What type of film should I use?

I’ve a photography aficionado and have recently ventured into film photography. I’m using the Canon AE-1 camera, which I’m planning to take with me on my Ukraine ski trip. Any advice on what type of film I should get? I’m going to buy the film online, so there won’t be a problem with its availability. I appreciate any photography tips for shooting outdoors in a winter setting as well!

 

Moderator Note-

 

Thread moved from "Business Forum" to here. Because this is not a business topic and the conversation is better suited here based only upon: 'recently ventured into film photography'',

Edited October 4, 2018 by William Michael

There are 3 kinds of film; color slide, color neg + B&W. - It would have been nice if you specified one of them in your question.

Pick B&W if "B&W, out of your own wet darkroom" is the goal you are after. - If not: Don't!

Slide film is more demanding exposure wise and entirely different than negative film.

 

I can't even tell you the film speed you should pick, without knowing your lenses. If they include a dim tele zoom, I recommend ISO 400.

Personally I'd most likely stock up with Ilford Delta 400 or Kodak TMY (not much difference between those, so get the cheaper offer and used to it!). - Yes they are not classic B&W films, that IMHO provide a somewhat bearable grain on a 8x10" print from a 35mm neg.

 

Metering out in the snow is a challenge. I'd either rely on incident readings or take the old spot meter out, let the zone system once again grow over my head and end taking a reading of a face I might be interested in somewhere in the snow and expose for that. - If you are stuck with just your built in meter maybe hit manual mode fill your frame with "not snow" and use that setting till the light changes?

 

I'd keep away from slide film, as long as I don't know what I am doing and leave it to others to suggest some color neg film to you. AFAIK all of them take pictures that will get goofed up by the lab (or not, if you are lucky)... If you are picking film according to reviews choose something capable of handling a higher contrast range (that you'll face in the snow)

 

if you want to handle slow film speeds either bring & use a tripod or love shooting at damn wide apertures. I'd probably be too cheap to try or cope with the focusing challenge that comes along with that approach.

 

AFAIK the Ukraine can get "a little chill"? -

• Carry spare batteries close to your body, to keep them operational (and change back & forth if needed).
  
• If you have a chance to check if your gear will work at low temperatures: Better use it! <- Neither any Canon bashing intended nor personal bad experience with that brand. Just common sense & "better safe than sorry": Your kit might be 40 years old by now, service history unknown, most likely "none". greases get stickier in the cold, springs get weaker over time and the end result might be something getting stuck. - It can be the aperture opening & closing mechanism in a lens it could be your shutter... I am no expert but I bought elderly cameras at room temperature that seemed doing fine and got already stuck or sticky at +5°C. So if you have a landlord-buddy; ask if he'll store your bag in his ice house for a night and lets you try things out in there the other day.
  

I wouldn't take just one type of film. Different situations call for different films. Action shots call for faster films. Photos taken at an out door cafe where all your friends are enjoying the local brew are great with a slower film. Just sticking with color print, take a mix of 100 and 400 speed.

 

Do keep that extra batter warm, under your jacket. Below freezing, the battery in an AE1 will not last nearly as long as when it's warm, but if it does fail, don't toss it as it should come back to life once it warms.

 

Bring along some zip lock bags. Going from cold to warm will cause condensation on your camera, so put it in a bag before you go in and let it warm up for at least half an hour. I speak from person experience here, living in cold country.

 

Metering - a gray card is always nice, but assuming you are of more or less European decent, the back of your hand works fairly well. But an error of a stop or so is not all that critical with negative film.

 

And just for fun, take a roll or two of really high speed B&W (3200) to catch some artistic shots around the fire place.

 

Oh yes, figure at least one roll per day.

 

If you live in the great north, do check out your camera under cold conditions if you can.

This all reminds me of a funny, but sad tale.

 

Years ago when I was the manager of a Minneapolis camera store, I sold Mr. "X" a nearly complete Canon F1 system. Two bodies and all the lenses from 17mm to 500. He had the camera equipment for a month or two and then was about to take an around the world trip. For the treck, he bought two bricks of Kodachrome 64.

 

He was no stranger to photography, having use a Pentax system then given it to a relative just before he switched to Canon, So he returned to the store after the trip with a stern warning never to get your film developed in Japan. The 30 rolls he had developed there all had Japanese writing in every frame. And they all seemingly said the same thing. If you have ever bought a new 35mm camera, you might know what it said. Translated it said "please remove this shutter protector before using the camera" or something like it. Later on, Canon changed the plastic film to say so in English.

