Your prefered color and B&W film?

[JohnTz]

As a new M owner I was curious what film you guys like for color prints at 200? Also what is the prefered B&W that you all like?

Sorry about the basic questions, Just curious to get the scoop from the long time users and save myself a bunch of time experimenting.

BTW anybody know some good labs in the Chicago area?

Thanks again....John

 

[jonasv]

I don't shoot color... As for B&W, I like Delta 400 a lot, but you can never go wrong with HP5+ or Tri-X.

 

[RayPA]

You'll probably get a lot of different answers to your question. 🙂 IMO the best approach is to take these suggestions and shoot a lot of film. You'll eventually find the ones you like.

I can't really help you on the 200 ASA films. I shoot mostly 400 in both b&w and color. For color, I LOVE Kodak 400 UC Professional (and I HATE Kodak 400 HD). I also like the Fuji Films. I haven't really found one that I abhor (like HD). I've been shooting with Fuji Superia Xtra 800 recently and I kind of like it.

For 400 ASA b&w it's Kodak Tri-X and Fuji NP 400, I LOVE Plus-X and APX 100 on the slower end.

 

[wlewisiii]

Hello,

I don't use much 200 speed films. I do like Fuji for my color film. Depending on what you want to do Reala 100, NPH160 (renamed Pro160 recently) or Superia 400.

For black & white, I like Plus-X, Tri-X, & increasingly Fomapan 100 (available for pennies from Freestylephoto.biz as Arista.Edu Ultra).

Half the fun is trying the different combinations and seeing what you enjoy. Good luck & good light!

William

 

[varjag]

That's easy.

Tri-X is the best BW film out there. It is best for color too.

At least when you don't need too many colors.

 

[Pherdinand]

for 35mm it is fuji reala, for general use. If need higher speed, nph400 (pro400H) is fine, but somewhat grainy in the shadows.
In medium format, a lot of good films. NPH, NPS and NPC as well as Kodak's Portra 160 VC and the discontinued slide film, E100SW are what I like most.

Black and white? depends what for, but i like most of what i tried. I prefer tri-x against delta400, that's the only thing.
Neopan1600, delta3200 for very dark scenes. Never used tmax films. Don't usually use slow films in BW but once in a while a roll of FP4+ in 6x6 looks great.

 

[Pherdinand]

Tri-X is the best BW film out there. It is best for color too.

At least when you don't need too many colors.

Heh, that's a good one. I might agree with that.

 

[telenous]

Hi John,

I was in a similar situation about one year ago. I had to go through every single brand I could lay my hands on, and I am afraid this is the only way to go as people have very different tastes when it comes to which film they like. There's one exception to this but I 'll come to it shortly.

For colour negative film I like Fuji Reala 100 and Fuji Superia 800 when I need the speed. I have only tried Kodak Gold 200, Kodak Color 200 and Agfa Vista 200 when it comes to ISO200 - I wasn't particularly impressed but if I had to choose I 'd shoot the Kodak over the Agfa.

For B&W there is something like consensus that Kodak TriX 400 is a great emulsion. I agree with that and about 50% of my B&W photography uses this film. The rest 50% is divided between Ilford XP2, Ilford Delta 100 and Fuji Neopan 1600.

 

[Todd.Hanz]

Ilford PanF+ for 25-50
Acros 50-200
Tri-X 200- and beyond 🙂

Color...what's that?
Ok, Fuji Reala!

Todd

 

[BudGreen]

I don't shoot color, but for B&W my favorites are Tri-X, Plus-X and Pan-F. In the end, it's a very personal choice, and you'll wind up with a list of suggestions here for just about every commercially available film. There's really no substitute for exposing a bunch of rolls and seeing which ones suite your needs best.

 

[JohnTz]

Thank you for the responses! Looks like the TriX is a no brainer for BW. I will have to experiement with the suggested ones for the color.

 

[lubitel]

That's easy.

Tri-X is the best BW film out there. It is best for color too.

At least when you don't need too many colors.

Thats a good one!

 

[venchka]

I'm in the same search mode after emerging from my photographic Dark Ages.

My biggest problem is finding a reliable, well stocked source for film. The two remaining full service camera/film stores are a long way across town from where I live & work. The nearby locations are Wolf Camera and the usual mass market places like Walgreens, Wal-Mart, Target, CVS, etc. None of them have a very good selection. So, your choices may be limited to what you can get on a regular basis or shop online.

I have had good results from Kodak Ultra UC, Reala and BW400CN. Like most of the comments above, I don't shoot much color beyond ISO 100. I may try the Kodak 400 UC and Superia 800. I haven't been pleased with the Kodak HD either.

 

[Rafael]

In b+w I mostly shoot Fuji Neopan 400 and Acros 100. In colour, I usually use Kodak Portra NC for portraits and Fuji NPH for editorial work.

 

[JohnTz]

Thanks again for the responses...how about labs...many of you develop yourselves but that is not an option for me at this point...what is your prefered lab for development?? Any local Chicago area ones would be great.

 

[Quinn Porter]

Color -- Portra NC
B&W -- HP5+

 

[LazyHammock]

I have only shot two rolls of color in the past three years but based on those results I would recommend Fuji Pro 160S (close to iso 200!). For B+W I have almost exclusively used Neopan 400. Recently I shot a couple of rolls of Acros 100 but have yet to develop them.
Nick

 

[ed1k]

Than you may be limited to C-41 B&W films like Ilford XP2. Almost any lab can do C-41 (standard colour negative) processing, drugstore or Wal-Mart. I dunno what you have in Chicago area. I hope someone from that area will jump in with a suggestion of a good lab that can do real B&W film processing. In this case you will have to find out which film is good for their process, not necessarily that would be a TriX.
Eduard.

 

[vha]

time to join in ;

B&W : Kodak bw400cn or ilford xp-2 if I don´t have anything kodak left.

Color : Superia 200, its stable, easy to print on any fuji Frontiers and give skin-tones that is ok, else superia 400, but it can be a bit too magenta in the skin-tones if you use it with flash (God forbid. . ), gives really nice blue tones, perfect for night photos.
Any lab whit a fujifilm frontier should do, at least if the operator knows what he is doing, and if the use fujifilm christal archive DP paper you have a winner.

vha.

 

[thelovecollect]

i cannot comment on color negs, don't really shoot it..

as for b+w film: efke 25, pan-f, acros 100, plus-x, tmax or delta films at 100 and 400...