Films preferred & loved

[rougewave]

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I'm getting back into film, B&W and color. I'm all ears about what to try besides Tri X & Portra. I want to scan my own with a new Epson V700 I just bought. I don't know how much that will limit the choices. Gimme a sign!!

[Riccis]

Fuji Neopan is excellent!

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[RITskellar]

I'm kinda similar, I shoot only on film and scan everything in on a Nikon 9000 film scanner or a V700 flat bed, and then organize in Lightroom and Photoshop. I'm a creature of habit and just an enthusiastic amateur photographer... no expert. None of my choices or recommendations will be at all unique.

 

For B/W, I use Tri-X and Neopan 1600 and Acros 100. Tri-X mostly, but all three of those have scanned very well. Acros is very nice. But Tri-X is so easy to shoot with and always look great, it's what I use 75% of the time. I've even done a couple events and a wedding with it (not that I really do much of those kind of things).

 

For color, a few years ago I started by using color neg film, mainly Portra 400 (100 & 800 on occasion). They scanned very well and I liked the look. But then I saw some Fuji Provia and Velvia slides and was blown away. The color is incredible and slides are very easy to manage and scan. I've been using Provia 400 mainly ever since for color. However, no surprise, it's also a little harder to get consistently good exposures (at least for folks like me). I'm about to go back to the little more muted and natural look of Portra neg film. At the end of the day, I think I prefer this look and the somewhat more accomodating tolerance.

 

I'm sorry I can't provide a more insightful and broad perspective, but I hope this helps to some degree. Good luck. I'll stay tuned and see what other ideas get offered up.

[RITskellar]

Fuji Neopan is excellent!

 

Riccis... your work is very, very nice. Impressive.

[underground]

REALA 100 ISO (color)

PAN-F 50 ISO (b&w)

 

I found That these films scan very well.

[j. white]

I prefer and love, um, well, Tri-X and Portra films.

[aero]

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I recently switched to Fuji Slide film and won't go back to negatives. It's so much easier to scan and keep! I love the results. It's a pain to wait for them to come back (2-3 days) but it's been worth it.

 

Good luck!

-D

[cocker]

Ben,

 

Here's a place to explore! Retro Photographic Ltd - Black & White Specialist Photographic Products

[andybarton]

Astia slide film for me. Negatives are too dependent on the processing and you have nothing "real" to compare the colours with when scanning. (I have been through the Velvias and Provias, but Astia gives me a very natural colour pallete which I prefer). I am looking forward to processing my own, if I can ever find any chemicals to process it in...

 

For B&W, I tend to use Delta 100 or Tri-X, processed in DD-X

[Mark Antony]

Where do I start?

Mono

I like APX 100 for its tone, Fuji Acros for fine grain.

 

Tri-x for its grain and tone, Neopan 400 for the way it holds the highlights, and fine grain for a 400 (Nicer than T-Max even though it has more grain)

 

Fast films I like Kodak TMZ at 800-1600 EI and Delta 3200 for its lovely defined grain and tone.

 

Colour

 

Portra NC and Fuji NPH 400 (or whatever they call it)

and Fuji 800Z

Slides I like Provia 400 and occasionally Kodachrome 64

 

Loads of others I'm getting to like, Foma, Adox Pan etc.

[RITskellar]

Actually, I would actually love some recommendations on an E6 alternative to Provia 400, that has a more natural, muted color? I have used Astia at 100 ISO, but no 400 version. Any recommendations to try?

[chris_livsey]

Ben,

 

Here's a place to explore! Retro Photographic Ltd - Black & White Specialist Photographic Products

 

I second that in particular look at this page:

 

Retro Photographic Ltd - Black & White Specialist Photographic Products

 

A quick good resource.

[wintersway]

I love Neopan 400 especially when souped in D-76!

[abrewer]

Hey Ben!

 

You realize you will get as many different answers as there are photographers, do you not?

 

 

My choice has been driven by the processing. I have a really good lab now with a new Kodak processor, so I've been using Kodak UC100 and UC400 pretty much exclusively for the last year. I have them scan the images to a CD at the time of processing and printing.

 

When access to Fuji Frontier processing was all I could find, I used a lot of Reala 100.

 

One caveat about the Fuji films: they have that extra color layer in there, which may make scanning them on your own frustrating. Might need to give a roll or two a try before you salt away dozens of rolls you plan to self-scan.

 

As far as B&W I like the 100 speed Agfa APX.

 

Thanks.

 

Allan

[Photoskeptic]

For me the following have scanned excellently on my Minolta 5400 w/SilverFast software:

Delta 100

Tri-X

Pan F 50

Velvia 100

I've also had good luck with Efke 25, but not the Efke 50!

In MY experience, the higher speed films, above ISO 400, don't do very well. Your mileage may vary

[stunsworth]

Apart from Tri-X I've used lots of FP4.

[andybarton]

 

One caveat about the Fuji films: they have that extra color layer in there, which may make scanning them on your own frustrating. Might need to give a roll or two a try before you salt away dozens of rolls you plan to self-scan.

 

Good point, Allan.

 

I could never get past the 4th layer, and gave up with Fuji reversal film years ago.

 

I have never yet had a decent scan from a High Street lab, either.

[Riccis]

Riccis... your work is very, very nice. Impressive.

 

Andy:

 

I am humbled by your kind words.

 

Thanks!

 

Riccis

[spydrxx]

For B&W I've had good scanning experience with Tri-X, Plus-X, Efke 25 and XP2.

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[rougewave]

Gentleman & scholars all, thanks for the replies. Keith, the Retro site is invaluable. Riccis, Andy, Dave, j., Aero, Mark, Chris, Scott, Allen, John, Steve and anyone I missed, thanks for keeping the fire burning. Since my memory is getting worse as I grow into adulthood and my rememberance of the matrix of films/developers.... has since faded, I'll just leave the thread to those that know what they are talking about & I'll just read & learn. I'm trying to organize the info in the posts so that I force myself to sample most of the suggested films & find places that can process them. One last question, which is indicative of my ignorance: I'm searching for either an M6 .85 or M7 .85 (Ihave old eyes) and wonder if film selection is affected by the use of the bodies/lenses. My old M3 & TriX were close & fast friends as I weaved through the NYC night. I'm anxious to return in a more silent mode than my R8/DMR allows. Carry on.