Which camera body for which film?

xtolsniffer · Jul 21, 2021

This is just for fun, but I am lucky enough to have four Nikon bodies, an F2a, an F3HP, an FE2 and an FM2n. I also use four different film stocks for different purposes. I use:

Portra 160 or 400 or sometimes Ektar for snaps, family outings, birthdays etc etc. sometimes with flash
Ilford HP5+ as my general purpose black and white film, pictorial, architecture a bit of landscape.
Kodak P3200 for unlit interiors such as historic houses or churches, occasionally for concerts, theatre or circuses.
Fuji Velvia mainly for macro of natural subjects such as plants but also a bit of landscape.

Which film would you match to each body and why? I know which combinations I have gravitated towards, but I'm always interested in mixing things around to see what happens so other views are valued.

film_man · Jul 21, 2021

This question makes more sense if you have bodies with different lenses as you may want lens X for B&W and lens Y for colour. If all your cameras are Nikon and you can put whatever lens on whatever body it hardly matters. I know I shoot pretty much exclusively Portra 160 with my Nikonos but that's because I always use it at the beach and that is my slow colour film.

Horatio · Jul 21, 2021

I'm actually pondering this question myself. If it were me, I'd start by pairing my favorite film with my favorite camera. If you're shooting a lot of color snaps with flash, then one of the cameras with built-in hot shoe would be more convenient to use. I'd vote for Portra in the FE2. I've yet to decide on my "favorite". It's like choosing among children!

ericB&W · Jul 21, 2021

The only reason to prefer a camera to another one for a specific film
could be the mirror slap or steadiness in general.
If one wants to shoot without a tripod with a slow film is better a camera with
minimal vibrations like in general are the modern af reflex.
Another difference, if one uses positive film , that requires a perfect exposition,
is better a camera with spot meter, for the negative film anyone can be good.

faberryman · Jul 21, 2021

I don’t think it makes the slightest bit of difference which film you put in which body.

neeksgeek · Jul 21, 2021

One very minor detail is, if you’re expecting to shoot faster films in daylight, the FE2 and FM2n give you one additional stop of shutter speed at 1/4000th. A little more headroom.

Other than that and the issue of the different flash shoes, it hardly matters. I have an F3HP and an FM, and generally put film in the F3HP because I prefer that camera.

narsuitus · Jul 21, 2021

For black & white film, I prefer my meterless Nikon F2 SLR.

For color slide film, I prefer the Nikon F4 SLR.

For color print film without electronic flash, I prefer the Nikon F4 SLR.

For color print film with electronic flash, I prefer my meterless Nikon F2 SLR.

Nikon F4 & F2 by Narsuitus, on Flickr

George Mann · Jul 21, 2021

It's a shame that you are not utilizing your FE2 for slide film.

BradS · Jul 21, 2021

I usually use only one film but occasionally, I'll take both B&W and color print film. In those cases, the b&w film goes in the black body and the color goes in the chrome body.

Huss · Jul 21, 2021

Right now I'm only using Fuji Superia 200 in my Rollei A110.

MFstooges · Jul 22, 2021

I'm a poor guy with only 4 bodies. I use FP4+ in one body and a cellphone for slides and color negs.

removed account4 · Jul 22, 2021

I think you should put the cameras down someplace and toss film at them, see what film wants to go to which camera. it shouldn't really have anything to do with you.

flavio81 · Jul 22, 2021

[QUOTE="xtolsniffer, post: 2444481, member: 25407"Which film would you match to each body and why?[/QUOTE]

It is very important to match film stock to the specific camera it needs to be mated. That's why film manufacturers use codes.

FP4 = Use with Nikon F cameras, best with F4
HP5 = "H" means Hasselblad
PX125 = Means to be used on Pentax cameras with an X: LX, MX, KX.
TX400 = Best used on "Texas Leica", that is, that Fuji 6x9 thing.

Fuji made the same film for different cameras:
Pro 160NPS --- S = Sinar, this one had lower contrast for studio portraits
Pro 160NPH --- H = Hasselblad
Pro 160NPC --- C = Canon, this one had higher contrast to suit sports photography
Pro 160NPL --- L = Leica/Luxury

Huss · Jul 22, 2021

flavio81 said:
[QUOTE="xtolsniffer, post: 2444481, member: 25407"Which film would you match to each body and why?

It is very important to match film stock to the specific camera it needs to be mated. That's why film manufacturers use codes.

..
Pro 160NPL --- L = Leica/Luxury[/QUOTE]

Interestingly that film also was intended for Lubitels. Coincidence?

Alan Edward Klein · Jul 22, 2021

You carry around four 35mm's?

reddesert · Jul 23, 2021

Replace the leatherette on the cameras used for color film. Use yellow leatherette for Kodak and green for Fuji film, obviously.

bunktheory65 · Aug 1, 2021

Its not a difficult thing to deal with...

Some cameras after age, wont be quite as reliable today. Thus if a camera meter reads on the low side, use a high ISO film.

Don_ih · Aug 1, 2021

bunktheory65 said:
Some cameras after age, wont be quite as reliable today. Thus if a camera meter reads on the low side, use a high ISO film.

