Slide film or print film?
I'm planning on getting into film photography with a nikon fm2.
A friend of mine wants to give me his chemical lab.
I was wondering, what is the difference of slide film and print film?
I'm interested in black and white photography, if it helps…
Processing slide film is more involved than processing negative film. Slide film gives you a finished product the size of a 35mm negative. To view it you'll need a slide projector. Making prints from slides is also complicated and best left to a professional lab.
After processing print film you have a negative which then has to be printed to produce a positive - a print in other words.
For additional information just do a web search for 'slide film' and one for 'negative film'.
If you are just starting stick with B&W negative film. Easier and best way to learn.
Shoot pictures
Develop negatives in a tank
Make enlargements from negatives
Black and white: there are no actual slide films produced any more. Agfa scala was a great film, but you had to send it off, and it was generally a pain. You can make slides from b/w negative film with a special process - you get a kit at the photo store or online. For now, just learn to use black and white print film well. Ilford makes great films, chemistry and paper. Figure out what size filters the enlarger takes and get a student pack which includes the filters.
If you want to shoot color, negative film produces a strip of negatives which can be scanned and/or printed. Slide film will give you positives - you need a light table or slide projector to view. These scan better than negatives as a general rule but both sources will give you good scans. I find scans from slides to have less noise/artifacting in the scan. You can then have prints made, as well as manipulate the files if so desired.
If you want to process your own film, shoot black and white print film. Black and white film is relatively easy to develop and print at home.
Slide film is much more difficult. It is highly dependent on temperature, and the chemical disposal is much more complicated. If you want to use slide film, just send it off to a lab.