Favourite film?

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wills5

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What films do you guys really love?

For me I've only ever shot 35mm, my favourite by far is Velvia 50. I use it for most things although can be a bit too much for portraits, and E6 processing is really expensive!

About to try some Ektar 100 which sounds like it might be similar but in C41. Would love to try some softer film though for portraits, maybe Portra 160 or something.
 
Ilford PanF. I'd use it for everything if it were available in 5x4 - hence my most used film is FP4.

Films I really miss are Kodachrome 25 and Infrared Ektachrome.
 
Favourite b&w film is Delta 100 I think, and PanF a close second. Used to be a big FP4 fan but haven't used it since I discovered Delta 100.

For C41 I think my favourites are Portra 400 and Ektar 100 which are joint top. Don't have enough experience with E6 to have a favourite there.
 
Nothing, and I mean nothing, comes close to slide on a light box.

Its quite frustrating to know that it can no longer be printed, but I keep shooting it because its just so gdamn beautiful as it is.

I shot a few rolls of my favourite film on holiday a few months back, Velvia 100F, I've scanned a few but scans just don't come close to reproducing the vibrancy and 3d appearance you get viewing them first hand, through a loupe its like you could just step in to them.

B/W ?......well, there are so many developers and different ways to develope B/W neg film that I suppose we're really talking about a combination of elements rather than just the film itself, but for the sake of the thread, Delta 100 and Fuji Acros, although I've become partial to APX in 35mm recently.
 
joxby said:
B/W ?......well, there are so many developers and different ways to develope B/W neg film that I suppose we're really talking about a combination of elements rather than just the film itself,
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:agree:
 
All of them.

C41 - Poundland AgfaVista Plus 400 because it's cheap and great value (I'm mean). I did recently buy some Kodak Ektar 100 in 120 which was nice.

However, I do shoot I guess 80-90% on home developed b/w.

I really did like Shanghai GP3 in 120 - and not only because it was cheap.

I do like a bit of Rollei/Agfa Gevaert 400S, or I did when FirstCall sold it dead cheap. Sometimes it looked crap, or at least it did when I developed it, but now and then, it would give really cool results.

I presently like Kodak Tmax 400, developed in LC29. I'm presently using it as my default b/w in both 35mm and 120.

I do like to support Ilford (/wave the flag) - in Delta Pro 400, FP4 125, and I have an unfashionable like for HP5+.

I've gone off Foma a bit, although the faster Fomapans aren't too bad, the 400 is too rough.
 
I'm in the process of trying to narrow down the range of films I use.

For colour my favourite is Portra 400 - fine grained for a 400 film and very tolerant of over- and under-exposure.
For B&W it's TMax 100, which I often rate at 200 if not using a tripod.

Then there's the slightly more specialist options:

a) Rollei IR400, for infrared.
b) Fuji Acros for pinholes, because it doesn't need a reciprocity adjustment for exposures of up to 2 minutes. But TMax will do the job too, and it's cheaper than Acros.
 
Interesting to hear so many votes for B&W film. Never really tried any myself but would love to give it a go! IR would also be cool...
 
Portra 400 & Ektar 100 in equal measures. I also really love Velvia 50. I should really try and shoot more of that but seem to lean toward the C41 stuff. In fact I've just had 10 rolls of 120 and 5 of 35mm delivered.
 
Well until I run out of 35mm film in the freezer and for 35mm colour neg it would be:- Fuji Superia 200 for general purpose and Fuji Reala (discontinued) for special occasions like scenery or holidays..but my opinion could change if I tried Portra or Ektar.
But I must have used nearly all 35mm colour neg made films in the last 15 years and the problem is that other than Superia 200 and Reala you never really get to know them as I've found quite few times on the right subject (maybe the lens has something to do with it as well ) nearly any film can give excellent results and could be from say Autumn to portraiture shots, well I've never classified what film to use on what subject, what lens, and the lighting conditions :( .....e.g. Ferrania film is often looked down on but on the right subject\lighting or even if the photographer wants to achieve a certain look....... it's very good.
And just to add:- Photoshop IMO is not an equaliser for every film.......for colours\tones etc.
Also (for newbies reading this thread) get to know one make of film and if it's not doing what you specifically want, then try another and you could have a few favourites like one for portraiture, one for landscapes and one for snaps and so on.
 
The Time Bandits?

Oh i see what you mean. Slide film is just lovely especially in 5x4, when you see a rack of that hanging up and drying you know the hassle of LF was worth the effort.

