(FORTUNE Magazine) – Digital cameras get all the attention these days, but most pictures are still taken with conventional 35mm film cameras. To help novice shutterbugs take better film pictures, even if they don't know an f-stop from a bus stop, Kodak has come up with an updated version of its Max 400 film. More experienced photographers will want to get a load of the new Max 400 film, too, because it is more versatile than the old Max 400. (The "old" Max 400 may still be on store shelves, so be sure to look for the red and white NEW sign on the box.)

Why is the new Max 400 better? Simply put, it is "faster" than other 400-speed films on the market. Faster film gathers more light more quickly than slower films, making it better suited for taking action shots of the kids playing in the park, for example. It also creates more detail and depth of field in indoor flash shots. And with a faster film, the shutter speed can be faster, which results in fewer shaky or blurry shots.

In the past, faster films typically used larger silver halide crystals to catch more light, which sometimes resulted in grainy photos. Kodak's trick in the new Max 400 was to use variable-sized grains, called T-grains. It's the first new film emulsion from Kodak in several years.