Colour Negative Film
Film that records a colour image with tones and colours inverted, printed or scanned to produce a positive.
Measured in
ISO
In depth
Colour negative is the most forgiving photographic medium ever made, tolerating three stops of overexposure and around one of under. Its highlights roll off gently while shadows retain colour, which is why it dominated consumer and wedding photography. The orange mask that makes negatives so hard to read by eye is what allows accurate colour printing.
Examples in practice
A portrait rated at half box speed and overexposed by a stop yields creamy highlights and open, colourful shadows.