Its hard to say any specific film make as once youve scanned it, stuffed it into lightroom or whatever youve used, slid the sliders around, youve essentially taken away any characteristics which that specific film ever had. But i normally get Ilford films, delta 100 or FP4+ Agfa 400 from poundland is lovely, much better than the 200 variety but much harder to find.
 
I've just ordered a roll of hp5 and delta 400 to try. Are these any good?
 
Provia 100 and Velvia 50 for colour
PanF+, Adox CHS25 and Tri-X for B&W
 
Tri-X is my favourite. When it comes to buying film I'm a sucker for a bargain so I tend to use whatever I can get cheap. I just finished scanning a few Tri-X films, which I'm post processing now, and I can see why I always come back to it. Lovely tonality and grain. I'll post some pictures later this week. Maybe I'll jump on the net right now and order some more in 120?
 
For B&W I'm using Kodak Double-XX (Eastman 5222) its a motion picture film (start of the most recent Casino Royale was shot on it). I bought a 400' roll, so I have a lot to get through, but I like it, the quality is good and its cheap. D76 works well as a developer, may try some others with it too once my D76 runs out.

For colour I'm Portra 400 for people and slide for anything else Provia 100 (if there may be people in it) or Velvia 50. I've just started a roll of Ektar100 to see what that is like.
 
For me:

B/W 100 iso - would be Acros
B/W 400 iso - would be TMAX
Colour 100/160 iso - would be Ektar and Portra
Colour 400 iso - would be Portra

Pretty much the same choices for both 35mm and 120 format.
 
I am a massive Portra fan, normally in 400, and these days, 35mm (I don't have time for anything larger with 3 children under 5!)

In B&W I find Ilford HP5 to be really a fantastic all rounder in 35mm.

joxby said:
Nothing, and I mean nothing, comes close to slide on a light box.

Its quite frustrating to know that it can no longer be printed, but I keep shooting it because its just so gdamn beautiful as it is.

I shot a few rolls of my favourite film on holiday a few months back, Velvia 100F, I've scanned a few but scans just don't come close to reproducing the vibrancy and 3d appearance you get viewing them first hand, through a loupe its like you could just step in to them.
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Assuming you mean no longer printed, optically? With the right scan, and digital laser exposure onto Fujiflex, the results are very similar (and some would say superior) to an old optical analogue exposure to cibachrome. We have recently commissioned our Lightjet printer and I'm really looking forward to printing some slides on Fujiflex. This media has a glass like smooth, ultra-gloss finish, very like cibachrome. And it is also coated on a polyester base, again, like cibachrome. Infact, everything about it is very similar, except for the fact it's a colour negative material and is process RA4.

Matt.
 
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Tri-X. Always loved it. However... it's grain can get a bit annoying, which is a paradox, because it;s grain is what I love about it... but only if I don't mind grain... then I hate it.. LOL.


Adox CMS is awesome, but just not practical 90% of the time.


Also love FP4 and Delta 100.


For colour... either good old Fuji Superior, or Portra 160
 
AgPhotographic said:
Assuming you mean no longer printed, optically? With the right scan, and digital laser exposure onto Fujiflex, the results are very similar (and some would say superior) to an old optical analogue exposure to cibachrome. We have recently commissioned our Lightjet printer and I'm really looking forward to printing some slides on Fujiflex. This media has a glass like smooth, ultra-gloss finish, very like cibachrome. And it is also coated on a polyester base, again, like cibachrome. Infact, everything about it is very similar, except for the fact it's a colour negative material and is process RA4.

Matt.
Click to expand...

Is that an advert for future AG services.....laying a bit of groundwork??..:D

ciba/ilfochromes are fabulous, dunno about scans and printers they're not my thing but there's nothing else for slide now, so that's that.

actually, its not even about prints, I think I just like slides.....as they are..:)
 
Just developed a roll of pan f, first one in about 18 months even from the negatives you can see how lovely and contrasty it is. Not a general purpose film but it really is great.
 
joxby said:
Is that an advert for future AG services.....laying a bit of groundwork??..:D

ciba/ilfochromes are fabulous, dunno about scans and printers they're not my thing but there's nothing else for slide now, so that's that.

actually, its not even about prints, I think I just like slides.....as they are..:)
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How about DURATRANS? This is a transparency print material made by Kodak (Fuji also make an equivalent) - it is absolutely stunning. Imagine a 50" slide on a light box.
 
AgPhotographic said:
How about DURATRANS? This is a transparency print material made by Kodak (Fuji also make an equivalent) - it is absolutely stunning. Imagine a 50" slide on a light box.
Click to expand...

Oooohhh @stevelmx5 that would move your 96% finished project up a notch!
 
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