Hi, I'm new to this forum. What a terrific resource! I just purchased a M6 TTL and would like to know the popular choices out there for color print film. I'm shooting both indoors with available light and outdoors available light. I would also like to know what qualities you like about the film you use.

-- Matthew Speakes (mspeakes@aol.com), December 24, 2001

Answers

I have a few favorite color neg films. I use regular old drug store Fuji 400 Superia X-tra for a lot of stuff. Its cheap, fast, sharp, and fine grained for a 400 speed film, and my local lab knows how to print it to get decent color. Fuji Realla is my favorite 100 speed film, and is less contrasty than the 400 Superia and finer grain of course. I've also started using the Agfa Optima 100 and 400 film and like those very much--superb sharpness to help show off the Leica glass. A little harder to find than Fuji, and I think a better film actually if you can get a lab that knows how to print it.

-- Andrew Schank (aschank@flash.net), December 24, 2001.

Depends on what you are shooting. I shoot a lot of people, and I like several different films. Agfa Portrait 160 is very nice for people - good flesh tones and very tight grain structure. Also, I have always liked the Fuji films: NPS, NPH, and now NPC. It really depends on what you are shooting, but the quality of emulsions available is head and shoulders above what was available just a few years ago. Merry Christmas!

-- David (pagedt@chartertn.net), December 24, 2001.

I've just loaded up with some Fuji Superia 1600 - perfect tomorrow for those indoor available light Christmas family shots, it allows 1/30 or 1/60 at F2.8 in a typical dimly lit room.

-- Giles Poilu (giles@monpoilu.icom43.net), December 24, 2001.

Matthew, no offence intended, but your question reminds me one of those questions about "the best, sharpest lens" etc. that are being asked on the Internet forums every day.

The "best" film is the one that works for you and your subject.

Now to answer your question. In the daylight I usually shoot ISO 100 films -- mostly Reala (great latitude, nice low contract, no grain, true colors), sometimes few rolls of Superia (similar, but more contrasty). For "golden hours" of sunrise and sunset I like to shoot Gold 100 sometimes, but I have not shot this film in the last few years. The good thing about this film is that about any 1-hout lab knows how to print it.

For really low light I shoot ISO 800 films. Fuji Press 800, Fuji Superia 800, Kodak Supra 800 -- all outstanding films. Reasomably small grain (when exposed at ISO 640) matching most ISO 400 films rated normally. These films can also be underexposed a stop, which may be a lifesaver somitemes. In a pinch I could use Kodak MAX 800, but in my experience it has to be rated around ISO 520 for best results. This emulsion has more contrast and color saturation then I would like.

I have no reason to shoot anything ISO 400 -- they either too contrasty, too grainy or too slow for available light shooting that I do.

-- Alexander Grekhov (grekhov@wgukraine.com), December 24, 2001.

I've switched all my color and B&W neg in both 35mm and MF to the Kodak Portra line. My lab has a fine-tuned channel set up on their machine because so many pros are using those films, and the results from Portra are superb. The 160VC is my all-round film, with 800 for low-light and 400NC in rollfilm for portraits. The Portra B&W prints much cleaner on color paper than T400CN.

-- Jay (infinitydt@aol.com), December 24, 2001.

Ditto what Jay said...

;-) Cheers,

-- Jack Flesher (jbflesher@msn.com), December 24, 2001.

I bought two rolls of 400 film of each brand and type available at B&H. (The price averaged around $2.50 per roll.) It will take me a while to get through them, but in the end I'll know what works for me. Since I am not a professional, time is not critical to me.

-- Sikaan (Sikaan4@aol.com), December 24, 2001.

Sorry to tell you, but you are really at the mercy of the processor. The film is secondary, in my opinion. I would choose the film based on the speed requirements. They are all good material. This said, if you are using a processor who caters to professionals, you might be able to enjoy some of the individual nuiances built into the film. Also, hope you can find a processor who enlarges thru something other than the bottom of a Coke bottl

-- George L. Doolittle (geodoolitt@aol.com), December 25, 2001.

I've always been pleased with Fuji Reala. As others have said, maybe it works well with my local processor (a Ritz Photo place). I'm holed up here in Palm Springs trying to find some more film on Xmas Day, and may have to get whatever Fuji/Kodak whatsis at the drug store for a couple days in Joshua Tree tomorrow.

Happy Winter Solstice! ;-)

-- Tse-Sung (tsesung@yahoo.com), December 25, 2001.

I use Fugi Press 400 which I think is good and relatively inexpensive in the twenty roll pack (which may be the only way it comes.) But as stated, you are at the mercy of your finisher. I had black come back white. Good luck. Bob

-- Bob Haight (rhaigh5748@aol.com), December 25, 2001.

Sorry to tell you, but you are really at the mercy of the processor.

There's no reason to be at the mercy of a processor these days, especially for color neg film. You can get a 4000dpi scanner and a high quality printer for under $700. The prints you can make yourself will be far better than what most any processor will make.

-- Jeff Spirer (jeff@spirer.com), December 25, 2001.

I agree with George: unless you want to print yourself, you are absolutely at the mercy of your processor. But scanning and printing yourself is an interesting alternative. There are still many variables though. A cheaper (and probably better quality) option than buying a scanner is to have selected negs scanned for you onto a Photo CD (professional labs' scanners cost megabucks), then adjust them with an imaging programme and print them yourself.

All modern print emulsions, amateur and pro, are heads and shoulders above their counterparts of two decades ago. It's a case of experimenting and sticking with what you like for each application.

-- David Killick (Dalex@inet.net.nz), December 27, 2001.

I don't print at all, either lab or myself, but i have had great results with vuescan and the LS2000 scanner. The colour fidelity is extraordinary (slide or neg), so much so that I now feel very confident shooting in the ugliest light without flash. I've used Fuji 400 and 800 negative films (don't know what type) and had very good results, but as far as colour goes, I believe the scanning software is the critical link in the chain for me. What people say about Portra whets my appetite.

-- rob (rob@robertappleby.com), December 27, 2001.