New to Film

[projectphill]

Hi, Am new to shooting in film been shooting digital for years. My question is do Film brands really matter or is it all preference on what each individual person/user likes to shoot with?

 

[Chriscrawfordphoto]

Each film gives a different look, so its up to you what you like. The developer you use greatly influences tonality, grain, speed, etc. as well. I personally stick to Kodak, Ilford, and Fuji films because they have better quality control.

 

[dave lackey]

Welcome!!!
New to film?!
Fantastic! You are in for a real experience and you will find so many people here, like Chris, who are so knowledgable it is amazing... Enjoy the ride!

 

[Chriscrawfordphoto]

Tell us what you like to shoot and we can recommend a film. For most 35mm work, I use Kodak Tri-X developed in D-76. I have a page about choosing film in my online tutorials.

http://chriscrawfordphoto.com/learn-photography.php

 

[shadowfox]

Get to know one type/brand/speed.
Then try a different one.

Bam! a preference is born.

Welcome to the club!

😀

 

[projectphill]

I love to do a lotta of night shooting My favorite place has to be hands down, downtown Los Angeles and I will check out that link Im really excited to start using film and a little nervous at the same time

 

[Contarama]

Get ready film is a trip!

 

[Chriscrawfordphoto]

I love to do a lotta of night shooting My favorite place has to be hands down, downtown Los Angeles and I will check out that link Im really excited to start using film and a little nervous at the same time

For night shooting? That's easy. Ilford Delta 3200, developed in Kodak Tmax Developer. Its more expensive than most films because of the high speed, but worth it. Here are some night shots I have done with it.

 

[projectphill]

those are some real nice pics

 

[oftheherd]

I don't know if this was your first post or not, but you seem new here, so welcome to RFF. You will find it a great place with lots of good and experienced people.

 

[furbs]

As an alternative to Chris Crawford's suggestion of Ilford Delta 3200 - which does look great - you can also push Tri-X to 1600 during development, which I did here:


Untitled by ffurbss, on Flickr

Pushing Tri-X in D-76 has the advantage of costing less and using the same chemistry you'd normally use. The tonality is obviously different, as you can see, so let your preferences guide you.