Lower speed film gets more image detail because it has more time to absorb light. It is important to keep the words "detail" and "blurry" separate here - more "detail" in a photograph can be thought of in a similar way to more "detail" on a High Definition Television - more of what was originally there will be seen in the picture. The longer film can "see" a scene, the accurately that scene will be represented. Lower speed films are perfect for portraits or images in which you want to show greater depth of field.
Film Speed Experiments
To get a good handle on how ISO works and what it does to your images, here are a couple of things to try out the next time you're planning a shooting day: 1) Get rid of your flash (if you have one) and take some fast film into a low light environment. 2) Go by a local high school or college and take some pictures of them practicing (with permission) - one very slow (ISO 100) and one very fast (ISO 1000) - then have a look at how different the images turned out.
Film speed is one of those great things to play with when you're pretty comfortable with your camera and you're looking for new ways to challenge your perceptions. Each speed has strengths and weaknesses, and it's up to you to decide which one works for you.
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Autumn Lockwood is a writer for Your Picture Frames and loves taking photos. Your Picture Frames offers a big selection of photo frames so you can always find the right frame for your favorite photo. Shop online and see our selection of silver frames by visiting our picture frame website or calling us at 1-800-780-0699.
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