i am just entering the photography world... i was told by a friend that slide film produces better quality prints than print film. what is the difference between shooting print film or shooting slide film and making prints out of your favorite shots?

-- denise rieckmann (drieckmann@yahoo.com), May 18, 2000

Answers

Print film is generally best for prints and slide film for...slides. It is possible to get a great print from a slide which has been well exposed in the first place, but it is often more work and, whether doing it yourself or by a lab, more expensive.

A good print from a good negative is generally a very beautiful thing...especially if you spend the time to match the neg and paper.

-- shawn gibson (shawngibson_prophoto@yahoo.com), May 18, 2000.

Sorry, I missed half your question. The difference, is most apparent in the materials used to make the print. From a slide, it is a positive process and requires a different (and expensive...) paper and chemistry (which is also a little more toxic...). The other big difference is the process itself. When you print from a neg, it is the same as a black and white print...the longer the exposure, the darked the print; whereas with a slide/positive process, the longer the exposure, the LIGHTER the print gets...hope this helps.

-- shawn (shawngibson_prophoto@yahoo.com), May 18, 2000.

Denise, for some REALLY helpful advice, go to photo.net and do a search on the name of a regular contributor there, "Scott Eaton". He can (and probably already has) answer(ed) any questions you might have in regards to this.

-- shawn (shawngibson_prophoto@yahoo.com), May 18, 2000.

You are quite right in saying that slides produce better quality than print films. The question is really to do with final print size. For anything up to 6x8 print film is adequate as modern print films are extremey good. However if you want stunning definition and colour saturation then a print from a slide will give a better result. However the slide process is clearly a lot more expensive. If you just want personal colour prints then you will find the latest medium speed print films very good.

-- Anthony Brookes (gdz00@lineone.net), May 21, 2000.