Ideal Film Choice for Every Photography Experience

In the world of analogue photography, the choice of film can drastically influence the outcome of your photos. Various film types offer distinct characteristics that shape the final photograph. But with so many options, which film would work best for your photography needs?

There are a range of different black and white and color films. These films come as negative color film, where the image is inverted and scanned into a ‘positive’ image. Positive colour film, also known as slide film, is processed into the full colour photo, with no inverting needed.

Brands such as Fujifilm and Kodak have been producing their own black and white and colour films for decades. Newer brands such as Cinestill, Lomography, and OneSec have created new film formulas or repurposed motion picture film into films that can be used for still photography.

With this blog we will be detailing the best films to use for any situation, making sure you have the full scoop on every type, trend, and version of film we have in-store and online, ready to purchase.

Films for Everyday Use

Just starting out or have no idea what you want to start shooting? These films are great for beginners and those who always need their film ready to shoot in any lighting conditions.

Fujifilm’s range of 35mm color film in 200 and 400 ISO are great options for everyday shooting. Though more cool-toned in comparison to Kodak films, Fujifilm’s 400 and 200-speed films are a great choice for shooting whatever life comes at you. Reminiscent of cherished childhood snapshots, this film embodies nostalgia like no other. When loaded into your camera, it transforms everyday moments into timeless memories and ensures you're always prepared to seize the perfect shot. Whether it's a bustling event, a serene landscape, or spontaneous adventures, Fujifilm is always a fantastic choice.

Kodak UltraMax film captivates photographers with its versatility in shooting. A great option for new analogue photographers, UltraMax is an easy-to-use film option. On the other hand, Kodak’s Gold 200 film has beautiful golden warm tones. Though it does have lower ISO than UltraMax, it is also a staple for photographers seeking multipurpose shooting capabilities with less grain.

Films for Portraits

When taking photos of differing skin tones, hues, and color depths, these films are best suited for capturing the complexities that go into making a great portrait.

Kodak Portra films were specifically created by Kodak to be used for portrait and wedding photography. This film stock is popular for its saturation, true-to-life colors, and fine grain. Portra film comes in 160, 400, and 800 ISO. Another great option is Kodak’s Pro Image 100 film, known for its fine grain and ability to be blown up into larger prints for wedding or event photography. Though it does not possess the same color depth or ISO range as Portra, Pro Image 100 is a more affordable film that can be great for capturing portraits.

Film for Shooting at Night or Indoors

When shooting at night or in low light, you need a film that has a high light sensitivity. Cinestill 800 is a great film that is popular for its distinctive halation effect. This unique characteristic lends a mesmerizing red glow to any lights captured with this film, making it the perfect choice for cityscapes, nightlife, and late-night photography.

Lomography 800 is a great film option for shooting in a variety of lighting conditions as well as with natural lighting indoors or in low light conditions at night. It has an ability to excel in low-light environments, even for the darkest nights, making it a trusted companion for nocturnal adventures.

Wanting to shoot in black and white? Ilford’s Delta 3200 film is currently one of the highest ISO films on the market, Delta 3200 is a great black and white film perfect for shooting at night and indoors. Adapting to a variety of environments, the high ISO is great for experimenting with night shoots or even on just overcast days and for shooting indoors.

Film for Nature and Landscape Photography

When out hiking or on a road trip, Kodak Ektar 100 is the perfect film to use. Known and loved for its colour saturation and fine grain, this film is perfectly suited for capturing landscapes as it adds an unparalleled punch to any outdoor photography. With a low ISO, it is perfect for sunny days out and about.

Specialty Films

Whether you want your photos to have a unique color tone or really add an abstract quality to your photography, these unique films are for those who want to experiment.

Brands like Lomography are known for their range of specialty colour films. These include Lomography Metropolis, Turquoise, Purple, and RedScale films. These films’ characteristics add an overall hue to photos. For example, Lomography’s Metropolis film adds an overall green tone to emphasizing the world’s best blues and oranges. It is great for shooting cityscapes and creating an entirely desaturated look.

