Choosing film stock depends heavily on what you're photographing. Different genres have different requirements for grain, colour rendition, contrast, and speed. This guide offers specific recommendations based on real-world shooting scenarios.
These aren't definitive answers—personal preference matters—but they provide a solid starting point based on the characteristics of each film stock.
Portrait Film Recommendations
Portrait work demands skin tone accuracy, pleasing colour, and appropriate grain structure.
Colour Portrait Films
Professional Choice: Kodak Portra 400
The industry standard for professional portrait work.
| Characteristic | Rating |
|---|---|
| Skin tone accuracy | Excellent |
| Latitude | Exceptional (5+ stops) |
| Grain | Very fine for 400 ISO |
| Colour saturation | Moderate, natural |
- Forgiving of exposure errors
- Handles mixed lighting well
- Available in 35mm, 120, and sheet formats
- Push and pull friendly
Lower Light: Kodak Portra 800
When you need speed without sacrificing quality.
- Slightly warmer and more saturated than Portra 400
- Excellent for indoor/available light portraits
- Push to 1600 with good results
- Larger grain than Portra 400 but still smooth
Budget Option: Kodak Gold 200
Surprisingly capable for the price.
- Warmer colour balance suits many skin tones
- Less latitude than Portra
- Works well in direct sunlight
- Not recommended for critical colour work
Black and White Portrait Films
Classic Look: Kodak Tri-X 400
The quintessential portrait film.
- Beautiful mid-tone separation
- Handles faces exceptionally well
- Pushes beautifully to 1600 or 3200
- Responds well to different developers
Modern Quality: Ilford HP5 Plus 400
Similar versatility with slightly different character.
- Excellent latitude
- Fine grain for 400 ISO
- Wide developer compatibility
- More neutral than Tri-X
Fine Grain: Ilford Delta 100
When you want smooth skin tones.
- Extremely fine grain
- Excellent tonal graduation
- Best at box speed in good light
- Requires careful exposure
Slight overexposure (0.5-1 stop) often improves skin tones on negative film, opening shadows without losing highlights.
Landscape Film Recommendations
Landscape photography benefits from fine detail, controlled contrast, and either saturated or natural colour rendition.
Colour Landscape Films
Saturated: Fujifilm Velvia 50
The landscape photographer's favourite slide film.
| Characteristic | Rating |
|---|---|
| Saturation | Very high |
| Contrast | High |
| Grain | Virtually invisible |
| Latitude | Narrow (3 stops) |
- Extraordinary colour punch
- Reds and greens particularly vivid
- Requires precise exposure
- Best in soft, even light or golden hour
Balanced: Fujifilm Provia 100F
Natural colours with slide film precision.
- More realistic colour than Velvia
- Better in harsh light conditions
- Good latitude for slide film
- Professional standard for accurate reproduction
Negative Film: Kodak Ektar 100
When you want saturation without slide film constraints.
- High saturation (highest of Kodak negative films)
- Very fine grain
- Excellent for scanning
- Wide latitude compared to slide
Versatile: Kodak Portra 160
For landscapes where skin tones may appear (environmental portraits, travel).
- Natural, balanced colour
- Excellent shadow detail
- Lower contrast than Ektar
- Works in various lighting
Black and White Landscape Films
Ultimate Detail: Ilford Delta 100 or Kodak T-Max 100
Modern tabular grain for maximum sharpness.
- Near-grain-free results
- Excellent for large prints
- Tonally smooth
- Need accurate exposure
Classic Tonal Range: Ilford FP4 Plus (ISO 125)
Traditional cubic grain with beautiful gradation.
- Classic film look
- Responds well to zone system
- Excellent with compensating development
- Good reciprocity characteristics
High Contrast Scenes: Ilford HP5 Plus (ISO 400)
When dynamic range exceeds Delta/T-Max capabilities.
- Greater latitude
- Responds to stand development
- Pull processing reduces contrast
- Versatile in difficult light
Street Photography Films
Street photography demands speed, invisibility, and the ability to handle rapidly changing conditions.
Colour Street Films
Versatile: Kodak Portra 400
When colour matters but conditions vary.
- Handles shade to sun transitions
- Recovers from exposure errors
- Pleasant skin tones in candid shots
- Push to 800 for indoor/twilight
Budget Shooting: Kodak UltraMax 400 or Fujifilm Superia 400
Economical for high-volume street work.
- Acceptable quality for the price
- Warm (UltraMax) or neutral (Superia) rendering
- Fine for web and social media
- Not for critical enlargement
Night Street: CineStill 800T
Tungsten-balanced for artificial light.
- Beautiful under street lamps and neon
- Characteristic halation around lights
- Warmer in daylight (blue filter optional)
- Expensive but distinctive look
Black and White Street Films
The Classic: Kodak Tri-X (ISO 400)
Street photography's heritage film.
- Iconic grain structure
- Pushes to 1600+ reliably
- Great tonal range
- Works in any developer
Modern Alternative: Ilford HP5 Plus (ISO 400)
Comparable versatility with different character.
- Slightly finer grain than Tri-X
- Push to 3200 possible
- Excellent latitude
- European availability
High Speed: Ilford Delta 3200 or Kodak T-Max P3200
For available darkness shooting.
- Genuine high speed capability
- Rate at 1600-6400
- Manageable grain for the speed
- Best with push-specific developers
Street photography often uses zone focusing—pre-focus to a distance and shoot within that range. Films with good latitude (HP5, Tri-X, Portra 400) forgive the exposure errors that come with fast shooting.
