PART A - COLOR REVERSAL FILM CHARACTERISTICS AND TYPES OF
COLOR REVERSAL FILMS
1.
Reversal Films.
There are many color reversal films on the market today manufactured by a
host of companies. Kodak, Fuji, and Agfa films, to name a few, are readily
available. For our discussion, we will concentrate on Kodak reversal films.
a. Kodachrome.
Kodachrome slide film
was invented at the Kodak
laboratories in 1935 and is still made today.
This film comes in a variety
of ISOs (25, 64, 200) and sizes.
(1) Notable features are that it is especially biased toward warm
colors such as red and yellow, is comparatively fine grained (due to its
structure and process), and has more stable color dyes than other color
films that results in an image whose colors are more resistant to fading.
(2) The developing process (K14) for Kodachrome film is involved,
demands very rigid controls, is expensive, and has a high patent fee.
(3) There are no small kits available for developing this film. Most
photographers have to send it to a large commercial lab to be processed so
the turn-around time for it is slower. If you need something quick, it is
better to shoot an E6 process film such as Kodak Ektachrome (or Fujichrome).
b. Ektachrome.
Kodak reversal films also come in a variety of ISOs
(100, 200, 160-tungsten, and 400) and sizes.
These films are biased more
toward cool colors such as green and blue.
While they are not as fine
grained or color stable as Kodachrome films, the convenience in processing
may often make up for its shortcomings.
Since many military photo labs are equipped to process E6 film, the main
concentration of this lesson will be on it.
2.
Film Structure and Processing.
A very detailed examination of the structure of color films has been
provided in lesson 1, part B, paragraphs 9 and 10 of this subcourse. Also,
refer to figure 1-12 for an explanation of the changes that occur to the
film's emulsion after exposure and processing.
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SS0514
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