what color film for St. John USVI?

Taking my family on a vacation to St. John in February. I shoot primarily black and white and so have very little experience with color film. I've used Fuji Superia 400 and Kodak 800 in low light indoors situations - poor results, tungsten lighting and inexperience. Should I be ordering a 100 or 200 speed film and which brand film for the Caribbean? I will be using a rangefinder with probably a 25mm, 35 or 40mm, 50mm, and 90mm lenses, and I am contemplating whether I should try to take along my Autocord TLR - so which film for that too?

I'd suggest you take lots of B&W film.

I went to Hawaii with color and B&W, and enjoyed the B&W results more. If B&W is your strength, why change now?

That said, I'd take Fuji Velvia 100F or Velvia 50. But before you go, test it to see if these films match your color pallet.

Thank you for your suggestions. I have not shot slide film since college - almost 30 years ago! What about color in the 120 and black and white in the 35mm?

March should give you a high sun in VI. I'd go with any good grade 100 or 200ISO color neg. from either K or F.

Thank you George. I have heard good things about Reala 100, Velvia 50 and 100, and the Kodak Porta 160NC and 400VC. It looks like sticking with Fuji or Kodak is of primary importance from info. here and on other forums I belong to.

Ditto on the B&W film advice. Lots of good shots on St. John. Check out the sugar mill ruins, if you're into that kind of stuff.
It's also a great island for hikes in the national park.
Are you camping?

Eddy, yes we are camping at one of the tent sites. My oldest daughter was there a few years ago and loved it. This is kind of a college send-off for her.

I am keenly listening to all of the advice, especially regarding staying with black and white. I am leaning toward black and white for 35mm, which will be most of my shooting, and color for 120 - landscape-type shots. I am also planning to take along a compact digital to do short movie clips - could also do color photos. The other thing I am contemplating is what to actually take along for lenses - I'm wondering about keeping things more simple by limiting myself to one lens, either a 35, 40, or a 50.

like2fiddle said:

Eddy, yes we are camping at one of the tent sites. My oldest daughter was there a few years ago and loved it. This is kind of a college send-off for her.

I am keenly listening to all of the advice, especially regarding staying with black and white. I am leaning toward black and white for 35mm, which will be most of my shooting, and color for 120 - landscape-type shots. I am also planning to take along a compact digital to do short movie clips - could also do color photos. The other thing I am contemplating is what to actually take along for lenses - I'm wondering about keeping things more simple by limiting myself to one lens, either a 35, 40, or a 50.

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I don't know where your "from" but there's no way I'd go down to USVI and NOT shoot color 135!

I love black and white too - but gimme a break - you go there for bright blue skies, turquoise water and lush green foliage! I'd never want to be in the position of denying my 35mm camera the privilege of shooting that riot of color.

Much less deny myself the opportunity to show off those pics to my wife, kids and friends!

But then again - there is a mono bias to this site. So you're now conviced to celebrate a tropical paradise with monochrome (oh, and a digi P&S).

Hey, it's your journey - not mine. But I couldn't imagine sitting back a few years from now looking at my "real analog" photos of that visit to the USVI and sadly remembering that the only pics I have are in black and white!

George, I haven't made up my mind what to take along. That's the whole point of asking the question here, to get input from more experienced photographers. I appreciate your opinion. Rest assured, a substantial number of films will be shot in color. One of the reasons I also intend to shoot black and white is that I will be the person developing the film and making the prints, not some technician is a lab somewhere - that means something to me in the long run.

When traveling in Europe a few years back, I took color 120 and B&W 135. When I returned, i realized that (for my money) I'd gotten it backwards. Good color film for 135 is easier to buy there (and makes easy to show and scan slides) and I want the larger negative B&W to print my own. Now I travel with an old Rollei TLR with APX100 and HP5 and a mix of Velvia and Kodak 100 print film for my ancient and honorable SLR. Backup is a T4 - small and mindless but very sharp.

Point well taken. You are absolutely right about making prints with the larger negatives. I had not considered that perspective. I think I'm just going to have to take along a mix of color and black & white for each of the two cameras. I have ordered 135 Reala and Acros 100 as well as 120 Porta 160VC. I have some 120 Tri-x here, but should probably pick up some 100 speed 120.

Well...... I'll admit that the first time I ever went to the USVI (1980) I didn't shoot B&W, I shot Kodachrome. And I still have them. But the next time I came to the Caribbean it was to Puerto Rico, where I later moved, and I was glad I brought along B&W that time. And I will also agree with the inclination to shoot color in 35mm and B&W in 120, unless you're really into street shooting in B&W, but like to do big color enlargements of landscapes.
But I would advise that you lean more towards 400 B&W rather than 100, as the places that you will probably want to be shooting 120 B&W will probably not be the white sand beaches of St. John, but the dark forest. You'll need the speed. I shoot a lot more 400 than 100 in 120... even at the beach. And in the rain forest, it's essential unless you use a tripod.
All advice guaranteed to be worth the price paid.

I prefere Kodak e100vs to that of Velvia. If it isn't too late (seeing as how you say you ordered film already) I would get a roll or two of that. I'm sure you won't be disappointed.