If you could shoot only one color film, what would it be?

[Paul Verizzo]

(Cross posted to the B&W forum. Wherein, my candidates are Ilford XP2 or Kodak TMY-2.)

So, here in color film land, what is the one film you could live with forevermore? Thinking 35mm, but certainly open to other formats.

My candidate is one you've almost certainly never heard of. Kodak HD400. It was a consumer marketed color negative film with, well, "high definition." I'll not bore your with the specs, but it had a lot more definition than the, say, "Gold," films. ISO 400. Only 24 exposure rolls.

I have several refrigerated dozen rolls that I'm slowly going through. And, of course, it makes perfect B&W images after scanning.

 

[MattKing]

Thread title tweaked

 

[koraks]

Ektar.

 

[Rayt]

Porta 400

 

[foc]

Fuji Xtra 400

 

[Ko.Fe.]

I‘m not to theories. Practically, I was using O.R.W.O slide film and liked it. Lab developed. Long gone. Much later I would walk to Walmart, get Kodak Gold and they will develop it. Then they stopped. And now film is gone from Walmart. Practically I don’t have much to choose from by nowadays.

 

[sillo]

Portra 400

 

[M-88]

If I had to use one, might just as well go with the fanciest one out there. Since I don't do portraits, Ektar it is.

I was about to say E-6, but it's not feasible where I live.

 

[Alan9940]

Portra 400 for me.

 

[George Mann]

Kodachrome 64.

 

[Paul Verizzo]

Thread title tweaked

Thanks. Good catch.

 

[Paul Verizzo]

I‘m not to theories. Practically, I was using O.R.W.O slide film and liked it. Lab developed. Long gone. Much later I would walk to Walmart, get Kodak Gold and they will develop it. Then they stopped. And now film is gone from Walmart. Practically I don’t have much to choose from by nowadays.

Plenty of great films available by mail. Walmart is/was not the only source.

 

[Nicholas Lindan]

Kodachrome 25...

Ah, well, have to settle for Ektachrome.

 

[lecarp]

Polaroid 809

 

[Ko.Fe.]

Plenty of great films available by mail. Walmart is/was not the only source.

Kodak Gold was great at great price where. Don't want to overpay for something online where color film prices have gone up so much, it doesn't make sense anymore.

 

[Paul Howell]

I am shooting the remainder of my color film, but expense in film, processing and printing, will not replace, but it I change my mind I would use Ektar.

 

[Paul Verizzo]

Kodak Gold was great at great price where. Don't want to overpay for something online where color film prices have gone up so much, it doesn't make sense anymore.

If I understand you correctly, you aren't going to shoot film anymore because you can't budget/justify its expense. You can't compare increased prices as "overpaying," just because once upon a time something was less expensive. I used to buy gasoline for 30 cents a gallon. Now, I'm "overpaying" at close to $5 a gallon. But I still buy it.

I admit that I was unaware of just how much color negative film has increased in price until I looked just now. I looked on Amazon ($15-25/roll!) and on Freestyle. All the good value films are out of stock. But there were a lot of options, in stock, under $10. Fuji 200, $21 for a 3 pack, plus IIRC, $8 shipping.

And then, of course, there's the matter of processing. I'd have to drive to Austin, TX nearby or mail to any number of labs, but certainly no convenient option.

I process my own C-41, then scan and inkjet print.

Maybe time to love some B&W?

 

[BradS]

C41: Fuji Superia X-Tra 400
E6: Kodak Ektachrome 100

 

[MattKing]

One is too few.
Portra 400 for negatives.
Ektachrome 100 for transparencies.

 

[markjwyatt]

This is much harder. I do not shoot that much color anymore, and when I do it is often family stuff and ends up digital. The most predominant color recently has been Fuji Superia 400 XTRA (and I do like it). Ektar is also nice. In the past I mainly shot VPS, so going forward, Porta (160 or 400 mostly) may be where I end up. Picking up my Mamiya TLR outfit more, I probably will shoot more color, and it will likely go to Porta. If I get my Graflex 4x5s going, it may end up Ektachrome (may try Provia too).

 

[gone]

Agfa Optima Ultra 100. Haven't seen any in 10 or 15 years, but I loved that stuff. Very cool colors, big grain, it was the best.

 

[Sirius Glass]

Portra 400 is the only color film I use. One day I may try Ektar but I have not found any other film with the color accuracy and consistency.

I have a stash of Porta UltraColor in 35mm and 120 for the right subjects.

 

[Paul Verizzo]

Agfa Optima Ultra 100. Haven't seen any in 10 or 15 years, but I loved that stuff. Very cool colors, big grain, it was the best.

I loved that warm look of Agfa slide films many decades ago. Made skin glow.

 

[Huss]

If I'm buying it and have to pay current retail? Fuji C200.
If the price is the same no matter the film? Portra 400.

 

[DREW WILEY]

No "if" about it. I do shoot only one color film these days - Ektar - in every format 35mm to 8x10. It's distinctly more hue accurate than Portra 400, but does have a somewhat stiffer learning curve to get the most out of it. And the higher contrast is a bit like working with chrome film, and mandates more careful metering.

There were all kinds of great color films of the past; but that was the past. If I still shot chromes, it would be E100 today - excellent product.