Which colour print film?

Which colour print film would you recommend? I use both 100 ASA and 400 / 800,

for a range of tasks, including landscape, nature and informal portraiture. I

live in the UK.

 

Thanks

 

Andrew

If it's anything like it is in my own small backwater here in the USA, you'll use whatever film you can find--and forget about slide film.

 

Actually we do have a photo store that caters to the students at the University, so we can get what's available generally. Outside that emporium, the drugstores, the discount places, etc. have increasingly limited film choices.

 

While the Kodacolor class films do have a local following, the Fuji films like Reala, etc., are big sellers with the students. I have a suspicion, though, that this has less to do with quality than cost. I mean, a student idea of a really good restaurant is one with an unlimited buffet, right?

 

I scan in the negatives, so don't actually see prints from the film except through the medium of the computer, but I do think that the Fuji films are quite nice.

Fuji Reala ISO 100 is your best bet. Tripod will be required.

Either vendor's portrait films, Kodak Portra series, or Fuji 160S, 160C, 400H, and 800Z. If you're having it processed at a Fuji minilab, the Fuji films will probably come out with better color balance. (Fuji doesn't care if Kodak films come out good on their machines...)

If it is important to you, the only way you are going to be able to tell is to spend some money. Buy a few rolls of whatever is available, go and shoot them in various conditions and then decide. It depends on your personal taste, and there is no way we can know what you are looking for in the finished prints. I would take them all to the same processor at the same time, but processing is going to make a difference and if you are REALLY serious you are going to have to run your favorites through different labs.

 

I keep my eye out for film I like, when I see it on a shelf I buy it and put it in the fridge. That is one way to be sure of a supply, but there are others, such as buying a box of 100 rolls and freezing the extra.

 

I personally use Kodak Porta VC-400 for both color and B&W, I just ask the processor to make two sets of prints. But I cannot recommend it for you, not knowing what you will like.

 

Lawrence

The top two "best"/most prefered print films over the last few years here on PN, are Kodak 400UC, and Fuji Reala 100. Cant go wrong with either.

Personally, I recommend 400UC - very fine grain, beautiful color palette, and the versatility of a 400 speed film.

For me, the best cost/quality quotient sticks to Fuji. Plain old Superia 200 and 800 are hard to beat. Superia 200 is slightly less contrasty and saturated, making it look more like a Fuji pro film. Superia 800 is extraordinarily versatile: looks great exposed anywhere between ISO500-800. Superia 100's Pokemon-like saturation(e.g.,blocked up reds)is butt-ugly; Superia 400 always looks grainier than 800. Reala is very pretty ISO100 if that's your pleasure.

It depends upon your subject, but I find Kodak Ultra Color 100 UC to be an excellent all around film.

"Landscape, nature and informal portraiture.." have very different requirements. For the landscape/nature Fuji Reala or Kodak Ultra Color (UC) are the best choices with good resolution, fine detail and strong, saturated colors. Portrait films are the opposite, they need to have softer details with more pastel color rendition. Use the right film for the subject matter or the results will be dissappointing.

Fuji Pro 800Z - very versatile, fine grain and easy to scan.

I'm partial to Fuji's line of films (mostly because I work with the Fuji Frontier system),

particularly the 160S and 400H for all kinds of purposes. I do like Kodak's 160VC & 400VC for

it's saturation.