We’ll start with color film, which comes in two flavors, positive and negative.
positive film vs negative film
positive film Records the image as you saw it when you pressed the shutter. It produces rich, saturated colors and has strong contrast. In my experience it is much less forgiving. You need to get the exposure right and if you don’t there’s not much you can do about it after the fact. I avoid high-contrast scenes with positive film (or use a graduated neutral-density filter to reduce contrast). Positive film is usually mounted as a slide when you have it commercially developed.
negative film Records the opposite of what you saw. In black and white, everything is reversed, black is white, and white is black so that when you shine light through it to print, the dark areas block out light, making them lighter in the print, and the light areas let more light in, making them darker in the print. The same is true of color negative film, but it looks more like a yellow-orange mess as a negative. Negative color film often looks softer than positive color film, with less contrast and higher dynamic range.
Which one should you use? I suggest experimenting to see which one you like best. Below are some film recommendations based on the type of images you want to create.
Best Film for Scenario
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Fujifilm
fujichrome velvia 50
Fujifilm’s Fujichrome Velvia 50 is extremely expensive at $35 per roll, but I have yet to find any other color-positive film that looks as good as Velvia. Its color saturation is legendary (leaning towards red/magenta), and its neutral gray balance means you almost never get strange colors in the shadows and highlights. The price means I don’t shoot it often, but when I’m heading into the woods, it’s what I bring.
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KODAK
Professional Ektachrome E100 Color Transparency Film
Kodak’s E100 is a new film to me, but I’ve shot a few rolls now, and I can say it’s very different from Velvia. There’s no warmth like Velvia; The colors are neutral with light green in the highlights. If you’re looking to shoot landscapes with a different look than the last 50 years of Velvia-influenced images, this is the film I would recommend.
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KODAK
Professional Ektar 100 Color Negative Film
Another new one, the Ektar 100 is the film stock that comes closest to replicating my vision of the digital look. Grain is great, and colors are extremely close to my Sony digital sensor’s records: natural-looking color leans toward the cool side. I’ll admit it’s not my favorite, but it’s hard to beat the price.
Best Film for Portrait
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KODAK
Professional Portra 160 Color Negative Film
Portrait films need to handle skin tones well. My favorite, Fujifilm’s 160 Pro, has been discontinued, leaving the always popular Kodak option. At $14 a roll, this is probably the best value on film. Porta 160 is a great film for portraits, rendering skin as it is most of the time. If you need something faster for shooting in low light, there’s a 400-speed version and even an 800-speed version. I think it has too much grain for color images, but if that’s the look you want, it’s available.
best black and white films
There is an endless array of black-and-white movies, including re-released versions of some of the most popular films from past decades. This is a very biased list because “best” in this case is completely subjective. Again, experiment to find out which one you like.
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KODAK
Professional Tri-X 400 Black and White Negative Film
Tri-X was launched in the 1940s and has been in continuous production since then. It has had a few changes over the years, the latest being a reformulation in 2011 that reduced the grain (it then got the TX designation). A favorite of photographers as diverse as Sebastião Salgado, Vivian Maier and Garry Winogrand, Tri-X is beloved for its versatility, with just the right amount of grain and contrast that gives images a certain look and texture that nothing else can match. It has rich black shadows, great contrast, and just enough grain without being too much. Tri-X is also very easy to process if you do it yourself. If I could only shoot one film, it would be this.
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Ilford HP5 Plus Black and White Negative Film
Another versatile film, Ilford’s HP5 has a wide exposure latitude, meaning it will perform well in mixed and difficult lighting. It has less contrast than Tri-X, giving it a smoother look. It pushes very well, without being too grainy, as the Tri-X tends to be when you push it. If you want a good all-round film with a smooth, even tone, this is a good pick.
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KODAK
Professional T-Max P3200 Black and White Negative Film
Let’s get something out of the way first. Kodak calls it “multispeed” film; There is no need to shoot it at 3200. I like to shoot it at 800 and process it at 1600. It took me a few years to realize that what I was doing there was making my T-Max look like a Tri-X, but the point is, the T-Max is more versatile than the 3200 speed. That said, I reach for this when shooting outside in the evening or at night.
developing film
There used to be a film development laboratory on every street corner. Or at least in those little kiosks in the parking lot, but those days are gone. That said, there are plenty of mail-order businesses and professional labs with quick turnaround times. Most of them will be happy to scan your negatives as well, although this increases the cost.
There are hundreds of good labs out there, and your best option is to go to your nearest photography store and talk to them. Building a relationship with your local photo shop will help you get better results, as they will know what you like and don’t like, and they can help you communicate with the lab as needed. That said, many camera stores outsource their development to larger online services (the store closest to me ships film to Nation’s lab), so make sure you ask where they’re doing the development.