Which color film should I buy?

[anubis404]

I don't really want to spend over $3 per roll of film. What are the advantages of better film?

 

[bhop]

Finer grain, more appealing color... at least those are the reasons for me. If you just want to practice and have fun, some 99¢ stores sell film. At least around here. I tried some and it's not terrible. It has a weird purple-ish hue though.

here's some examples
http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=99&w=66534437@N00&s=rec

 

[randerson07]

I also find the more expensive film, curls much less than the cheap stuff. That really only matters if you plan to use the negatives for anything, scanning or wet printing.

 

[ksmattfish]

What are the advantages of better film?

As film ages it changes. Usually for the worse, such as a decline in saturation. The warmer it is, the faster it ages. Color film labeled "professional" is designed to be kept refrigerated to slow down the aging. It's at it's quality peak as it leaves the factory, and it begins going downhill, which is why it has such a short expiration date. "Consumer" film is designed to age more slowly at room temperature. It's peak of quality is initially lower than "professional" film, but it will stay higher over a longer time period and at warmer temperatures.

That said, the differences can be pretty subtle. I used to be a huge fan of Kodak Gold 200, which is consumer film. Eventually I went with Fuji (NPS, NPC, NPH, etc...).

You would notice a much greater increase in saturation just using a polarizing filter than the difference between an extra saturated film and something more normal.