Camera
The absolute beginner’s guide to film photography: Color slide film
| A 1960’s magazine ad for Kodak’s various lines of slide film. Image courtesy of Nesster |
Slide film, otherwise known as positive, reversal or transparency film (and occasionally as ‘E-6’ for its development process), was the choice of ‘pro’ shooters back in the pre-digital film photography days. What’s the difference between slide and print film? Simply, print film produces a negative image, while slide film produces a positive image.
Individual frames of developed slide film can be mounted in sealed sleeves and projected onto a screen. Color slide film produces brighter, more vibrant images than can be produced with color print film. (Black and white slide film exists, but is less common.)
Color slide film produced brighter, more vibrant images than color print film
The downside to slide film is that it’s more difficult to work with. Slide film has very little exposure latitude, meaning the exposure must be spot on to get a good image. Getting positive results (pun intended) requires a camera with proper exposure controls, as opposed to an inexpensive fixed-exposure camera, and a photographer who understands how to meter a scene properly. You have to know what you’re doing to shoot slides, which is why it was (and still is) regarded as a ‘professional’ film.
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| Climbers approach the alpenglow-illuminated summit of California’s Mt. Shasta. (Kodak Ektachrome 100VS) Photo: Dale Baskin |
An Oversimplified Explanation of Color Slide Film Works
Color slide film works much like color print film, with layers of emulsions, each sensitive to a different color of light, and chemicals called dye couplers. When the film is developed, the interaction of the emulsion and the developer produces a positive image, which is (usually) cut and mounted in plastic or cardboard sleeves which can be fit into a carrier for a slide projector.
All slide film sold today uses the E-6 process. Kodak Kodachrome, a predecessor to E-6 slide film, used a different process (K-14) in which the color dyes were introduced during the development process. Kodachrome was discontinued in 2009 and the last Kodachrome processor shut down in 2010.
Types of Color Slide Film
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| Photo: Dale Baskin |
Because slide film cannot be color-corrected in processing, the film must be balanced for the type of light you are shooting. Today, most slide film is daylight balanced, and it reproduces incandescent lights as a reddish-brown. In the past, it was possible to buy tungsten-balanced slide film (which rendered incandescent lights properly but showed daylight as pale blue), but tungsten slide film is not (currently) available. For indoor, tungsten-lit photography with slide film, you can either use a 85A cooling filter or use a flash.
Because slide film cannot be color-corrected in processing, the film must be balanced for the type of light you are shooting
Among daylight films, there are notable variations in color rendition. Kodakchrome (now discontinued) was known for its warm reds and yellows, while Ektachrome emphasizes colder blue and green tones. Fujichrome Velvia makes colors pop – especially blues and greens, which made it a favorite of landscape photographers.
As with other types of film, the speed of slide film is specified as an ISO (a.k.a. ASA) number. Higher ISO film is more sensitive to light and therefore requires less exposure (smaller aperture or a quicker shutter speed). Color slide film is generally found in 50 to 400 ISO ranges, and the exposure required mimics that of our digital cameras: ISO 50 or 100 film requires a sunny day, while 400 speed film is better suited to cloudy conditions. Film can be ‘pushed’ to a higher speed (if your processing lab will agree to develop it accordingly), but this will generally increase grain.
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| This candlelight vigil in New York City’s Union Square Park followed the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center, and is featured in the book Flags Across America. (Fujichrome Provia 100F) Photo: Dale Baskin |
How Much Does Color Slide Film Cost?
Slide film is the most expensive of all film types. 35mm slide film typically ranges from $15 to $20 per 36-exposure roll. 120-size slide film for medium-format cameras is usually sold in five-roll packs priced in the $45 to $55 range, but many vendors will sell individual rolls for $10-$12.
Developing Color Slide Film
Just as it is pricier than color print film to buy, color slide film is often (but not always) slightly more expensive to process. Conversely, with slide film you don’t have to worry about the cost of prints. Most labs will cut and mount your slides in cardboard or plastic unless you tell them not to. Slide scanning services are also available.
The downside to slide film is that it’s more difficult to work with. Slide film has very little exposure latitude, meaning the exposure must be spot on to get a good image
Like color negative film, color slide film can be developed at home using an E-6 processing kit. Compared to the C-41 color print process, E-6 has more steps and therefore more chemicals. Like C-41 (and unlike B&W developing), E-6 is very sensitive to time and temperature, and getting either one wrong (even slightly) can result in undesirable color shifts. The extra chemicals make E-6 kits more expensive, and while home developing is still cheaper than lab developing, the price difference is narrower than with other types of film.
It used to be possible to make photographic prints from slides using a process called Cibachrome (later known as Ilfochrome), but the supplies are no longer available. Color slide film can be scanned, but it looks best when projected. If you’re scanning, you may as well save money by shooting print film, unless you’re really after the ‘look’ of a particular slide film stock.
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| Training climbers to extricate themselves from a glacial crevasse on Mt. Rainier’s Nisqually glacier. (Fujichrome Provia 400F) Photo: Dale Baskin |
About
Our ‘Absolute beginner’s guide to film photography’ is an educational series of articles focused on demystifying the ins and outs of analog photography. Geared toward those discovering (or re-discovering) film, the series will cover everything from gear, to technique and more. View all of the articles in our guide here.