 

Sad, but I didn't think I'd ever see that done again - but a few months later, another customer did the same, even though the notice was in English.

All I can think of is this: you're going to probably be shooting outdoors. There's plenty of light, presumably, so a 100 speed film should be fine. The bonus is that it's less prone to being fogged by X-ray machines (but modern X-ray machines are not as bad as they used to be). On the low end, Kodak ProImage 100. On the high end, Kodak Ektachrome 100.

 

Use your mobile phone with a light meter app as a rough guide to exposure if you're not sure of metering.

I would buy a few types of film and go shoot it to get a feel for what you like? If you're new to film, you want to have as much of the "gotchas" covered before you're on a trip where you can't resolve any problems. Then go on the trip with the films you like.

If you're just getting started with film, and you're not yet developing film yourself, I'd keep things very simple:

- For colour, a simple cheap colour film (Kodak ColorPlus 200, Fuji C200)

- For B&W, Ilford XP2

 

DO consider that the first few rolls may not be brilliant, so I wouldn't spend extra money on better films (like Ektar 100 or slide film) until you're comfortable using the camera and have been able to verify that it indeed is in good working order.

With a single camera, I do not see that you will be switching between film speeds. On some cameras, the film can be somewhat easily be removed then replaced, other cameras are much more difficult to do that. Depending on how much you shoot, you could be shooting from day into the evening on the same roll of film.

On the snow, you have plenty of light, so I would use a medium speed film, around ISO 100, but not more than 200. IMHO, ISO 400 is too fast for shooting on bright snow.

 

As @chuck909 said, learn how to use the back of your hand to take a meter reading. Taking a TTL meter reading on snow will be very difficult, the bright snow will give you a false reading.

 

Learn to use your camera and practice practice practice, BEFORE you go on your trip.

Practice while wearing your ski glove or glove liner. You will find that working the camera will be much more difficult than with bare hands.

I assume you want color.?

Kodak Color Plus 200.

otherwise.....

Ilford HP5

The AE-1 is an electronic camera. Batteries/Electronics can have a difficult time with "cold" weather.

Make sure you bring extra batteries and try to keep the camera "warm".

Good Luck

This all reminds me of a funny, but sad tale.

 

Years ago when I was the manager of a Minneapolis camera store, I sold Mr. "X" a nearly complete Canon F1 system. Two bodies and all the lenses from 17mm to 500. He had the camera equipment for a month or two and then was about to take an around the world trip. For the treck, he bought two bricks of Kodachrome 64.

 

He was no stranger to photography, having use a Pentax system then given it to a relative just before he switched to Canon, So he returned to the store after the trip with a stern warning never to get your film developed in Japan. The 30 rolls he had developed there all had Japanese writing in every frame. And they all seemingly said the same thing. If you have ever bought a new 35mm camera, you might know what it said. Translated it said "please remove this shutter protector before using the camera" or something like it. Later on, Canon changed the plastic film to say so in English.

 

Sad, but I didn't think I'd ever see that done again - but a few months later, another customer did the same, even though the notice was in English.

 

Another reason for the warning to test out a new (or old, but new to you) camera before a trip.

 

Many Canon cameras have the quick load system, where you don't have to put the leader into a slot in the spool.

That probably also means less looking at the parts inside the camera.

 

I think I would try at least one shot with the back open on a new camera, watch the shutter and such, but maybe not everyone.

Many Canon cameras have the quick load system, where you don't have to put the leader into a slot in the spool.

That probably also means less looking at the parts inside the camera.

 

No A-series camera used this system.

 

In any case, I'd be inclined to stock up on Fuji Superia Xtra 400 and go from there...

No A-series camera used this system.

 

In any case, I'd be inclined to stock up on Fuji Superia Xtra 400 and go from there...

 

I might not have any A series.

 

My dad always liked Canon, back to the VI, which I now have. (That one took my baby pictures.)

 

I have an FTb, T80, and also a Pellix. (With a dusty mirror.)

 

I mostly got to use the Canon VI after my dad bought a Pellix, and he used that until it

was stolen out of the car trunk while we were watching Johnny Carson. I remember QL

from that one. After that, he got an AT-1, but I don't have that.

