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When to use slide film and when not to?

© Wendy Folse

Ah what a dilemma! I am frequently asked this question. The answer is not all that difficult but many people have a hard time deciding which type of film to use, and when. In this article I will try to give a few simple guidelines to follow when making the proper choice.

The first issue is a matter of pure logistics. Where will you get the film developed? Not all one hour labs accept slide film which must be processed using the E6 chemical process. There are other chemical processes for slide film but the E6 is the most common. Kodachrome uses the K14 process and usually requires the use of special mailers to send it off to a Kodak lab.

The second issue to consider is the final product or end result. What format do you like to use in order to view your images? In order to get any enjoyment out of slides you will need a projector and screen or at leas a lightbox or light table. Most people are accustomed to viewing prints and trust me after a few impromptu slide shows that you have tricked your friends into sitting through, they will probably not be back. If however, you are planning to submit your images to a magazine or stock house then slide film is the way to go. But then if that was the case you wouldn't need to ask, right?

The third issue is solely on ability. Slide film has very little latitude which means that it is a sort of WYSIWYG. (What you see is what you get.) No lab gremlins can tune-up your prints to give you a boost of self esteem when your exposure was less than perfect. Learning to use slide film correctly takes a lot of practice and even the pros stick to their own personal favorites and dedicate a lot of time to learning to use it to their best advantage.

The fourth consideration is in the storage of the final product. No doubt about it, slides are much easier to store and take up a lot less space. However, careful attention must be given to the storage of slides as they are the final end product. If they get damaged there are no backups. With prints, you can always make more prints. Slide duplication is a hassle and often quite expensive if you only need one or too.

The fifth consideration concerns cost. Slide film is more expensive to purchase and the development can also be more costly depending on your location and where you have it developed. People often mistakenly think that slide film is cheaper to shoot but it just isn't a correct assumption.