What Film to use?

dak1b · Jun 21, 2010

Hello All!

I just recently bought myself my first film camera: Canon AE-1 Program:mrgreen:. I really wanted to experiment with film. What film would you suggest? fun experimental film? also is expired film good to use? what film could I use to make it look old? b&w?

any tips for a beginner film photographer? thanks!:thumbup:

Film is not dead.

Sw1tchFX · Jun 21, 2010

I like Kodak Ektar as far as negative films go. I have a roll of portra 160 that I plan on experimenting with too pretty soon when it stops raining.

PJL · Jun 21, 2010

dak1b said:
Hello All!

I just recently bought myself my first film camera: Canon AE-1 Program:mrgreen:. I really wanted to experiment with film. What film would you suggest? fun experimental film? also is expired film good to use? what film could I use to make it look old? b&w?

any tips for a beginner film photographer? thanks!:thumbup:

Film is not dead.

If you want a lot of grain, go with a fast B&W - Ilford Delta 3200 pushed to 3200 ISO is great (it's usual ISO is 1250, despite the label), or 400 pushed to 800 or even 1600. Kodak has a T-Max 3200, but good luck finding it for a reasonable price. Different color filters with B&W will also add different tonalities to your pictures.

Check out this article regarding filters:

Using coloured filters with black & white film

Expired film is fine, although the results aren't guaranteed; you could get prints that look completely normal or ones that are washed out, have uneven grain, etc. You can also take regular film and leave it in a warm place (car interior in direct sunlight for a couple days, for example) for a while if you want to get some unpredictable results. But again, your results may vary. For guaranteed trippy results, you can always use infrared film or a red-emphasizing film.

With regular film, though, if you want to keep it in good shape for a long period of time, keep it refrigerated. This includes rolls that you've taken pictures on and aren't getting developed immediately.

Have fun with it. There are a lot of films out there. Personally, for B&W I go with either Ilford or Kodak T-Max, and I tend to stick with 400+ speed because I enjoy grain in my B&W shots. For landscape shooting, I prefer Fujifilm Superia 100 or Pro 160. I've done some prints in 11x14 from the Pro 160 with a pretty good amount of cropping from the original with really, really nice results. For indoors with good lighting, I go with either Kodak or Fuji 400 or 800 (I can't really tell the difference in the results). Soon I'm going to be experimenting with Portra VC, which is their vivid color version of that film. But, like with pizza toppings, every film photographer has their favorite films, and no answer is really "right" or "wrong."

guitstik · Jun 21, 2010

The best way to learn film is to choose a film medium (B&W or color), start with one speed film like 400 which is a good all around speed and stick with that for some time. If you start with Ilford, fuji or Kodak, stick with it, the reason being is that you don't want to jump around with manufacturers, speeds and mediums before you know what one will do over the other. If you pick Fujicolor superia color film in x-tra 400ASA, stick with that and play around with settings, lighting, lenses while getting to know what it will do. When you get comfortable with that film try something else but learn one before moving on. Jumping from one to another will just make it harder for you to figure out what is going on with you and your camera making your learning time that much longer.

dak1b · Jun 21, 2010

ok cool. What film would you recommend if I want to shoot B&W that gives a old mysterious look?

kind of like this:

white · Jun 21, 2010

Most of the fun comes from developing and printing your own b&w. If you want that old 'mysterious' look, just buy a solid 400 speed film (like hp5 or tri-x/t-max) and abuse the hell out of the negative. Rub it on the ground, scratch it, etc.

By the way, that's just dust and water spots in the photo. I guarantee if you start processing your own film, the time will come when you do not look forward to that stuff. And it will still happen. Again, and again, and again, and again ...

dak1b · Jun 21, 2010

white said:
Most of the fun comes from developing and printing your own b&w. If you want that old 'mysterious' look, just buy a solid 400 speed film (like hp5 or tri-x/t-max) and abuse the hell out of the negative. Rub it on the ground, scratch it, etc.

By the way, that's just dust and water spots in the photo. I guarantee if you start processing your own film, the time will come when you do not look forward to that stuff. And it will still happen. Again, and again, and again, and again ...

ok cool thanks. i also want to experiment with expired film.

dak1b · Jun 22, 2010

here some film I won on ebay. yes I know there all expired but thats why I bought em! want to see what they look like when their developed. exciting. any thoughts on the film I purchased?

8 KODAK TRI-X PAN B&W 400 GOLD 100 200 FUJI 400 FILM 35 - eBay (item 110547172784 end time Jun-21-10 10:57:51 PDT)

PJL · Jun 22, 2010

Those are all good films. You may or may not get really crazy results with expired films; I recently took a roll of Ilford HP-5 400 ISO that's about 15 years expired and the pictures came out as if the roll was brand new. Either way, you'll get some really nice grain with that Tri-X 400.

dak1b · Jun 22, 2010

PJL said:
Those are all good films. You may or may not get really crazy results with expired films; I recently took a roll of Ilford HP-5 400 ISO that's about 15 years expired and the pictures came out as if the roll was brand new. Either way, you'll get some really nice grain with that Tri-X 400.

very cool I'm excited to see the results. I'll post. :thumbup:

Josh66 · Jun 22, 2010

I've always been partial to Fuji films. Color and B&W.

I don't think I've ever shot anything they make that I wouldn't use again.

Sbuxo · Jun 22, 2010

Kodak Tri-X 400 is a nice 'indoor' film, but I suggest pulling it to 200 because the contrast can be overbearing, unless that's what you like. I suggest to try it. [:

dak1b · Jun 22, 2010

Sbuxo said:
Kodak Tri-X 400 is a nice 'indoor' film, but I suggest pulling it to 200 because the contrast can be overbearing, unless that's what you like. I suggest to try it. [:

when you say "pull" the film to 200 is that just setting the iso on the camera to 200? sorry i'm noob to film. :blushing:

PJL · Jun 23, 2010

dak1b said:
when you say "pull" the film to 200 is that just setting the iso on the camera to 200? sorry i'm noob to film. :blushing:

Yep, and then you tell the place you get it developed (if you don't do it yourself) that you've pulled it to 200, which will change the development. Here's an overview on pushing/pulling film:

"Push & Pull" Processing Procedure for Black and White Film

By the way, if you choose to push/pull film, you have to shoot the entire roll at that ISO or you're going to get uneven results when the film is developed.