About a hundred recommendations for Portra 400 -- doesn't anyone use Superia Xtra 400? IMO, it's the best 400 speed color print film going. Fuji added a fourth color layer back in the 1990s, which makes the film handle phosphor-based light (like fluorescent or LED) better than common 3-layer color films. It's also cheaper than Portra, and generally available over the counter in non-specialist sources like drug stores, Walmart, Costco (as Kirkland Signature), etc. Same C-41 process, so nothing special need be done in handling.
Another vote for Fuji Superia X-Tra 400 depending on how your lens renders. I didn't like it in the early 2000s with my newer film cameras, but I love it in my "new to me" Canon VT rangefinder with vintage lenses. The price and local availability is just icing on the cake. I can get 3x36exp packs for $18.xx at Walmart.For color I suggest, Fuji Superia X-Tra 400
It is a fantastic film and is available in 3-packs at WalMart for a very reasonable price.
(skip the Portra. It is wayy too expensive and really, nothing special)
I'd recommend trying daylight balanced Vision3 if you can cope with the processing requirements and RA-4 prints aren't a high priority. In C-41, I generally get better self-processed negatives from Fuji's consumer films (Superia) than Kodak's (ProImage, Gold, Ultramax) but still shoot both and YMMV. Fuji has essentially left the market of professional CN films, so the choices that remain are the saturation of Ektar or the pastel of Portra.
AFAIK Lomo and Cinestill are the only other entities offering color film at the moment. The new batch of Metropolis seems much improved and might be interesting to compare alongside some other stocks.
Throw in a roll of slide film. Provia seems to have been making it's way back into stores in the US as of late.
Cinestill has always done a cut and repack of what film they can find on the open market.
Cinestill for some time has been buying direct from Kodak's cine division in large enough quantity to get the film coated without remjet and even cut in 120 width for toll confectioning. That's how they get it without remjet, but without damaging the emulsion.[/QUOTE
thats interesting, i know they get from the same source, but i have seen snips of their own advertising for some films over the last few years saying how they are re rolling it themselves from what they get commercially
have seen FPP bragging about how they can remove remjet on their own
Howzabout showing the OP why you are recommending that film? As in examples of images?
Good suggestion. Weekdays, I post from work, and don't have access to my scanned images except those in the gallery. Tonight, I'm at my home computer.
Superia Xtra 400 does an excellent job of recording correctable colors under fluorescent light -- most other films will get a green cast that I find hard to correct out.
View attachment 291559
it also has all the resolution I could ask from a 35 mm film (never mind a consumer priced one), and handles variations of light well, from barely any:
View attachment 291561
To sunset:
View attachment 291560
To direct summer mid-day sun.
View attachment 291562
All of these were from the same roll of Superia Xtra 400, shot in my Welta Weltini (50 mm f/2.0 Xenon, uncoated), hand held and Sunny 16 exposure.
+1
T.. if you are using a hybrid process, you can adjust almost any color film to get the look you want..
TBH I am amazed by the quality of modern films. It's almost like "which film to use?" is a wrong question to ask, they are all great. Instead, I think it's easier to list films to avoid, or at least save them for later.
- Kodak Ultramax 400. This is where Kodak's warmth doesn't work. Supposedly it's a faster version of Gold, but nothing looks gold on it, everything looks rusty. Also, compared to other ISO 400 CN films, this one produces more crushed shadows for me on the same equipment. Perhaps it's not a true ISO 400 film. The grain is also unpleasant. Basically, there's no reason to purchase this over Superia Extra 400.
- Everything that's not Kodak or Fuji.
- All transparency films, unless you actually have a projector and intend to use it. If scanning is your workflow, I see no reason to shoot transparencies. They're more expensive but don't improve on print film in any way. TBH what I see shared online often looks much worse, it's like shooting a digital camera from 1999.
@jantz "but some people prefer scanning slides or overpay for lomo" - no doubt, this is always the case. My comment only reflects my preferences, no need to argue, I think it's self-evident that other folks will share their preferences and the OP will see the full spectrum.
I like transparencies because you know just looking at the film whether you got the exposure right. Not so with negative color film. Plus, it's easier to get the colors right when scanning. Velvia 50 color palette is the best.some people would rather scan transparencies than negatives
even b/w transparencies. there used to be someone who was very active here
from Scotland who regularly shipped his film to DR5Chrome to have it all
converted to transparency to do what he wanted to do.
regarding everything that's not fuji or kodak ? does it really matter? im sure
LOMOgrapic's color and black and white films do as they are supposed to do,
just like ferrantia, records light directed on it, can be processed and printed &c. ...
I like transparencies because you know just looking at the film whether you got the exposure right. Not so with negative color film. Plus, it's easier to get the colors right when scanning. Velvia 50 color palette is the best.
EXACTLY !I like transparencies because you know just looking at the film whether you got the exposure right. Not so with negative color film. Plus, it's easier to get the colors right when scanning. Velvia 50 color palette is the best.
I've been out of 35mm for quite a while and recently thought about unleashing my F2 on the world.
I've no film for it though so I thought about asking here,
For B&W I've always liked Tmax 400 and FP-4+, but for color film there seems to be some new emulsions on the market and the one that's got my interest is Ektar 100.
But I'm open to anything, so any recommendations?
This will be for daylight, landscapes, rusty stuff and old buildings.
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