What's the best 120 film in your opinion?

Marcelo Paniagua · Jun 22, 2022

For everyday, casual cats shooting, Foma 400, like Paul said, at 320. Hard to beat price/performance ratio. Never had problems ON 120. Didn't like it on 35mm. For dedicated sessions, either Delta 400 or Rollei RPX400.

Alan Edward Klein · Jun 22, 2022

Glausuche said:
Since i have only been shooting with medium format for a short time, and have mostly just used a Holga, i haven't had the chance to really investigate the finer points of 120 film.
Now that I'm investing in a TLR, then inquiring minds need to know.
1. B&W
2. Color
3. other odd film

What do you shoot? Landscape, street, portraiture, etc? DO you print or mainly just want to scan to put on the web? Are you going to develop yourself or send it out to a lab? Do you want to do slide shows or digitize for slide shows?

Alan Edward Klein · Jun 22, 2022

Do you use a tripod regularly or not?

naaldvoerder · Jun 22, 2022

HP5. That why I have a lot of it.

Anaxagore · Jun 22, 2022

Still manufactured:
- BW: I don’t shoot enough BW to use current film before exhausting the expired ones..
- Color: Ektachrome E100, Ektar 100, Velvia 50; Portra 800 if I need speed.

Not manufactured anymore:
I like Agfa films very much (for their color rendition) so that list will be Agfa heavy
- BW : APX 25, Scala
- Color: Optima III 200 (I found it excellent both for portraits and landscapes), RSXII 50 (good even 15-year expired), Ultra 50 or Ektar 25 for colorful landscapes (sometimes a leftover Fortia SP, but it is quite weird in how some colors pop and other appear muted), Provia 400X when speed is needed.

Eric Rose · Jun 22, 2022

FP4 and XP2
For colour I shoot digital.

cjbecker · Jun 22, 2022

I dont consider hp5 too be the best, but i sure use it the most.

calico · Jun 22, 2022

Alex Benjamin said:
If you're not developing your own but already know at which lab you'll send your film, ask them what developer they are using. If it's an "all-purpose" developer like D-76 or Xtol, you'll get good results, and they'll tell you most of what you want to know about the film.

Hi Alex. Like you, my favorite film is FP4.

Any idea how "Clayton chemistry" is for FP4? I'm trying a new lab (North Coast Photographic Services), and that's what they use. Labs I used in the past used Xtol for my FP4.

Thanks.

GregY · Jun 22, 2022

Good question calico.
On a similar note, does anyone have comments on FP4+ in Bergger Bergspeed?
I'll be (for the first time) having film processed in Europe before flying home.
Atelier Publimod uses Bergger Bergspeed....

Alex Benjamin · Jun 22, 2022

calico said:
Any idea how "Clayton chemistry" is for FP4?

Never tried it. I'm only working with D-23 these days, with FP4+ rated at 200.

gone · Jun 22, 2022

This question can be best answered in the guise of Justin Wilson, a celebrity chef from Louisiana who had his own TV cooking show for a long time. He once said "People always ask me which is the best wine to go with a dish. Some say a white wine, some people say a red wine. Me, I buy what's on sale".

The best film is often the best value. That way you can shoot a lot of it and try different developers to see what you prefer.

Paul Howell · Jun 22, 2022

Clayton F76+ has working characteristics very similar to D76, if you like Pf4 or HP5 in D76 ought to work just fine. I use F76+ for Kentmeyer 400, both Ultraine Ex 100 and 200, Tax 400 and Foma 200 and 400 with good results.

mooseontheloose · Jun 23, 2022

Andrew O'Neill said:
1. HP5. Delta 400. Pan F 50. Fuji Acros
2. No clue as I do not use colour films.
3. Rollei IR, Ilford SFX

These would be my choices as well. I do shoot colour occasionally but it's usually Provia 100 or 400x (which has been discontinued).

