If you’re new to photography or just have some slide film and negative film lying around, you might wonder what negative film is and how it’s different than positive film. It’s a crucial distinction for photo and film enthusiasts and photographers of all types.
That’s why the photo scanning experts at Capture put together this guide to help you understand negative and positive film. That way, you can figure out which one you should use, how to digitize it, or what type of film you already have.
Keep reading to learn about negative film, types of negative film, how it differs from positive film, the advantages of both types, and everything else you need to know about negative film.
Jump to:
- What is Negative Film
- How Does Negative Film Work?
- Types of Negative Film
- What is Positive Film?
- Differences Between Negative and Positive Film
- The Process of Using Negative Film
- Advantages of Negative Film
- Advantages of Positive Film
- Disadvantages of Negative and Positive Film
- Preserving and Archiving Negative and Positive Film
- Common Misconceptions About Negative and Positive Film
What Is the Difference Between Negative and Positive Film?
Negative film records images with reversed tones and colors, meaning dark areas appear light and light areas appear dark. The image must be inverted during printing or digital scanning to appear normal. Positive film, also called slide or reversal film, displays the image exactly as photographed and can be viewed directly when held to light or placed in a slide viewer.
What is Negative Film?
Negative film is a type of photographic film that captures images with inverted tones and colors compared to the original scene. It is the most popular type of film used in photography because it records the opposite of what we see - dark areas appear light, and light areas appear dark.
This inversion is a fundamental part of the photographic process because the negative becomes the master image used to produce prints or digital copies.
When scanned into a digital image using a photo scanner or photo scanning service, the software automatically corrects the inversion and restores the proper colors. This is the same process used when negatives are printed onto photographic paper.
Negative and positive film in photography each offer unique qualities that influence how images are captured, viewed, and preserved.
How to Identify Negative vs Positive Film
If you’re unsure what type of film you have, a quick visual check can usually identify it.
| Feature | Negative Film | Positive Film |
|---|---|---|
| Image appearance | Colors appear inverted | Colors appear normal |
| Film base | Usually orange or brown | Usually clear |
| Viewing method | Requires scanning or printing | Can be viewed directly |
| Typical use | Photo printing and archiving | Slides and projection |
A simple test is to hold the film up to light.
If the image looks inverted or strange in color, it is a negative. If the image appears normal, it is positive film.
Who Invented Negative Film?
The modern photographic negative developed through several key innovations.
In 1826, French inventor Nicéphore Niépce created one of the earliest surviving photographs. Later, in the 1830s, William Henry Fox Talbot developed the negative positive process, which allowed one negative image to produce multiple prints.
In 1889, Eastman Kodak introduced flexible cellulose nitrate film, making photography far more accessible and helping establish negative film as the standard format used for most photography during the 20th century.
Why Is Negative Film Orange?
Many modern color negative films have an orange tinted base known as the orange mask.
This layer helps balance color channels during printing and scanning, allowing accurate color reproduction when the image is converted into prints or digital files.
During digitization, scanning software automatically removes the orange mask and restores proper color balance.
When technicians digitize negatives professionally, color correction is applied during the scanning stage so the final image reflects the original scene.
How Does Negative Film Work?
Negative film uses light sensitive silver halide crystals in a layer of emulsion to capture images when exposed to light through the camera lens.
For color negative film, three separate emulsion layers respond to different wavelengths of light to create color dyes.
After exposure, the film must be developed in a darkroom environment where chemicals reveal the image.
The developed negative then becomes the source used to produce prints or digital scans.
Black and white negative film shows reversed tones until developed or scanned.
Types of Negative Film
In general, there are two major types of negative film: black and white negative film and color negative film. There are also medium and large format negatives used for professional photography.
Black and White Negative Film
Black & White Negative photographic film is exactly what it sounds like: it creates a black and white image that has the opposite colors on the film. White & light areas will appear black and dark areas will appear white until it’s developed into photographic paper or undergoes a 35mm negative scanning process.
Before color film, this was the predominant type, but when color arrives it starts to disappear. However, it’s always been used by photographers who want to create a different mood.
Some of the most popular types of B&W negative film include Kodak Tri-X 400, Ilford HP5, and Rollei Infrared 400.