Lomography’s Turquoise film shifts the colors of landscapes, portraits, and objects with a blue and orange range. Like the Turquoise film, Lomography Purple tones photos with purple hues that add a colored filter to your photos, changing the colors to saturated purples and blues, transforming tree foliage into unique colorful mosaics. Lomography RedScale punches up your photos with extreme orange and red tones, hyper-saturating the world into intense reds.

For black and white films, Ilford SFX exhibits a unique sensitivity towards red, resulting in images with an unmistakable 'infrared' quality. This versatile film can be paired with lens filters to further enhance and manipulate the infrared effect, allowing photographers to unleash their creativity while exploring their artistic possibilities.

Harman, known for its black and white films, has also recently ventured into colour with the Harman Phoenix! With a high saturation and grain, this film is in its test phase, and promises continual improvement with each production cycle.

Best Black and White Films

When shooting film in black and white, the options can be intimidating! With so many varieties, it is hard to know what you’re going to get with each roll. For those beginning their adventure into black and white film, Ilford’s HP5 and Kodak Tri-X are popular films to use. Both these films offer a high contrast and noticeable grain, while preserving the details of your subject at a versatile 400 ISO. Ilford’s Kentmere range of black and white films, available in 100 and 400 ISO, are excellent options for those who want a more affordable film when starting black and white and analogue photography. This film range is also for those who love the gray tones in black and white photos. For those desiring an exceptionally sharp image with a fine grain, Kodak T-Max, is the black and white film of choice. T-Max 100 ISO is useful film to capture fine details at maximum image quality. Kodak T-Max 400 ISO film is excellent for shooting in dimly lit environments, shooting fast action at higher shutter speeds, and for those desiring a good depth-of-field while maintaining a fine grain.

For those who desire to shoot black and white film but are far from a photography lab with the ability to process traditional black and white film, Ilford’s XP2 Super 400 ISO film  is a great option. Ilford XP2 boasts of a wide exposure latitude making it a versatile film that can be processed in the traditional colour C-41 process available at most photography labs, usually with a quicker turnaround time. Another wonderful quality about XP2 is that it can be shot at a variety of ISO’s, from 50 to 800 on the same roll without having to make any changes to the developing process.

New Film Brands to Check Out

These newer companies have released interesting films and film products that our store has begun to offer.

 OneSec films is a Toronto-based film company that has released a variety of versatile 35mm films. Their Flux series, available 100, 320, 400, 640, and 800 ISOs, are great for multipurpose indoor and outdoor shooting, while giving a cinematic look to your images.

Another brand, Flic Film, is a Canadian company based in Longview, Alberta. They make a variety of 35mm and 120 films, photo chemicals, and film accessories. They have a range of films from 100 to 800 ISO, slide film, and photo chemicals as well as a storefront in their hometown. Flic Film is a great choice if you are looking for something more local!

Slide Films

Currently, there are not many slide films, which are developed in an E-6 process, in production. Slide films yield a positive image rather than a negative image and are notable for its super fine grain and colour saturation. Kodak’s E100, and Flic Film’s Chrome 100 are slide films that are currently available. However, not all photography labs offer an E-6 processing service, so be sure to ask the lab first if this process is available. Slide film can also be crossed-processed in C-41 chemistry however, the images it produces are extremely high in contrast, and there is usually a strong green or yellow colour cast depending on the slide film you are using.

Choose the Best Film for Your Photography Needs

Choosing the right film can indeed be a crucial decision in analog photography, as it significantly impacts the final image aesthetics. By providing comprehensive information and practical advice, we hope to have provided a valuable resource for photographers looking to explore the world of analog photography. We hope that you were able to learn something new or found helpful information for the next time you go to buy your next roll for film!

If you are looking for the perfect film for your photography project, reach out to our film photography experts at Annex Photo!