If camera meters fail, they tend to do it in a non-linear fashion. So don't trust them at all, not even with faster film.

As for what film for what camera? Kodak Gold for everything

bunktheory65 · Aug 1, 2021

Don Heisz said:
If camera meters fail, they tend to do it in a non-linear fashion. So don't trust them at all, not even with faster film.

As for what film for what camera? Kodak Gold for everything

I have one canon that the meter ALWAYS leaves 200 ISO color on the washed out side of things, yet works fine with 100 and 400 iso color.

Have another that doesnt give a rats bottom about iso or color or black and white. Ironically they do meter nearly the same. Normally one is in the top half of the canon Ftb match needle bubble, the other is always on the bottom half and looks washed out with that 200 iso. Although i HAVE used alot of gold color that never seemed to turn out perfectly

Moose22 · Aug 1, 2021

flavio81 said:
It is very important to match film stock to the specific camera it needs to be mated. That's why film manufacturers use codes.

FP4 = Use with Nikon F cameras, best with F4
HP5 = "H" means Hasselblad
PX125 = Means to be used on Pentax cameras with an X: LX, MX, KX.
TX400 = Best used on "Texas Leica", that is, that Fuji 6x9 thing.

Fuji made the same film for different cameras:
Pro 160NPS --- S = Sinar, this one had lower contrast for studio portraits
Pro 160NPH --- H = Hasselblad
Pro 160NPC --- C = Canon, this one had higher contrast to suit sports photography
Pro 160NPL --- L = Leica/Luxury

This is beautiful. I see film stocks in an entirely different light now.

I've pretty much been thinking about camera bodies in terms of their meters. I have tried a couple different Nikons to learn their quirks, but for types of film per camera only the meter matters to me.

I like the option of a matrix meter for slide film doing street work and want to go quickly. Got an FA to try out as it has the FM to FM3A body size but does matrix or center weighted metering. Just finished a roll of Delta100 to test it. But otherwise, so far:

F6/F100 for slides when I want to work fast. Maybe FA. Need to try it. But this is the only thing that's not BS in this post. The F6 meters well enough it makes me lazy and when I'm in a color mood I love Provia SOOOOO much. Velvia, too, but Provia doesn't turn people into lobsters.

FM3A I like for anything. 60/40 centerweight is a meter that I understand, and I love the needle meter for quick zone checks, but it worked great for Ektar, too. Kodak negative film is super forgiving and none of my tests were poorly exposed.

But this body style LOOKS like it should have black and white film, so I guess... crap, what fits? Fuji 35 MM Acros? Maybe I try a roll of Acros next. Hope I didn't ruin it shooting those rolls of only partially compatible FP4 and incorrect Ektar last month!

F3 -- the meter is very spotty. As in, it's centerweight, but close to a spot. I think it's 80/20 instead of 60/40, so I misexposed a couple on my first test. But now that i know that I like how it works on B&W, and I work with it like my medium format, getting meter on different spots and deciding like I do with a handheld meter. I lent it to a friend, so I haven't even tried it with color yet. If I had this, but a needle meter like the FM3A, It'd be a favorite for B&W. Maybe since F3 I'll try Tri-X in it next.

This matching thing is hard. I hope I'm getting it right.

MontanaJay · Aug 2, 2021

When my newspaper started running color on Page 1 in the 1970s, I shot Tri-X in a Nikon F and Ektachome 200 in a Nikkormat (later an FM) with 35 and 105 lenses rotated between the two,
That was for everyday carry and covered most situations.

CMoore · Aug 2, 2021

jnantz said:
I think you should put the cameras down someplace and toss film at them, see what film wants to go to which camera. it shouldn't really have anything to do with you.

flavio81 said:
[QUOTE="xtolsniffer, post: 2444481, member: 25407"Which film would you match to each body and why?

It is very important to match film stock to the specific camera it needs to be mated. That's why film manufacturers use codes.

FP4 = Use with Nikon F cameras, best with F4
HP5 = "H" means Hasselblad
PX125 = Means to be used on Pentax cameras with an X: LX, MX, KX.
TX400 = Best used on "Texas Leica", that is, that Fuji 6x9 thing.

Fuji made the same film for different cameras:
Pro 160NPS --- S = Sinar, this one had lower contrast for studio portraits
Pro 160NPH --- H = Hasselblad
Pro 160NPC --- C = Canon, this one had higher contrast to suit sports photography
Pro 160NPL --- L = Leica/Luxury[/QUOTE]
Funny Comments ^^^^^^^^^^^

I do not think i have ever seen this question asked before.
I guess the dilemma never occurred to me.

Alex Benjamin · Aug 2, 2021

Sell them all, buy a Hasselblad and 4 backs.

Andrew O'Neill · Aug 2, 2021

jnantz said:
I think you should put the cameras down someplace and toss film at them, see what film wants to go to which camera. it shouldn't really have anything to do with you.

I'm with John!

Moose22 · Aug 2, 2021

I just finished a roll of Delta 100 and really like the results! I've been using FP4 (which I also like) but now I have a conundrum which camera to assign this to.

I'll have to use John's method and just throw it at the cameras and see where it lands.

Which camera body for which film?

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