Camera film recommendations requested

[no_hypocrisy]

My camera shop doesn't sell Kodak film anymore.

The only choice is Fuji, which is OK, but it isn't Kodak.

I could buy Kodak on Amazon or Ebay, but my question is will the chemicals for film processing compromise the quality of the print if Kodak chemicals aren't used?


Second question: If you couldn't use Kodak, which 35mm brand would you recommend please?

Thanks.

[NV Whino]

1. Post this in the photo group

There are people who still shoot film over there. I'm not one of them.

[Major Nikon]

2. The developing chemicals don't matter

The only exception to this is Kodachrome, which is a special process, but is no longer manufactured anyway.

I haven't shot film in many years, but when I was doing so I preferred Fuji film unless I was shooting B&W or color portraits. Each film has it's own qualities so it's really more about what your preferences are and what you are trying to achieve, but Fuji film is quite nice and from a technical standpoint is equal to or superior compared to Kodak.

[TreasonousBastard]

3. Color or B&W? Negative or slide?

With B&W I used to mix my own developers and came up with something similar to DK-50 to be perfect for my work.

With color, processes are standardized with little or no variation in chemicals between manufacturers so price, availability and convenience would be the points.

Also, with color prints-- if you do them yourself, the filter pack you set up will have far more effect than the chemicals. And, of course, the original camera filtering.

My personal favorite color films were Agfa's. I shot mostly chromes and Agfa had a warmth that I missed from the others, although they were a bit grainy. Fuji added some extra filtering and a fourth color layer years ago that some claim added accuracy, but I never noticed the difference.

All this goes back to well over 10 years ago when I stopped using film, so I don't know what's out there now. As always, a few test rolls to find out for yourself.

[hunter]

4. Fuji makes good film. The trouble with film these days is processing it.

There's not many local choices any more.

Personally, I wouldn't worry about the chemistry much. Fuji is good there too. The quality of the lab is more important.

Freestyle, in Los Angeles, is where I most frequently buy my "traditional" photo supplies.

http://www.freestylephoto.biz

I can't resist buying all the old film cameras I ever wanted when I was young but could never quite afford. Sometimes people are giving them away.

[jmowreader]

5. There are only two brands of color film today, Kodak and Fuji. Both are good.

All film labeled Kodak is made by Kodak. Everyone else's film is Fuji Superia, because Fuji OEMs film and Kodak does not. Fuji uses a different name for it in the US, but the emulsion is the same.

Superia is good film if you follow exposure instructions. In the old days color film had enough latitude you could expose 400 speed at 800 and be okay. Superia goes very grainy if you do that. Kodak Portra 400, mail-order film, is still cool with underexposure.

All color negative film made today runs through Process C-41. The difference is in printing: Kodak films have different color balance than Fuji. Look at the negs and you'll find a barcode, which the printer reads to choose the right settings.

I tend to use Fuji in my 35mm camera, but Kodak is also good; in my Mamiya 645 I only use Kodak Ektar 100. The only 120 film Fuji sells is ISO 400 and I don't like to go that high.