Film of choice?

[IpseLux]

In the old days, film choice was easy: Kodachrome 25 on one camera, and TriX 400 on the other….
Kodachrome is no longer available nor developable.
So, my question: what’s your go to film choice and why?
Do you shoot multiple cameras at a time, or just finish one roll and pick the next as needed?
(For context, as of today, I’m mostly shooting E100 slide, which btw is super expensive, but cheaper than my preferred Fuji Velvia, B&W slide, and B&W negative, Arista Edu, TriX.
Ocassional Fuji Color from the store too. Contact sheets, film negatives and positives for framed enlargements. These are professionally done by labs.)
Thanks.

 

[Paul Howell]

When I was still shooting color I would load a roll of color negative film in one body and a roll of Tmax 400 in the other. In the very old days when a working PJ we started to shoot more and more color, so I would keep a roll of Ekta Press color 400 in my F3 and a roll of Trix in a rangefinder later a second Nikon SLR. As color has been too expensive for day to day shooting I carry a DSLR for color and a film camera with B&W, current is Sony A900 and Minolta 800si or 9 with Foma 400 rated at 250.

 

[BrianShaw]

Even in the olden days, Kodachrome 25 and TriX weren't in my cameras predominantly.

Today, though, it's mostly Portra 160 and HP4+... with other film as need develops.

 

[agentlossing]

I shot consumer C41 films awhile back, but my favorites were Fuji (XTRA 400, C200, even Pro 400H) and don't exist anymore. For color I think Ultramax 400 and Pro Image 100, though I haven't developed any rolls of the new 100 Kodak film (I have one shot, just need to develop it).

I don't shoot much color these days, though. When I got back into film around 2019, I went to B&W and self-developing. I like Fomapan 100 a lot for its classic looks, HP5 Plus is my favorite "best" film, and I do like Kentmere 400 and Foma 400 for different reasons. I shot through exactly one bulk roll in the past, and it was Foma 200. Shooting some Kentmere 200 now.

 

[thinkbrown]

In terms of what I've been shooting most, as of late it's TMax 100, Fomapan 100, and Kentmere 400. I don't shoot as much color, when I do it tends to be one of the vision films in 35mm, and for 120 it's Gold 200 or Phoenix 200.

 

[Kevin Allan]

FP4 and HP5+ cover 95% of my film use
Occasionally I use Adox HR50, mainly for infrared

 

[armadsen]

Color slide: Provia 100F, mostly, but Velvia 50 when called for.
B&W: A mix, but HP5+ is my go-to. XP2 Super, FP4+ and Pan F are often in the mix.
Color Negative: A mix, but usually Portra (all three ISOs). I don't shoot much color negative, comparatively.

 

[Taylor K Nankervis]

Velvia 50
Velvia 100
Provia 100F; and
Ektachrome 100.

Pan-F Plus 50 in 120 format if/when subjects can lend themselves to monochrome.

So I've got everything organised for when and how I should need to use it.

Last used negative film...meh, I think in 1993!

 

[Daniel Stuefer]

Mostly I shoot Foma Ortho and Fomapan 100, but I also really like Ilford Ortho+ and PanF+. The trend here - I like darker reds, and I like the character of fomapan 100.
Sometimes I shoot a bit of IR on any form of aviphot or Ilford SFX, and I've been trying a bit of Kentmere 200 lately.

Colour I only shoot occasionally, Portra 800 and Colorplus (those are the only colour negative films that seem to turn out consistently in a way I like), and I really liked the first generation of Phoenix (the contrast, the not-quite natural colours but in a way I enjoy).

 

[xkaes]

In 35mm, for color, I'm still shooting Kodak Ektar 25 and Konica Impresa 50. For B&W, it's Agfa APX 25, of course.

 

[TomR55]

If I had to pack only one film for any given location/situation, it would be Kodak TriX. I have used this film, in its various versions and reformulations, for nearly forty years. I find that it behaves predictably and responds well to conventional developers and procedures. It prints and scans well, and it is cost-competitive with other manufacturers’ equivalent offerings,

Note, I work only in 135 format and live in the US where the cost of Kodak films is somewhat lower than other locations.

 

[Andrew H]

What TomR55 said.

 

[Samu]

In 35mm, for color, I'm still shooting Kodak Ektar 25 and Konica Impresa 50. For B&W, it's Agfa APX 25, of course.

Unless you are scanning, and ready for hardcore photoshopping, 30 years old color film is a bit tricky to use. Even then, the results can be pretty bad, Ektar 25 was discontinued in 1994.

 

[tcolgate]

If I could only have one film for everything, it'd be FP4+.

 

[xkaes]

Unless you are scanning, and ready for hardcore photoshopping, 30 years old color film is a bit tricky to use. Even then, the results can be pretty bad, Ektar 25 was discontinued in 1994.

That's news to me -- Minolta Rokkor-X 100mm AutoBellows lens, unedited.