What Is a 35mm Slide?
- A slide is a positive photographic trannie, mounted in a plastic frame for projection. A trannie is a color or black and white photographic image on film, viewed or projected by light shining through the transparent film, according to The Photographic Glossary. While a slide may conceivably use all different dimensions of film, 35mm film is the most commonly used for slide photography. The image size of 35mm film is 24mm by 35mm.
- Oscar Barnack, sometimes called the grandfather of 35mm photography, first used 35mm film in a still camera in 1913. The camera, called the Ur-Leica, was first mass produced in 1924. The 35mm film Barnack used was especially well-suited to still and moving photography because it provided great image quality for the best price. For this reason, 35mm remains the most popular film format today.
- Unlike the 35mm film most amateur photographers use in basic, point-and-shoot cameras, slide film is positive. Negative film captures images in which the tones appear reversed. Positive film maintains the original colors of the image. If you intend to make slides of your images, be sure to purchase positive 35mm film. Once the photos are developed, they will be cut and mounted on plastic slides and returned to you.
- The main benefit of slide photographs is that they can be inserted into a projector and shown with complete color accuracy. For this reason, slides were commonly used in art classes to teach art history. Slides also save space, compared to negatives, because negatives must be accompanied by prints for the photographer to use as a color reference if the pictures need to be developed in the future, according to the Vivid Light website.
- Despite the benefits of slide photography, many amateurs stick to negative film. Taking slide photos requires more skill than negatives. Because slides capture positive images, it is crucial to get the right exposure when taking a shot. If you make a mistake with the exposure on negative film, however, the photofinisher can usually balance the color out. Moreover, 35mm negative film is less expensive than positive film, and requires less time to develop and print.
