what film should i buy?

[cypilk]

whats the best kind of film out there?.. i've been using a lot of kodak film..just the normal kodak max or kodak gold.. i've been thinkin about using fujifilm..or something else...what do you guys think?

 

[markc]

It all depends on what you want to do with it. That's why there are so many different kinds. You might want super-saturated colors if you go to Disneyland, but more neutral hues if you are doing a wedding. Kodak, Fuji, Agfa, etc., all make great films, but a lot of it comes down to personal taste. What are you looking to do? I'm sure you will get several good suggestions.

 

[cypilk]

well..mostly..i guess i'm looking to take colorful pictures...like..a baseball game... or nature kind of thing. like a sunset.. or flowers.. or ducks in a pond etc...so i want vivid colors ... but then other times...i want the sunset so be less colorful...and get more of the foggy waves in grey.. =\..

and another question..most of people's work is in black and white..why is that?

 

[MDowdey]

provia/velvia slide film from fuji will make colors pop!!! as far as action? i dont shoot action so ill leave that one for someone else.


i shoot black and white because i like the dark feel of the picture. i like the scariness of it....plus it focuses the attention to the subject and not the distracting colors.



md

 

[cypilk]

so..provia or velvia fujifilm is the best way to go?..whats the difference between the two?.. im planning on taking very colorful flower and scenic pictures... =D

 

[markc]

Here's a comparison of the two when used for scanning.

 

[cypilk]

so..that website says to buy provia 100f! ... but it says that provia has finer grain but lower resolution!.. what does that mean?

 

[Big Mike]

Do you want to switch to slide film from negative film? Slide film (like Velvia etc.) has great colors and resolution but there are also some negatives (pun intended).

Slide film can not be developed at just any lab anymore...most places will send it out and that could cost more. Slide film has a narrow latitude compared to negative film. It's less forgiving with exposure than negative film. It's an extra, expensive option to actually get prints.

There are lots of negative "print" films...try some of them out. Try taking your film to a good lab to develop & print. With negative film, the machine & person making the prints has a lot to do with how the print turns out. With slide film, what you shoot is what you get...this could be good or bad...depending on how you look at it.

 

[cypilk]

ohh..soo velvia film is a whole different category in film heh? what is the difference between slide film and normal film?

 

[Big Mike]

"normal" film is color negative film (or b&w neg film)...slide film is positive.

That's why you can just drop slides into a projector and project a nice color image. regular film has to be reversed during the printing process.


If you just want prints to look at, or to show to people...stick with regular film. As noted, regular film is a lot more forgiving with exposure so you have a greater chance that your shots will turn out. Even if you are a few stops out with your exposure, the lab might be able to save the picture.

With slide film, if you don't have the exposure right on when you snap it...you are stuck with it. Although scanning and digitally fixing it might work.

I'd suggest picking up a roll of slide film and giving it a try. A lot of people will only shoot slides because they love the advantages over regular film.

 

[cypilk]

well...if i wasn't going to use slide film...whats a good kind of film would i get for negative?

 

[ksmattfish]

Since you've been using a lot of Kodak color negative film, I think you should try some Fuji color negative film. Shoot 2 dozen rolls and compare it to your Kodak shots. You're going to find that they are both great film manufacturers, and that the differences are subtle.

Personally with Kodak consumer color film I prefer the regular "gold" to the "royal gold" or "high definition" films. Kodak Gold 200 is a great all around color film to leave in your camera, and it's cheap. With Fuji it's all good.

As far as negs vs. slides. If you are scanning you'll probably be better off learning to shoot slides. If you want traditional prints, you'll be better off shooting negs. Slides require more accuracy when it comes to exposure. Negs offer a safety margin if you get the exposure wrong.

There is a myth that "pros shoot transparencies" (slides). This is like saying that all pro racers drive formula 1 cars.

 

[cypilk]

thanks for the helpful comments =D

 

[steve817]

When taking shots that include people outdoors I love the kodak portra films. 160NC and 400NC. They do miracles for skin tones. I haven't tried the VC yet but I hear it's colors are more saturated. It's expensive (about $8.00 a roll at my local camera store) but you can find good deals on ebay that will drop it down to about $4.00 a roll.

Steve

 

[markc]

I haven't tried the VC yet but I hear it's colors are more saturated.

It is, but not by a lot. It's nothing like the Fuji films. It's still fairly neutral from my little experience with it, but it adds a touch of "pop". The NC seems a bit muddy or dull to me if you are shooting outside on an heavily overcast day, but wonderful of you have the right light. I liked the VC better when it's cloudy.