What are Your Favorite Films 2016?

CameraQuest

CameraQuest

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Many old favorites have disappeared,
yet many films are still being manufactured.

Please share your own favorite films that are still available,
and WHY they are favorites.

Stephen
 
I have started using a lot of HP5. First because I started doing much more black and white film work, second because it dries flat and third because it is cheaper then TriX.
 
Slides: Fuji Provia 100F and 400X (when I can find it). Natural colors, good skin tones, fine grain.

Color Negative: Kodak Portra 160, or Fujicolor Pro 160NS. The color negative equivalent of Fuji Astia, my favorite slide film of all time (RIP).

B&W: Ilford XP-2, for the C-41 processing, and ability to use IR dust cleaning on my scanner.

My subjects are primarily my family: wife and children. Accurate skin tone reproduction is what counts to me.
Also, I don't have time to develop my own film, or spot dust out manually. So, lab processing with ability to use IR dust cleaning on the scanner is also important. Hence, my choice of films listed above.

Least liked film:
Fujicolor 200 cheapo film. Skin tones look beet red, the way Velvia renders skin tones.

Kodak Ektar 100 - maybe good for scenics, but a bit too saturated, and tends to render skin tones magenta.
 
^ Acros & Provia 400X in MF and FP4+ & Provia 100F in sheet . The Provia 400x is discontinued , but still available from Japan . I do have a soft spot for Ilfords Delta films in MF too. I'm turning more to home developing for C-41 and E-6 as the lab stuff is getting
so full of hair and dust that scanning is taking ages to correct .(Thank you digital ice) Works well, but certainly adds time to the process . Peter
 
This year I started with TMax 400, and really like the tonal range and fine grain structure.
I tried a few developers, and ended up with HC110 and TMax. TMax has a bit more grain edge sharpness.

I photograph some family with B&W, but more street when it is in my budget.

I have recently been shooting Eastman XX-5222... I like this better than TMax 400. Better Shadow details,
great tonal range, well defined highlights. Grain is little bigger, but, still very tight. I shoot it at 400 mostly and like the results in both HC110 and TMax developers.

So, Eastman XX-5222 is my "Goto" B&W film for 2016, and 2017+
 
FP4+
Great tones, forgiving for errors in development and lovely character. Dries flat. Great in ID-11, sharp with FX-39. In 120 format the grain/resolution advantages of Acros/Delta/PanF are insignificant to me, and small derivations in development eliminate them anyways. Starting to prefer it over Delta 100 for landscape, too.

HP5+ is great when it gets dark. Great at ISO800, boring (pardon me) at box speed.
 
Cost is a consideration Down Under as common Ilford and Kodak films often sell for over AUD$16 a roll locally. I've mostly been shooting 35mm APX100 (dev in Rodinal) after finding it for AUD$3.50 (36 exp). I also have some Foma 200 in 35mm and 120 in the fridge which was AUD$6. Developed in Fomadon LQN. It has a nice retro look.

However my favourites are FP4+ for slow film, and HP5+, Tri-X 400 and TMAX400 for faster. I really like TMAX400 @800 in TMAX developer for lower light shooting.

Have recently bought some old favourite Tri-X in 35mm, having found it "cheap" for AUD$9 locally - around the same price as buying from the US once postage is considered. I started out on Tri-X and have always liked the look.
 
2016 has mainly been about Fomapan 400 for me. Cheap b/w with nice grain, develops well in Rodinol at PhotoFusion (my local). Ektar 100 was a new colour favourite at times.
 
Tri-X or HP5+, both mostly at ISO 400 and developed in D-23 replenished. Tri-X has tighter grain but I like the tonality of HP5+. I also like to support Ilford, as it continues to make black and white paper.
 
Last year I thought to use Portra 400 and Provia 100F, on medium format and I sidelined 35mm.

Shot a bit of Provia until spring, switched to Portra. Winter light and Provia look nice, so I ought to take the film out of the freezer.

Then retook 35mm and that's a pageant. :D Have some fine Kodak but ended up mostly using the format as casual with cheaper film.
So far: Outhouse 1 yr expired Fujicolor 200 given by a friend and found on his father estate, Superia 200 that was 3€ a roll and now Lomography color; because it's cheap just to shoot around the city.
 
I still have a few rolls of Efke 100, original Agfa APX 100, Fomapan 400 and Ilford pan F 50 and some Kodacolor Gold 200 and Fujicolor 200 and even some Kodak Portra 160 in the freezer.

I been tempted to try either Fomapan 100 or Kentmere 100, but I cannot decide which one I would prefer in this budget line of black and white film with medium speed.
 
Adox Silvermaster, TriX, Pan 50 f+, Neopan 100 and Fomapan in 35mm. I have not shot much color in 35mm recently, except for whatever expired stuff that I find in my fridge.
Portra 160 and 400, Ektar, Fuji Velvia 50 and 100, and TriX or TMax in 120. And some expired Agfa APX 25, Ultra Color 50, and Ektar 25 that I have been having good results with.

But they are all good, man.
 
I vote for Kentmere 100. First for the unbeatable price, it's a wonderful all-seasons film. Just slightly less smooth rendering than FP4+ but with all the excellent Ilford quality control.
 
My favorite is Ilford HP5+ and I moved to this from Tri-X about 2 years ago. Very reliable and forgiving film with great latitude and a long straight line curve that keeps highlights and shadows where they are easily scanned or printed. I continue to support Ilford because of their commitment to analogue photography. I prefer this traditional cubic grained film to Delta or Tmax as it has to my eye a more pleasing look with an inherently sharp nature and crispness that comes from its regular grain and microcontrast.
 
Have been using Kodak Ektar and Portra 400 for both 35mm and medium format, and am very happy with both. For medium format have been using TMAX 100 and TMAX 400. Lost a few rolls to the backing paper problem but have liked both films. For 35mm I shoot TMAX400, mostly rated at 400 but sometimes 200 or 1600. Xtol has worked well for me. In the future I may be looking for a new developr (liquid rather than powder) because we'll be downsizing into a condo and the liquid seems easier to deal with in tight living quarters than powdered developer. Might also be in the market for some different black and white films (Kodak's recent quality/supply issues have been a little annoying), so glad to see this thread to see what people like. If I change, itprobably will be to an Ilford film.
 
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