Neil Poulsen · Jun 23, 2022

I stick to and like 120 and 4x5 HP5 developed 1:1 in D76, because of its speed.

But the best film that I've ever used is TMax 100 developed in the original TMax developer.

flavio81 · Jun 23, 2022

Colin Corneau said:
What's the best colour?

Pinakryptol green

Colin Corneau said:
What's the best food?

Acetic acid

Craig · Jun 23, 2022

flavio81 said:
Acetic acid

Salt and vinegar chips!

calico · Jun 23, 2022

Paul Howell said:
Clayton F76+ has working characteristics very similar to D76, if you like Pf4 or HP5 in D76 ought to work just fine. I use F76+ for Kentmeyer 400, both Ultraine Ex 100 and 200, Tax 400 and Foma 200 and 400 with good results.

Thank you.

I'm not developing myself. My FP4 has always been developed in Xtol in the past (at labs). I shall see if it seems different developed in Clayton F76+ at the new lab I'm trying.

In digging around the internet, I found a thread where a number of people said F76+ took some speed off FP4, the negs looked thin. They didn't say anything about strength of developer or time developed. I would think the lab would adjust variables so this would not happen.

I really need to start developing my own film. Just haven't had time to get into that.

McDiesel · Jun 23, 2022

Paul Howell said:
Clayton F76+ has working characteristics very similar to D76, if you like Pf4 or HP5 in D76 ought to work just fine. I use F76+ for Kentmeyer 400, both Ultraine Ex 100 and 200, Tax 400 and Foma 200 and 400 with good results.

A while ago I found a comment here by a Clayton rep saying that F76+ is basically DD-X, in fact the opposite is true: because Ilford's DD-X came out later. I would assume that's true.

But DD-X is not similar to D76. Not at all. In fact it's much worse.

FotoD · Jun 24, 2022

Fomapan 200 and Fomapan 400. Great films! Just remember to use them at EI 100 and EI 200 respectively.

campy51 · Jun 24, 2022

The best is HP5 when I do everything right and the the worst is HP5 when I do everything wrong.

flavio81 · Jun 24, 2022

FotoD said:
Fomapan 200 and Fomapan 400. Great films! Just remember to use them at EI 100 and EI 200 respectively.

Warning: Fomapan 200, in 120 format, has been known to have emulsion wrinkling problems. This has been documented here in photrio. This might or might not be annoying. Basically it seems the emulsion crackles whenever it needs to make a sharp turn in the camera (i.e. hasselblad medium format back).

GregY · Jun 24, 2022

flavio81 said:
Warning: Fomapan 200, in 120 format, has been known to have emulsion wrinkling problems. This has been documented here in photrio. This might or might not be annoying. Basically it seems the emulsion crackles whenever it needs to make a sharp turn in the camera (i.e. hasselblad medium format back).

Well, I guess it doesn't meet the criteria for best 120 film then.
I have to admit a soft spot for the old Agfapan 25... & i still have a couple left to use in Europe this summer

Paul Howell · Jun 24, 2022

McDiesel said:
A while ago I found a comment here by a Clayton rep saying that F76+ is basically DD-X, in fact the opposite is true: because Ilford's DD-X came out later. I would assume that's true.

But DD-X is not similar to D76. Not at all. In fact it's much worse.

Clayton did make a Tmax developer F90, I used in the 90s and found that was very similar to DDX and Tmax Developer. F76+ has been around for quite a while, I used in the late 80s and had been on market for some time. F90 is no longer being made,

BMbikerider · Jun 24, 2022

I think this is a very open ended question. What may be a superb film for one purpose and photographer, may be for removed from another. It all depends upon what you are trying to record or make a the subject appear in the finest setting. Whether it is in B&W or colour, using negative or positive material, the same thing applies.
Any answer will of course be a personal opinion.

DREW WILEY · Jun 24, 2022

Best for what, specifically? Talking about 120 film selection is like a kid walking into a candy store. There are too many good choices.

What's the best 120 film in your opinion?

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