Color Negative Film
This is the most commonly used film stock because it has a versatile exposure latitude, wide range of ISO speeds, affordable cost, and, of course, color. It’s used for everything from capturing family memories to professional photography and everything in between.
Some of the more popular types of color negative film include Kodak Ektar 100, Fujifilm Fujicolor 200, Cinestill 800 Tungsten Xpro C-41, and LomoChrome Purple.
Medium and Large Format Films
Whereas standard negative film formats are 35mm, there are also medium and large format film types. Medium format is any film up to 4” x 5” in color or black and white. Large format negatives are 4” x 5” and larger and some are even bigger than 11” x 14”.
These types of negative film are designed for creating photographs with an extremely high amount of detail with high magnification using an enlarger. They will produce more detail with less visible grain, meaning larger prints and posters without degrading the image quality.
What is Positive Film?
Positive film, also called reversal film can also be black and white or color, but the difference is that it will appear the same as the image that you took the photo of. Because of this, it’s the type of film used for photo slides which display the true image without needing to invert any colors.
This type of film is perfect for projecting. When you insert photo slides made from positive transparency film into a carousel slide projector, you can view vibrant images just as they were taken - ideal for sharing memories with friends and family.
One easy way to tell if you have positive film is to hold it up to the light or place it in a slide viewer. If you can clearly see the actual photo without inversion, then it’s a positive film. This makes it simple to identify even without developing a print.
Some of the most recognized formats for positive film include Kodachrome film and Ektachrome, both made by Kodak. Another well-regarded option is Fujifilm Reverse Film Velvia 50, known for its rich color and sharp detail.
Differences Between Negative and Positive Film
There are some major differences between negative and positive film that can help you identify them or decide which one you want to use.
Image Results
As mentioned earlier, negative images have inverted colors and tones, while positive images will appear exactly as they did when you took the photo. Black and white film is easiest for seeing the difference between the inversion and the positive image.
Development Process
While the development process is pretty similar, negative film requires inversion during processing. Positive film on the other hand is ready for printing, scanning, or projecting, requiring less film processing. Just make sure when you decide where to develop 35mm film that they work with the type you have.
Dynamic Range and Exposure Latitude
Dynamic range is the ratio between the brightest and darkest parts of an image. Negative films have a greater dynamic range and more forgiving exposure latitude, meaning that it’s harder to mess up with overexposure. Not only that, but it will also be able to capture a wider range of light and color, meaning more detail from the lightest and darkest places.
Use Cases
Negative film is ideal for prints and detailed post-processing while positive film is preferred for slides and high-fidelity prints. When it comes to photo scanning, negatives are often preferred, and you might have a harder time finding how to "convert slides to digital".
The Process of Using Negative Film
When using negative film, there are several steps and best practices that help produce clear, properly exposed photographs. Unlike digital cameras, film photography requires more attention to camera settings and lighting conditions, especially when working with an old fashioned camera that relies entirely on manual controls.
- Load the film carefully. Follow your camera’s instructions when inserting the film roll to avoid exposing it to light before shooting.
- Adjust exposure settings. Set the correct ISO, shutter speed, and aperture based on the type of film and lighting conditions.
- Capture your photos. Film cameras require careful exposure control. Incorrect settings can produce images that are overly dark or washed out.
- Finish and rewind the roll. Once the roll is complete, rewind the film fully before opening the camera to protect the exposed frames.
- Develop the film. Film can be processed at home using the proper chemicals and darkroom setup, or developed by a professional photo lab.
Exposure settings often need to change depending on the environment. Bright daylight typically requires less exposure, while indoor or low-light environments require more.
These characteristics also allow photographers to experiment creatively with film cameras, including Lomography cameras that are designed for artistic and experimental results.
After the film roll is finished, the film must be developed to reveal the images. While some photographers develop film themselves using chemicals such as stop solution, fixer solution, and wetting agents, many prefer to send their film to professional labs for consistent results.
Advantages of Negative Film
| Advantage | Why It Matters |
|---|---|
| Wide dynamic range | With a bigger dynamic range, you can capture every nuance of light, shadow, and texture in a scene. |
| Versatile in many environments | It’s versatile within a wide variety of different locations, both indoor and outdoor. |
| Physical backup after printing | When you print film from negatives, you still have the negatives as well, which means less likelihood of losing the memories to damage. |
| Long-lasting compared to print photos | Negatives are very long-lasting compared to print photos, though digitizing is still strongly recommended as a safeguard. |
While negatives are long-lasting photo types, they can still fade, get mildew, or become damaged over time. Capture can digitize your negatives as well as photo slides of all types, uploading them to the cloud and preserving your precious memories forever.
