Kicking it off -- Favourite Film

[Axle]

So what's your favourite

Print, B/W, and Slide

Print - Porta 160VC
B/W - Ilford HP5 or XP2
Slide - Provia 100f

[Xia_Ke]

Good call Axle

For B&W so far I've been loving the results and versatility of Neopan 400. Not to mention it's also about the cheapest B&W film you an buy.

Haven't really shot enough color print or slide film to form an opinion on experience but, for print, I like the natural looks of Portra 400NC and for something a little more vibrant and contrasty I like Portra 800. For slide film I like the warmth of Ektachrome E100GX.

[mjs1973]

I haven't shot enuf B&W films to call anyone my favorite. I think the only B&W films I have used are T-max, and Tri-X, and I was pleased with both of them, but haven't used anything else to compare them to.

For color print film, I'm a big fan of Portra. Both 160 & 400 NC and VC. I also like the cheap consumer Fuji 400 film you can get an any big box store or gas station.

For slide film, Velvia 50 is my top dog, followed by Provia 400.

[photophorous]

Since I got back into film about 6 months ago, I've been slowly experimenting with new films and I plan to do a lot more. Things are subject to change, but here are my thoughts as of now...all 35mm:

Color Slide:
Velvia 100F for low contrast nature scenes. Will try the new 50 ISO after I finish my 10 roll stash.
Astia 100F for high contrast nature scenes or people. Awesome skin tones.

Color Print:
I don't really have a favorite, but I've used a lot of Superia Xtra 400 for bright colors and medium grain at a cheap price. Reala is good for fine grain and accurate colors with a little punch. I plan to try some Kodak Portra when I get the chance. I don't shoot much color print film.

B&W:
Fuji Acros 100 is my new favorite for fine grain, but I've yet to test Delta 100 or Pan F. Acros kills Tmax, IMO. I'm excited about this one.
TriX 400 for anytime I don't need fine grain. This is my standard.

I developed my first roll of Acros 100 last night, so I'll probably have something to post soon. And, I plan to do my first roll of Neopan 400 tonight. Next is Neopan 1600...half finished in my Bessa right now. :thumbsup:

Paul

[Xia_Ke]

Ooo, I'll be interested in seeing some Acros shots Paul and also about hearing your opinions comparing the 2. I love Neopan 400. Very versatile. Honestly though, I don't see the need in getting Neopan 1600 though. The 400 pushes out to 1600 very easily with not much additional grain. About half of the Neopan shots in my gallery are actually 400 that was pushed to 800 or 1600.

[drg]

Print - Fuji Pro 400 H (formerly NPH)
Slide - Fuji Astia

B/W it depends entirely on the camera and application.

[another view]

B&W: The classic look of Tri-X is my favorite. I really liked working with Ilford Delta 3200 (usually at 1600) in low light situations as well.

Slide: Provia 100F, easy.

Color Neg: Portra 400NC was the one I usually used, but only used color neg for people shots. I really liked the lower color saturation look for this type of stuff, but its important to find a lab that really knows how to work with this stuff.

[mtbbrian]

Tri-X Baby, for B&W, which goes in the black Holga and my Bessa.
Provia 100 in the Red Holga and Portra 400 NC in the yellow Holga.
I haven't decided on what 35mm color film I like for my Bessa, but I am leaning towards Porta 160 though.
Brian

[freygr]

I have to finish of the old B&W cut film before I can get more. I have Tri X and Pan in 4x5, and a white box of professional film ISO 50 in 2x3. I most likely get a box of color transparency film next.

[walterick]

Positives: Fuji Velvia 50 or 100 (not F) then Provia 100

Negative color: Portra 160 NC for people, I guess Reala for everything else. RIP Supra 100!!

Negative B&W: Tmax and then Ilford FP4+

[Skyman]

i confess it has been a long time since i shot film so some of these may not be available anymore, but my personal favourites were:
Print:agfa ultra 50 (when they dropped it I had to migrate to fuji realla)
B&W: Ilford SFX (super contrasty and almost infrared if you used a r2 filter) and Ilford xp2 in c41 b&w as it had super latitude was more contrasty than the others and printed like a true black and white. (it was a pain to print on a c41 machine, but since i worked in a lab i used to have ilfords special filter for such prints)
Positives: who doesn't like Velvia? I also used to love playing with super fast e6 (anything fuji preferably) and cross processing it. super grainy, strange colours = great images.

[deckcadet]

Color Neg: Portra 400VC. I have loads of the stuff for a reason. I like 160NC a lot too, but 400VC does it for me.

B&W: Tri-x 400 shot at 320 is what I have the most experience with, but I think a few rolls from now I'll be ready to change this to T-Max. FWIW, I shot 2 rolls of Agfapan 25 and it was beautiful... just completely impractical. It was scary shooting with a 35/1.4, 50/1.2, and 135/2.0 in broad daylight and worrying about shutter speed.

I don't shoot slides.

[Greg McCary]

Tmax 100, 400 and Kodak 400CN. I haven't tried TriX but it seems very popular I think I will try it soon. I don't plan on shooting much color film. My set up will be the Oly for color shots. The Bessa and Canonet for B&W. Maybe a good used Leica for after Christmas.

[reverberation]

Wow, just found this forum. I like different films for different shots as DRG has alluded to. I love Kodak Royal Gold for the saturation of the reds in this film, while also displaying vibrant blues, I think the way this film records reds is unequaled. It was a film that was discontinued. It was a film that needed fresh chemicals. I know there is some person, or group of people, that is responsible for the characteristics of this film, I would just like to thank them. I also like a number of different color films for different reasons.

Black and white film is easy,I find T-Max unequaled. Fine grain is what you want, unless (as drg has stated) you are looking to incorporate the grain of the film into the composition.

[another view]

Tri-X.....Provia 100.....Portra 400 NC

Wow - a match!

Kodak Royal Gold was a really nice color neg film. Too bad that one went away but if it really needed fresh chemistry the labs must have hated it (which of course usually results in less than stellar results).

[cwhard]

I am new to this forum and joined because I am distraught over the Digital craze. I do have a D60 and a Digital Rebel, but they aren't serious tools...

Anyway an older guy who ran a camera store (and lab) for years told me that this was the first time (he could recall) "that a superior technology has been supplanted by an inferior one." I found this to be a profound statement. The only Digital camera that comes close to (and may be better than) my 35mm scans is the EOS 5D which is $2000 at least (and don't dare ever drop it!).

That said, my favorite films are:

Slide: Provia 100 and 400

Print: Fuji NPS 160 and NPH 400


These simply scan so well in my Minolta Scan Elite 5400.

Thanks for taking the time,

-Tex

San Angelo, TX

[megan]

I'm still a Kodak junkie.

BW: Tri-X
Color: I generally shhot Portra 400 - which type depends on the situation. I've been shooting in the studio with a Holga using 800 VC, actually. Outdoors is usually with VC, and the occasional roll of NC if the store is out of VC when I'm shopping.

I rarely shoot chrome.

[Photo-John]

Black and white: Plus-X 125 shot at ISO 64 and underdeveloped by about 10%.

Color: Provia 100

[SuperJ]

For black and white i stick to tmax 100. though I only get a good result if i use the actual tmax developer. For color its either velvia 50 or 100. Hopefully the new 50 isn't any different because my stash in my freezer is running low.

Jeff