Colour negative film was the most widely used of the traditional photographic media. It has greater exposure latitude than transparency film, and a degree of exposure correction is often possible as second-generation positive images are produced. This makes it the first choice for the mass amateur market, and for compact cameras that may have less accurate exposure meters. Negative film cannot match transparency film for colour saturation but is nevertheless extremely capable and versatile. It is also the medium of choice for many professional photographers.

This type of film is the obvious choice for photographers whose ultimate requirement is for prints. Exposed film is processed to create negative images in which tones and colours are reversed. Printing processes then reverse the tones and colours to produce a positive paper image.