Advantages of Positive Film
| Advantage | Why It Matters |
|---|---|
| Vibrant colors and fine grain | Color positive film can produce vivid, lifelike colors with fine grain, allowing images to maintain quality even when projected onto a larger screen. |
| Immediate viewing | Slides can be viewed directly using a slide viewer or projector, making it easy to share photographs without additional processing. |
| No color inversion required | Because the image appears as photographed, positive film does not require inversion during viewing or printing. |
| Efficient for scanning and printing | Reversal film is often preferred for high-volume printing and can make DIY photo scanning faster using slide or photo scanning equipment. |
Disadvantages of Negative and Positive Film
While both types have their benefits, there are also some disadvantages of using negative film in photography or preferring positive film.
Negative Film
Color negative film development, due to the inversion process, is more complicated, and therefore more expensive. It will also take longer to print or develop. Finally, you can’t really view the photos at all unless you have the developed, because they will appear backward to the naked eye.
Positive Film
B&W or color reversal film is less forgiving, meaning the wrong dynamic range can easily overexpose the images. You have to be really precise with the camera settings to avoid this. They are also less available and common than negative film, especially these days when digital photography has become the standard.
Negative Film vs. Digital Photography
You might be wondering if you should use negative film for capturing memories, creative art, or learning photography, or if digital photography is just as good. Well, there are several factors to consider.
Quality Comparison
Digital photography has come a long way since the first digital camera, but film still captures photos at a higher resolution than most digital cameras. Still, there are some digital cameras that can produce excellent color and dynamic range and outstanding resolution.
Cost Analysis
A digital camera might cost more than a film camera, but you don’t have to keep buying film. That means while a film camera and film might be cheaper in the short term, a digital camera can be cheaper in the long term, especially if you plan on taking 1000s of photos.
Convenience
Digital photography is much more convenient. You can instantly see the picture and whether it’s over or under-exposed. Then, you can share it on social media or email. On the other hand, film negatives have to be developed, meaning a delay from taking the picture to seeing how it turns out.
Preserving and Archiving Negative and Positive Film
When preserving negative and positive film, there are two things you’ll want to consider: how to store film and how to ensure the photos last forever.
When you store your film, you’ll need to make sure that the temperature and humidity are low. Moisture, sunlight, and heat can damage your negative or positive film. In addition, you’ll want to protect them from physical damage by using acid-free paper.
Then, since there’s only one copy of the negatives or positive film, you definitely should get them digitized as soon as possible. This will allow you to preserve the photo in its original state, no matter what happens to the film.
Plus, having digital copies of your negatives makes organizing photos easier, as you can put them into different folders, copy the images, create digital photo albums, and more. Capture offers top-of-the-line photo scanning services that create superior quality digital images. That way, you can preserve your most precious memories forever.
Common Misconceptions About Negative and Positive Film
These are some common misconceptions about negative and reversal film, and the truth behind them.
- Negative film is obsolete: Negative film is still prominently used by photographers and there’s no chance of it becoming obsolete in the near future. While digital photography has become the more popular choice, many professionals still prefer film for creative purposes.
- Digital is always better: Digital is certainly more convenient, but which one is better depends on what you’re trying to do. Plus, digitizing negative film means you get the best of both worlds.
- Negative film is too complex for beginners: Negative film can seem complex at first, but it’s easy to load into the camera and can be a lot of fun for beginners. Just make sure you play around with exposure, as doing it yourself is the best way to learn.
- Positive film is only for professionals: Anybody can enjoy using reversal film or any other type of film with good results!
Preserving the Beauty of Negative and Positive Film in Photography
As you can see, there are differences and types of negative film and positive film. Both offer their own sets of pros and cons. While positive film is great for sharing on a projector, negative film is generally easier to use and creates higher quality images.
Whatever type of film you decide on, Capture can help you preserve the memories you take forever. Not only do we have top-quality digitization services, but our state-of-the-art tracking and security systems guarantee your memories are safe throughout the entire process. We can even digitize motion picture films like Super 8!