Travel and General Purpose Films
Travel demands versatility—one film for beaches, interiors, night scenes, and portraits.
Colour Travel Films
Primary Recommendation: Kodak Portra 400
The most versatile colour film made.
- Handles any lighting condition acceptably
- Indoor available light through bright sun
- Skin tones render well globally
- Available worldwide for restocking
Budget Alternative: Kodak Gold 200
When cost matters more than perfection.
- Half the price of Portra
- Good daylight performance
- Warm colour suits sunny destinations
- Limited in low light
Single Film Kit:
If taking only one film type on a trip:
| Priority | Film | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Quality + Versatility | Portra 400 | Handles everything |
| Budget | Gold 200 | Acceptable everywhere |
| Saturation | Ektar 100 | Bright sunny destinations |
| Speed | Portra 800 | Indoor-heavy trips |
Black and White Travel Films
Single Film: Ilford HP5 Plus (ISO 400)
Maximum flexibility in one emulsion.
- Rate 200-3200 on same roll
- Develop normally for acceptable results
- Responds to push/pull perfectly
- Available globally
Multi-Film Approach:
| Condition | Film | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| Bright sun | FP4 Plus | 125 |
| Overcast/shade | HP5 Plus | 400 |
| Indoor/night | HP5 Plus | 1600+ |
Night Photography Films
Night shooting requires films that handle long exposures, maintain colour accuracy under artificial light, or provide usable results at high speeds.
Colour Night Films
Artificial Light: CineStill 800T
Purpose-made for tungsten lighting.
- 3200K colour balance
- Beautiful under incandescent, sodium, neon
- Characteristic halation (some love it, some don't)
- Expensive but distinctive
Long Exposure: Fujifilm Neopan Acros II (ISO 100, B&W)
When reciprocity matters.
- Excellent reciprocity characteristics
- Minimal exposure compensation to 2 minutes
- Fine grain maintained in long exposures
- Standard B&W chemistry
Pushed Portra:
Portra 400 pushed to 1600 handles mixed urban lighting.
- Maintains colour accuracy
- Grain increases but stays smooth
- More latitude than slide films pushed
- Develop as 1600 with lab or at home
Black and White Night Films
Available Light: Ilford Delta 3200
True high-speed film for darkness.
- Rate 1600-6400 effectively
- Best with DD-X or Microphen
- Grain is part of the aesthetic
- Indoor concert, street, documentary
Long Exposure: Fujifilm Neopan Acros II (ISO 100)
Superior reciprocity characteristics.
- Minimal compensation to 120 seconds
- No colour shift (it's B&W)
- Very fine grain
- Excellent for night landscapes
Extended Exposures: Ilford FP4 Plus (ISO 125) or Ilford Pan F Plus (ISO 50)
When you can compensate.
- Published reciprocity data
- Fine grain in final results
- Works well with stand development
- Budget-friendly for experimentation
Reciprocity Considerations by Genre
| Genre | Typical Exposure | Best Film Choices |
|---|---|---|
| Portrait | < 1 second | Any film |
| Landscape | Often > 1 second | Acros II, Ektar, Velvia (with compensation) |
| Street | < 1/60s typically | Speed matters more than reciprocity |
| Travel | Variable | Portra 400 handles most situations |
| Night | 1 second - minutes | Acros II (best), Delta 100 (good), avoid Portra 800 |
Film Selection Quick Reference
By Priority
Maximum Quality:
- Colour: Portra 160, Ektar 100, Velvia 50
- B&W: Delta 100, T-Max 100
Maximum Versatility:
- Colour: Portra 400
- B&W: HP5 Plus, Tri-X 400
Maximum Speed:
- Colour: Portra 800, CineStill 800T
- B&W: Delta 3200, T-Max P3200
Maximum Value:
- Colour: Gold 200, UltraMax 400
- B&W: Fomapan 100/400, Kentmere 400
By Subject
| Subject | Top Choice | Alternative |
|---|---|---|
| Wedding portraits | Portra 400/800 | Portra 160 (daylight) |
| Studio portraits | Portra 160 | Ektar 100 |
| Landscape (vivid) | Velvia 50 | Ektar 100 |
| Landscape (natural) | Provia 100F | Portra 160 |
| Street (day) | Tri-X 400 | HP5 Plus |
| Street (night) | Delta 3200 | CineStill 800T |
| Architecture | Ektar 100 | Portra 160 |
| Product | Portra 160 | Ektar 100 |
| Concert | Delta 3200 | Portra 800 pushed |
Summary
- Portraits need skin tone accuracy—Portra films lead in colour, Tri-X and HP5 in B&W
- Landscapes benefit from fine grain and saturation—Velvia for drama, Ektar for versatility
- Street photography requires speed and latitude—Tri-X/HP5 are the classics
- Travel demands one film that does everything—Portra 400 is the answer
- Night photography needs either high speed or good reciprocity—choose based on technique
- When in doubt, Portra 400 or HP5 Plus will handle nearly any situation acceptably
The best film is the one you have with you and know how to use. These recommendations provide starting points—your personal experience will refine your choices over time.
Film availability varies by region. Kodak and Ilford stocks are widely available in North America and Europe. Fujifilm stocks may be harder to find outside Japan and major metropolitan areas. Budget options like Fomapan and Kentmere are more common in Europe. Check local suppliers or consider online retailers for harder-to-find emulsions.