Really, there is no such thing as best film for everything. But there is some close to the best for various situation. I’ve been shooting models and weddings for a while now, and have a list of what I think is best in which situation.
When you are outdoor and bright situation, you always want to choose film that is in lower speed (ASA). When you are shooting in low-light situation or indoor, use a higher speed film. They have that list on the box. Most popular ones you see out there are 100, 200, 400 and 800. There are higher ones like 1200 but I don’t recommended using them unless you want the special effect on your photos. The higher the film speed is, the ’’grainier’’ the film looks. In another word, it’s like you have a more texture negative/photo when you use the higher speed of film. When you use color film, grain is not usually the problem, but you would still try to avoid it unless it’s a personal preference.
In a bright situation, use 100 or 200 speed (ASA) film.
In a low-light, indoor situation, use 400 or 800 film.
Because this review is about film, so I won’t go in detail about shooting indoor and outdoor photography. But always remember, nature lighting looks the best, especially when you shoot in the afternoon or early morning. Then you get a soft light and it also enhance your features.
When it comes to color film, I suppose most of you are shooting family or travel photos. Kodak film gives you a orange/warm look, Fuji film has a more blue/cold look. For shooting people I would suggest using Kodak and for shooting landscape or seascape, I would suggest using Fuji.
If you are shooting wedding or something that you might want to keep the negative a little longer, don’t use the regular Kodak and Fuji film, invest a little more money in Agfa or Fuji professional film. They cost more money but the film qualitiy is a lot higher as well. The films you normally see over the counter are not films that would keep for years to come. Agfa is a very good film to use, they give a very rich color and contrast. It’s a great film to use whether it’s for portrait or landscape.
What about black and white. I’ll definitly recommend Ilford and Efke film. Ilford can be find in most places, but Efke is a little harder to find. However, Efke is available for order in many US photography specialize stores. Comparing that to Kodak Tmax, I prefer Ilford. Efke are a European brand, very cheap but good with portraits. It’s good to use in the studio or controled enviorment.
Those are all brands that you can find in US. I find out there is a great site in US called https://filmshop.com. You can request their catalog for free. They are sold in bulk of 20 but it would save you a lot of money if you are a shutterbug. Every single time I order from them I usually order about 400 rolls of various format film. They’ve been great each and every time.
If you need any additional information, please let me know. Or just request it on MouthShut.com
-Michelle