I might not have any A series.

 

My dad always liked Canon, back to the VI, which I now have. (That one took my baby pictures.)

 

I have an FTb, T80, and also a Pellix. (With a dusty mirror.)

 

I mostly got to use the Canon VI after my dad bought a Pellix, and he used that until it

was stolen out of the car trunk while we were watching Johnny Carson. I remember QL

from that one. After that, he got an AT-1, but I don't have that.

 

The Pellix, FT QL, and FTb use the manual advance QL mechanism.

 

The T series(save for the T60) all have it, but I guess I look at it a bit differently on those cameras since most 35mm SLRs with an integrated power winder/motor drive have some sort of QL mechanism.

 

Also, on an interesting to me note-the A series camera, all the QL cameras, and the TX/TLb(which are heavily based on the FT/FTb body) wind the film emulsion in. The F-1(all versions) winds emulsion out-something in common with-I think-all manual advance Nikons. I've heard it argued that Canon claimed better film flatness for emulsion out, but used emulsion in since it makes getting the film to "catch" on the spool easier. I'd dread to think about what it would be like to load a bottom-loading rangefinder emulsion out, although admittedly the Canon take-up spool holds the film leader a lot more securely than the Leica design.

I have a Leica If and more recently (a few years ago) a Canon IID2.

 

I thought the Leica wound emulsion out, but haven't actually looked in years.

 

I don't remember now for the Canon IID2.

 

I am pretty sure that the Canon VI goes emulsion out.

 

The camera that I used most of the years is the Nikon FM, and now that you mention it,

I don't remember which way it goes. Emulsion out seems right, but I would want

to look to be sure. It is obvious while loading, but after that, I don't have to think

about it.

 

In any case, cameras come both ways. As well as I ever knew it, emulsion out was

supposed to help cancel the natural curl of the film.

It looks like Leica, and Leica clones spool emulsion out, at least through the Canon VI.

For the bottom loading cameras, the winding knob goes clockwise, so the same direction

as the take-up spool. The Canon VI uses a winding lever, as was usual for most cameras

after that, such that the winding action and spool go opposite directions.

 

The Nikon F2 also spools emulsion out, again lever wound in the opposite

direction.

 

I wonder now if that was all copying Leica, until someone finally decided

that it doesn't matter much which way it goes. I don't think QL would

work well the other way. I was always amazed how well QL did work,

though in any case, QL or not, I try to make sure that the rewind knob

is turning.

 

The F-1(all versions) winds emulsion out.

 

I'm looking at my F1s now, and all wind the emulsions in, facing the take up spindle.

Ektar 100 negative print film. Fine film, bright happy colors and good for scanning if you want to do that. Follow special exposure instructions for shooting in snow. Regardless what film you choose, stick with only one film. Taking different films with different ISO's will only confuse you and get the exposures wrong.

Regardless what film you choose, stick with only one film. Taking different films with different ISO's will only confuse you and get the exposures wrong.

 

Come to think about it, that might be a better idea for someone starting out in film

Same here... whatever type of film you decide on, practice with it here before you go on your trip to know how it preforms. snow conditions can reek havoc on films if you arent familiar with them, no matter what you use. Its all about proper exposure for the conditions.

 

PRACTICE!

For many years, starting about when my son was born, we had two cameras, one with VPS (Vericolor III), and one with some form of Ektachrome.

 

(I had a black FM, from before I met my wife-to-be with a chrome FM. That made it easy to tell the cameras apart.)

 

I started using VPS when someone at a camera store told me that it didn't exaggerate the color.

Now that you scan them and print the scans, you can do all the exaggeration you want, later.

 

The person also told me that I didn't have to keep my camera below 55F, as it says on the box.

(Keep it cold before loading, and as always not too hot when in the camera.)

 

Portra 160 is the successor to VPS.

Also, I note that someone above mentioned the black and white films designed for EI 3200.

 

They can be lots of fun, but you really have to keep them away from X-ray machines.

 

TSA claims that their machines are safe up to ISO 800, though they will hand inspect

any film if you ask. (The effect is additive, so maybe less for a trip with many

airplane rides.)

 

Other countries have different rules, and you might not get away without X-rays.

 

You might get a Film-Shield (that is the only brand that I know of) plastic coated lead bag.

They might complain after the X-ray that they can't see into the bag, though.