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| Image: Adobe |
Adobe Max London is underway, and with it comes announcements from Adobe for its editing platforms. Some of the changes were previously revealed in a blog post from the company. The rest are mostly subtle, but, as usual, aim to streamline and simplify the editing process.
First, a new Select Landscape feature is coming to Adobe Lightroom. This tool will automatically detect and create masks for common landscape elements like plants, sky, water and more. Such automatic masking tools in Lightroom (and Photoshop) were previously limited to obvious subjects like people, so selective edits on landscapes still required more time-consuming manual edits. This should speed up the editing process for landscape photographers.
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The Select Details actions can save you some tedious manual work.
Image: Adobe |
For Photoshop users, Select Details will make it easier to select finer details like hair, facial features and clothes. Masking out hair is a tedious task that can be difficult to get right. Portrait photographers will appreciate anything that eases that process, so if this works as well as Adobe promises, it will be a welcome update.
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Adobe says the Select Background tool will provide even more precise results, even with complex images.
Image: Adobe |
Adobe says it updated the Remove Background tool in Photoshop, promising much more precise results and sharing an impressive demo of it cutting out a fish in a net. It should allow for much more accurate selections when dealing with complex images or colors that blend into each other, like a subject wearing a black shirt against a dark background.
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You can now control colors from the Contextual Taskbar.
Image: Adobe |
Adobe also updated the Contextual Taskbar with an Adjust Colors option. When clicked, it automatically samples the colors for you and creates an adjustment layer. That way, you don’t need to create multiple adjustment layers or manipulate individual color changes when adjusting colors in your images or designs.
| Image: Profoto |
Today, Swedish company Profoto announced the release of the Spot Small. This compact light shaping tool is built for photographers looking for precise control over their lighting and is aimed at professionals in the fashion, portrait, product and fine art industries. Profoto says the Spot Small delivers a crisp, artifact-free beam with its 115mm focus lens.
Features
- Projects a clean beam of light.
- Focusable high-quality 115 mm optical lens.
- Four integrated adjustable metal leaves.
- It has an optional Iris and Gobo Holder (no Gobos included).
- Compatible with Clic light shaping tools.
- Compatible with both protruded and flat fronted 100mm lights.
Integrated adjustable leaves allow photographers to fine-tune the shape of the light, while optional add-ons like the Iris and Gobo Holder allow for the production of custom shapes and dramatic effects. A magnetic front ring ensures compatibility with Profoto’s Clic light-shaping accessories, something users looking for more ways to experiment might be interested in.
Profoto says the Spot Small is built for longevity. It features fully vented 360-degree housing to withstand the demands of professional work. The device is compatible with both flat and protruded flash heads. Images of the product and its accessories can be viewed on the brand’s official Instagram page.
The Spot Small is positioned as a tool for pro photographers who wish to work with intentionality and creativity, confidently shaping light with precision. Currently, there is no listed price.
Profoto Spot Small speficiations
| Focal length | 115 mm |
|---|---|
| Lens dimensions | 12-18.5 cm (4.6-7.3″) length x Ø7.3 cm (2.9″) |
| Width | 19.5 cm (7.7″) |
| Height | 23 cm (14″) |
| Length | 35.5 cm (14″) |
| Weight | 2.5 kg (5.5 lb) |
| Image: Helium Design Lab |
There’s no denying the bold, unique look of the Sigma BF mirrorless camera. It’s unlike any camera currently available, with a body milled from a single block of aluminum. The minimalistic design lacks a grip, though, which some may take issue with. Helium Design Lab, a company started by photographers Ed Palisoc and Hugh Brownstone, has stepped up to the plate, with a grip worthy of the BF, as PetaPixel reports.
It takes a special design for any grip to look even somewhat right on such a distinctive-looking camera. The Helium Design Lab HeBF handgrip keeps the aesthetics of the camera intact, resulting in what Helium Design Lab says is a “more perfect union between camera and passionate photographers like ourselves.” Like the camera, the grip is made of precisely machined aluminum, and each is hand assembled and inspected. It is designed, manufactured and packaged in the US.
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| Image: Helium Design Lab |
The HeBF grip provides access to the battery without removing the grip and features a hidden, anti-tamper AirTag slot so you can keep track of your camera. It also offers built-in Arca-Swiss compatibility, and it’s compatible with the Peak Design Capture Clip and Travel Tripod. There are bottom anchor lugs on the left and right, providing multiple options for wrist and camera strap configurations. It’s available in natural silver aluminum and anodized black finishes.
The kicker: this is a very limited production run. Helium Design Lab says it is only making 100 units and will not offer it again. The limited nature of the grip, along with the close attention to detail of each one, naturally demands a steep price: $390.
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The grip comes in silver and black.
Image: Helium Design Lab |
As Brownstone admits in the YouTube video discussing the grip, “390 bucks is anything but chump change.” But it isn’t the company’s most expensive offering. In fact, it’s actually cheaper than all of the company’s other options by $150.
Brownstone explains that they’ve engineered significant costs out of the grip compared to their other products to keep the price down as much as possible. Still, the grip’s nature means it is expensive to produce. “This is not primarily a rational business decision. We’re bad. It’s an emotional one,” says cofounder Hugh Brownstone. “Our ambition is to break even.”
You can pre-order the grip from the Helium Design Lab website, provided you get there soon enough.
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