click for bigger image Shooting Data: EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro Lens, 1/60 at f/2.8, ISO 1 00 film. For a start, it is better to use only consumer version of colour slides film. There's no need to bother trying to experience with any of the professional-type of color reversal films. The professional films' colour balance are designed to be at the peak during the manufacturing stage and unless you plan to develop your film within 48 hours of the first exposure of the roll, the consumer version of colour slides film is the best choice for both beginners and amateurs. Basically, there are very little differences between the colour balances of consumer and professional-type of films at a glance. Professional films are optimized especially for use with photomechanical reproduction (publishing industry) while consumer versions are designed mainly for slide projections at home or the office. Exposure latitudes for colour slide films are very narrow compared to its color print or black and white counterparts. Most consumer films have only exposure latitudes of between 1 stop of over and underexposures while professional versions have an even narrower latitude; of between half a stop for underexposure and two-thirds for overexposure. click for bigger image For exposures where the differences are higher than the film's ability to handle within its latitude limits, the photographer would have to decide whether he should expose for the highlight or the shadow details. If he can't afford to sacrifice one area for the other, the options left will be to shoot with fill-in flash to brighten the shadow area or use a neutral density (ND) graduated filter for compensation to enable enough details to be recorded for both areas. click for bigger image Shooting Data: FD 100mm f/2.0 Telephoto Lens; 1/250 at f/4.5, ISO 100 film. The best choice of film speed when shooting with consumer slide film is still the ISO 100 emulsion. Of course, there are slower film emulsions such as those with ISO 25, 50 and 64 versions available in the market but they are best to be considered only if you own a lot of fast speed lenses having maximum apertures of f/2.8 or faster. Slower speed films have better sharpness, finer grain and colour saturation compared to their higher speed counterparts having ISO speeds of 400 or higher. A note of caution though; slower films' high sharpness and smooth textural depiction also make them some sort of a drawback when it comes to shooting portraiture and other glamour photography. Make sure that your models, male or female, possess smooth and unblemished complexion or otherwise these films' superb sharpness will reveal all the imperfections in all their "glory", an oversight most photographers missed with their naked eyes until they have reviewed the slides close up or during their slides presentation. << Back to Main . 1 . 2 . 3 . 4 .