How To Choose Film For Beginners: A Guide to Buying Your First Roll
So, you’ve decided to jump into film (with no fear of course) and you’ve got a fantastic camera that you can wait to use. Now what? You have to buy some film, that’s what. But that seems easier said than done... which one should you choose? A good place to start is looking at examples of photos shot on different brands of film. We’ve got tons:
- Kodak Portra
- Kodak Ektar
- Fuji Superia
- Fujicolor Pro
- Fuji Velvia
- Fuji Provia
- Fuji Astia
- Kodak Tri-X
- Kodak T-Max
- Ilford Delta
- Ilford HP5
- Ilford FP4 125
- Ilford Pan F 50
These are some of the most common and easy-to-find types of film, but by no means are the only brands available. Now that you’ve had a look at some examples and you’re feeling inspired, let me just stop you right there and take back everything we just discussed - because the reality of film is this:
XYZ brand of film will not yield the exact same results for all photographers. Your camera, exposure settings, the way you shoot, the lighting conditions, season, time of day, developing chemicals, processing times and scanning or printing will all affect the final outcome.
You’ll have to try out different types of film to really learn what you like and what works for you. When you’re just starting out, don’t shoot priceless moments - for more on this check out How To Shoot Film For Dummies.