APS Film

APS film stands for Advanced Photo Systems and it is a special term used in still photography. It is a little known fact that while digital photography has really taken off, there are still many, many film cameras in use and many of these will use APS film.

Some general information about this type of film is that the film is 24mm wide. It will come in three types or formats. The H format is used for high definition photography. The C format is for what is known as Classic definition, and the P format is used for panoramic shots.

It is useful to know that most film cameras can use the various APS film formats with no problems. There is one exception however and that applies to the "disposable" cameras. They are usually not able to use this type of film.

The APS film format was developed in 1996 and for a while it was popular, especially with amateur photographers. The APS 100 film was perhaps the most popular brand of the format during its heyday. As time went by, some new features were added to the format, mostly to help make APS film processing easier, but those changes were not enough to capture the loyalty of many users, especially the more advanced users.

Because of its many limitations, the APS film format has seen a dramatic decline over the last couple of years. You can still get APS film scanner prints but you may have to shop for the best deals.

Due to the lack of interest in the film, most camera manufacturers do not make APS cameras anymore and it will be difficult to find one on the new market. It should also be noted that as time goes by it will become harder and harder to find reliable photo labs to process the film, and, of course, the cost of having that processing done will increase.

Lastly, it should be noted that actually finding the film will become harder as well. This will be especially true if you need to buy black and white APS film. The demand for this type of film has literally plummeted and the film is very hard to locate. You will have some better luck finding APS film in color, but even that will become difficult within a few years.

APS film was a good idea that simply came along at the wrong time.