ISO Film Speed Guide

I am fed up with always having to search the internet for a film speed guide for when I use a film camera, so have made this guide to help me, but feel free to use yourselves if you find useful.

Types of Film	Characteristics	Advantages	Disadvantage
100 Speed ISO	This film has high grain and sharpness qualities. It can be used in sunny outdoor as well flash photos.	Good for sunny days and flash. Best used for close-ups, landscapes and posed photographs.	Not recommended for action shooting such as sporting events. Can not be used for low existing light situations without a tripod.
200 Speed ISO	Similar to 100.	Similar to 100.	Similar to 100.
400 Speed ISO	Very versatile film for existing light and action photography.	Can be used effectively in stop action and night photography. Used by the pros in a wide variety of settings.	Limited in enlargement because of the grain. However Kodak and Fuji are developing new versions to overcome the limitations.
800/ 1000 Speed ISO	Film with a great deal of grain. To be used in very low light situations	Good for very low light, such as sporting events.	Limited enlargement. Colors are not always true.
1600 Speed ISO	Grain is greater than 1000.	Good for extremely low light situations	Don’t even think about enlargements.

3 Replies to “ISO Film Speed Guide”

Thanks for posting this, just what I was looking for!

I really found this useful it inspired me to create the second sheet on aperture and shutter speed, until I have learned these principles and don’t need to rely on the notes. I would like to share the tables I made for aperture and shutter speed, but don’t see a way to attach them here. Let me know where I should send them, if you’re interested.

ISO –
My Minolta’s chip is bad. At least that’s what the camera shop said. It way under exposes my film, to my prints are black.

I shot 800 speed film outside in broad daylight and everything was very dark.

He said, “Instead of shooting your 800 ISO film at 800 shoot it at 200 by using a manual override.” The override is to stay in place until the roll is complete.

What is the mathematical relationship between the amount of light required for 800 v. 200 ISO film. Is it linear or exponential?

Hello.

Thanks.

Caroline on Sat 10th Jan 04 at 19:49 Europe/Lisbon said:

Thanks for posting this, just what I was looking for!
B Alsop on Mon 12th Jan 04 at 20:50 Europe/Lisbon said:

I really found this useful it inspired me to create the second sheet on aperture and shutter speed, until I have learned these principles and don’t need to rely on the notes. I would like to share the tables I made for aperture and shutter speed, but don’t see a way to attach them here. Let me know where I should send them, if you’re interested.
Claiborne on Fri 13th Feb 04 at 22:14 Europe/Lisbon said:

ISO –
My Minolta’s chip is bad. At least that’s what the camera shop said. It way under exposes my film, to my prints are black.

I shot 800 speed film outside in broad daylight and everything was very dark.

He said, “Instead of shooting your 800 ISO film at 800 shoot it at 200 by using a manual override.” The override is to stay in place until the roll is complete.

What is the mathematical relationship between the amount of light required for 800 v. 200 ISO film. Is it linear or exponential?

Hello.

Thanks.