6.0 Film Selection
Description
This article is from the Gross
Specimen Photography, by Ed Uthman, MD
6.0 Film Selection
You will select film based on your need for good resolution, your budget, the necessity of rapid processing turnaround time, and the format in which your photographic work is to be presented.
A. Color transparency film. These yield the 2" x 2" mounted transparencies known affectionately as "kodachromes" (in the way that facial tissue is known as "kleenex"). The actual frame size of the transparency is 24 x 36 mm. 1. E-6 process color reversal film (Ektachrome, Fujichrome). Compared with Kodachrome (see below), these are expensive; they have quirky color response (being notoriously poor in rendition of eosinophil granules, which look kind of dull purple rather than vivid orange), and the slides fade with time (although this may not be true of newer films in this category). Nevertheless, the E-6 films are by far the most popular in med center settings because of the ready availability of the E-6 process. Most professionally oriented processors can routinely turn around the film in four hours. With a readily-available kit, you can even process these films at home for about US$3 per 24- exposure roll (plus a one-time US$30 investment for a developing tank and reel). 2. Dye injection film (Kodachrome). Kodachrome is superior in every way to the E-6 films, except that the processing is slow and is usually done in large reference centers where the film must be sent. Eosinophils look great, and the slides last essentially forever if stored properly. It is difficult to find tungsten versions of Kodachrome, but the daylight versions can be shot under tungsten illumination if a special filter is used. B. Color negative film (Kodacolor, Ektar). Also generally available only in daylight versions, these films yield color negatives which must be printed. It is preferable to use color negative film for posters, rather than having color prints made from your transparencies. This is because color prints from transparencies usually suffer from enhanced contrast that compromises the accuracy of the rendition. When having color prints processed, you must work closely with a skilled print processor for good, publication-quality prints. The automated printing machines used in "one-hour" facilities are not capable of producing an accurate print from a color negative of scientific subject (unless, perhaps, it is a portrait of the scientist). C. Polachrome film. This abomination of a transparency film develops in a few minutes in a processor you can keep in your desk drawer. It is extremely expensive, and the dense emulsion makes slides too dark on projection; the colors are less than impressive. It is best not to let the clinicians know you have a Polachrome processor. They will start giving you the conference cases even later and will not realize how lousy the pictures are, while you are grinding your teeth trying to find that audience- pleasing mitosis somewhere on the screen. D. Black-and-white film. Not to go into this at any length, but you should use this for originals to be used for publication. Black-and-whites made from color negatives or transparencies are generally second-rate. Also you can experiment with color contrast filters, which can really improve results.
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