Color Negative Films |
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With the introduction of color negative
films, more and more photographer pick up color prints compare to black
and white. By 1990, almost all the photos are with color prints and
that brings great contest in the hot market of the color negative.
Though competitive, there isn't too much of difference between various
color negative. This does not mean there are no differences between
them, but those differences are, for the most part, subtle. The newest
strategy in drawing performance lines between various print emulsions
is seen in the way the recent introductions target specific and rather
narrow segments of the market. Where before the goal was to achieve a
reasonable share of a much larger general market, these
all-but-custom-designed films seek to dominate a smaller portion of the
market. Numbers of films such as slow, super-sharp high-saturation
emulsions, soft-contrast moderate-speed, and even high-resolution
high-speed films now dot camera-shop shelves. This trend to target
buyers more narrowly will continue as research identifies even more
fertile avenues for sales. Why do print films so dominate the market? First, they are very well suited for the immensely popular point-and-shoot autofocus cameras. Offering as they do an exposure latitude of up to five f-stops, precise exposure ceases to be a major issue. Exposure can and has been totally automated. Second, snap shooters seem to prefer finished prints over color slides by a wide margin. Last, the proliferation of one-hour automated-processing minilabs has made for nearly instant gratification. Shoot a roll, drop it off at the one-hour, do a little shopping, and presto! Finished 4 x 6s.
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