Professional & Amateur Film

Is there a difference between professional & amateur film? The answer to that question is: it depends. If an amateur photographer were to walk into a camera store and ask for a roll of Kodak professional film the clerk would probably scratch his head in wonder. The same is true if a professional photographer walked into the same store and asked for a roll of "amateur" film.

In simple terms, camera film is not labeled as being professional or amateur. It is how the film is used that determines if someone is a pro or not.

Having said that, there are some special format films that are used by professionals more so than by amateurs. These are often, but not always, determined by the type of camera that is being used. Not many amateurs use large format cameras, but several professionals do. In this case there is a difference between the professional film and the "other" types of film.

As far as the issues of professional 35mm film, there really is no difference. Any amateur can walk into a photo shop and ask for a roll of good quality film. If the amateur knows about film speeds and uses that knowledge to get the film that will best fit his or her needs, well, so be it.

There are, of course, some brands of film that would like to be considered professional films because, frankly, they could charge a higher price for it. But do not be fooled by that marketing ploy. Good quality film is good quality film. If you buy a brand of film that is well known and has a history of reliability then you are buying professional level film regardless of what the canister or packaging may say.

One caveat to this, however, has to do with quantity. You can, and many professionals do, buy their film in big lots. This only makes sense. They use a lot of film so they buy a lot of film at one time. Some companies will offer discounts for this type of buying pattern. The wholesale Fuji professional film outlets would be an example of this. But this has more to do with the number of rolls being sold than it does with the quality of the film.

So try to remember that the main difference between professional & amateur film is the person using the film. Knowing what each type of film will do best will give your photos that professional look that we all want to achieve. It is that simple.