Favourite Film Stock
Notably I am a 35mm shooter so you may find that if you shoot 120 you have some different opinions but generally speaking this should apply to 120 and sheet size stock; not just 35mm. If anything you are looking at enhanced tonality (plus the side effect of ‘finer grain’ per negative/slide size.)
Black and White
- General Purpose: Ilford Delta 100, Ilford FP4+
Delta 100 gives extremely good sharpness and finer grain compared to FP4+ and is my ‘go to’ film generally for low light or architectural shots. That said, more often than not I stick to FP4+, a classic medium speed film (ISO 125) that on a sunny day can easily be shot at f/8 at a rock solid 1/125th. I like FP4+ for landscape and portrait, the grain isn’t as fine as Delta 100 but I find contrast is controlled better for my applications and rarely would I enlarge beyond 11×14, where FP4+ is still sharp. I tend to develop both in D-76. - High Speed: Ilford Delta 400 (sometimes pushed to 1600) and Kodak Tri-X
Tri-X is a drug for me, I can’t get enough of the stuff, and I like it just as much as I do FP4+ for its similar qualities. Wonderful midtone qualities for a film famed for its contrast (which only kicks in when you start pushing it) and is a very versatile film, 1/60th f/4 in complete shade on a cloudy day is possible. It has a wonderful quality about it. Delta 400 is good for landscapes where less grain is important on badly lit days and a tripod is not handy. It is also fast becoming my goto film to push to 1600 where I can shoot f/2 1/60th happily in average indoor light, processed in D-76 the grain is minimal but also fairly sharp. - Long Exposure: Sometimes Ilford XP2 Super or again Delta 400
I tend to use an ISO 400 film as on my OM2n that allows the meter up to 30seconds of exposure time (equally I could use ISO 100 to get up to 120 seconds but it’s the same difference.) Grain is minimal on both with sometimes XP2 pipping Delta 400 on that point whilst remaining printable onto black and white papers unlike Kodak BW400CN.
Slide/Reversal/Transparency
- Velvia 50
A very contrasty punchy slide stock, entirely appropriate in many settings but not the catch all film for everything and not a digital ‘slayer’ by itself. In its right setting, it’s second to none, used wrongly and a photo can come out unnecessarily ‘muddy’ due to the high contrast compared to say Ektar or other slide films (including EBX below.) Great for flowers, landscapes in the golden hours and sunrises/sunsets but one I use with caution, particularly now Ektar is available. - General Purpose : Kodachrome 64 Discontinued
Was my ‘goto’ slide stock until it was discontinued. Good colour reproduction, punchy but not too ridiculous. Great skin tones, a very ‘all American’ look in bright blue skies but also quite a nice landscape stock too. I have 12 rolls remaining to shoot before processing ends in December 2010. Now using Ektar as my replacement. - Long Exposure : Provia 100F
I almost exclusively use 100F for long exposures as this requires no exposure compensation for up to 120 seconds! This makes it might go to long exposures at night film when I want colour. I don’t tend to use it in daylight as I tend to use colour negative for general daylight use now that Kodachrome is discontinued. - Elite Chrome Extra Colour 100 (EBX)
If I want slides but with a bit less contrast and slightly more latitude than Velvia 50, EBX is it for me. Cheap but very good with typical Kodak colour leaning towards purple/indigo hues in darker golden hour skies (similar to Ektar) and magnificent oranges, reds and yellows.
Colour Negative
- General Purpose: Either Kodak Ektar 100, Kodak Portra 160VC or Fuji Reala 100
I was a Reala devotee and I still am but I am finding Ektar so good. I will tend to use Reala where I am not using a light meter as Ektar is exposure sensitive. Portra for punchy but balanced portraits. Ektar is my Kodachrome replacement with superb reds and a tendency to replicate the golden tone of Kodachrome in the right light with a warming filter. It’s also great because I can do home RA4 prints that look superb. With quality lenses, you can shoot Ektar 100 in fading light at f/2.8 and get a very decent sharp landscape with excellent colour. - High Speed: Fuji Superia 400 or 800
