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Your favourite b&w and colour 35mm film?

Y

Yomanze

pfm Member
Like vinyl, there is a bit of a film revival, so what are your favourites? Been looking at Ilford Delta 100 for b&w, thoughts much welcomed.
 
I really like XP2, which in a way answers both questions... :)

FP4, Tri-X. I've got a roll of Portra to try out for colour, used mainly Kodak & Fuji 400 ASA colour film in the old days.
 
It depends on the application, but...
  • for colour negative film I like Kodak Portra 160
  • for B&W film I like Tri-X developed in the elixir of the gods: X-tol
  • for colour slide I like Provia 100F and Velvia 100 and 50
Joe
 
B&W was usually FP4 or Tri-X depending on the light. If I couldn’t get Trix-X I’d use HP5. Tri-X has a great look, so it’s my overall favourite.

All of those were home developed in Xtol.

I didn’t shoot much colour but I liked Fuji Reala for prints and Fuji Provia for slides. I hated Velvia.

My regret is that I didn’t use more Kodachrome.
 
Are many of the classic films still available? Like LP pressing machines, I thought film plants had largely died. I know in one branch of my industry quite a lot of ex-Kodak and Ilford film lines were being hawked around with re-purposing in mind.
 
Neopan 400 (now sadly no more) and HP5. I felt that these pushed a bit better than TriX, which I felt for really contrasty when pushed, even in XTOL. As for colour, definitively Kodachrome, but that's no more too.
Must get round to trying Kodak XX double x, but I'll have to resurrect my bulk loader for that.
 
All good suggestions. It's really very dependent on what i'm shooting, but I would probably say that Acros is my favourite, if i've got enough light to make it work. When light is lower and I need to push a stop or two, then i'll end up with either HP5 or TriX.

I develop in Xtol, and as for pushed films being too contrasty, I find the trick is to dilute the xtol, as this certainly gives a smoother and less contrasty look. +1 works well for me in MF, but in 35mm I would suggest +2 may be even better.
 
JensenHealey said:
Are many of the classic films still available? Like LP pressing machines, I thought film plants had largely died. I know in one branch of my industry quite a lot of ex-Kodak and Ilford film lines were being hawked around with re-purposing in mind.
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FP4 and HP5 are still available from Ilford and Tri-X from Kodak. You can also still get Fuji Provia and Velvia - albeit at over £12 a roll.
 
Cesare said:
All good suggestions. It's really very dependent on what i'm shooting, but I would probably say that Acros is my favourite, if i've got enough light to make it work. When light is lower and I need to push a stop or two, then i'll end up with either HP5 or TriX.

I develop in Xtol, and as for pushed films being too contrasty, I find the trick is to dilute the xtol, as this certainly gives a smoother and less contrasty look. +1 works well for me in MF, but in 35mm I would suggest +2 may be even better.
Click to expand...

I used to use Xtol diluted 1:3. That was fine for 'traditional' film such as FP4/HP5/Tri-X, but didn't work for T grained film such as T-Max or Delta - not enough active developer - so on the rare occasion I used one of those I dilute 1:2 or 1:1,
 
Loads of interesting stuff gents, thank you, notice a few people mentioning ‘it depends’, so let’s narrow it down a bit too: favourite film for shooting outdoors in daylight, say, in a city rather than landscapes?
 
Yomanze said:
Loads of interesting stuff gents, thank you, notice a few people mentioning ‘it depends’, so let’s narrow it down a bit too: favourite film for shooting outdoors in daylight, say, in a city rather than landscapes?
Click to expand...

Summer FP4, Winter Tri-X.
 
When you think about it, it makes sense why a HiFi forum would have such a knowledgable photography community. :)
 
Agfa Ultra 50. Outrageously vivid colours. (Think ‘Singing Ringing Tree’ if you are old enough!)

Ilford SFX 200 (with or without deep red filter).

Ilford HP5.

Fujifilm Superior Reala 100. (Killer combination with my old Contax T2. Made for each other.)
 
Started out using FP3 and HP3, last B & W was Tri-X, always used Kodachrome after that which tells you how long ago I had film in my camera....

Almost always used M & B Promicrol developer for the B & W.
 
Tri-X my favourite for 50 years. Second favourite FP4. Both developed in D-76 ( same as Ilford ID-11) for many years, lately changed to Rodinal.

It is not so much that one film is better in one situation rather than in another, apart from sensitivity (speed), but to use the same film and developer over a long period so you instinctively know how they will work together with shorter or longer developing times.
 
For colour Portra 160 or 400. Landscape sometimes Ektar 100
B&W Iford for me HP5+, or Delta, both at 400, or FP4+ 160
 
JensenHealey said:
Are many of the classic films still available? Like LP pressing machines, I thought film plants had largely died. I know in one branch of my industry quite a lot of ex-Kodak and Ilford film lines were being hawked around with re-purposing in mind.
Click to expand...
Companies like Ag Photographic have a good range of the films currently available, although there will be others. Have a browse and see what you think. http://www.ag-photographic.co.uk/film-514-c.asp
 
Fomapan 200 and Xp2+ are my favourite. Fomapan 200 is strange. Difficult to define in a beautiful way. I like it exposed at 125.
 
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