Best film: our picks of the best 35mm film, roll film, and sheet film for your camera

When it comes to choosing the best film for your camera, the sheer amount of options can be confusing, Of course, film comes in different formats, and each provides its own look, too.

In order to narrow down the choice, we've rounded up the best 35mm film, roll film for medium format cameras, and sheet film for large format cameras so that you can reignite your love for (or discover) analog photography.]

There's been a resurgence in film photography in recent times. It's not just experienced or traditional film shooters who are looking to buy analog camera systems and films. Thanks to a rise in the vintage look and analog trends, curious digital shooters are exploring the magic of film photography too.

While the best mirrorless cameras and the best medium format cameras are great pieces of kit offering advanced technologies such as Animal Eye AF, Wifi photo transfer, and built-in HDR modes, the ability to view images instantly takes away any excitement. There's an element of surprise to shooting film that you just don't get with digital photography, something romantic. Sure, it's a practice that definitely takes more patience and understanding than digital photography, but when you get it right the end result is so worth it.

To start with, analog photography is more physical than its modern, digital counterpart. You can actually hear and feel the camera working, from winding on film to hearing the satisfying clunk of the mechanical shutter. Although there are so many different film cameras to choose from, it's not hard to choose the correct film for your camera. After deciding on the right format, you'll also have to think about the aesthetic, which varies in tone and contrast – it's the original equivalent of picking an Instagram filter. Some of the best Fujifilm cameras even come with film simulation modes that are based on some of the best-known films such as Velvia and Provia. 

We've rounded up the best films you can buy for a 35mm camera (equivalent to a full-frame camera in digital photography terms), a medium format camera, or even a large format camera. From old classics to newer and more experimental artisan film, there's plenty for you to choose from.

To see our list of favorite films, click on the format you want below and it will direct you to the correct location. 

Best 35mm films  
Best 120 roll films for medium-format cameras  
Best sheet films for large-format cameras

See also: Best VHS to DVD converters

So, what film types are out there, what film cameras are supported, and what should you look for?

Best film: our top picks

Best 35mm film

With so many 35mm films on the market, we've had to be really selective about which ones we include. Some have stood the test of time while others are complete newcomers that offer funky colors to completely change the look of your image. To make this guide easy to navigate we've split it into three sections: color negative, black and white, and color transparency film. 35mm is often referred to as '135' so if you see that number instead, just remember we mean 35mm film!

35mm color negative film

Portra 400 film has gained a passionate following amongst the film community thanks to its flexibility when shooting in different lighting conditions and its beautifully rendered grain and colors. The only downside with Kodak Portra 400 is that it's only sold in packs of three or five, so you can't officially buy a single roll to experiment with (although you might be able to find single rolls on eBay, be warned that they will have been taken out of their official packaging). However, it's such a good quality film that we can almost guarantee you won't be disappointed.

See our full Kodak Portra 400 review.

Kodak claims the world's finest grain for a color-negative film, thanks to its T-Grain technology. This film also boasts high saturation and sharpness, and Kodak says it's ideal for scanning and enlarging. Its rendition looks ideal for commercial and landscape photography, and it's cheaper than shooting transparency film.

Fujifilm Superia X-TRA 400 is one of the most readily available films and is one of the few remaining in Fujifilm's very diminished options. It has been significantly affected by recent price gouges, but is it still worth it though? The answer would be yes.

Very versatile, the film handles indoor and outdoor lighting admirably, and when properly exposed exhibits very minimal and smooth grain. The colors are muted compared to other films, but with a heavy magenta tint and a much cooler palette that might not be to everyone's liking.

Read our full Fujifilm Superia X-TRA 400 review.

Kodak says Portra 160 is designed with fine grain for scanning and enlargement in a digital workflow. It's one of three films in the Portra family (there are Portra 400 and 800 variants too) and it's designed for smooth and natural skin tones, and for a variety of work from portraits and fashion to commercial photography.

This is one of the most widely-available color print films available today - with an ISO400 speed that makes it a sensible choice for a wide variety of subjects. The film has a wide exposure latitude; this is particularly useful when using this with old cameras where you can't guarantee the metering - or with basic models that have no built-in metering at all. As we have come to expect from Kodak mass-market films, Ultramax offers rich colors and punch contrast that many photographers love.

This is a very similar film in terms of looks and uses as Kodak Ultramax - the key difference is that it is a stop slower, with an ISO rating of 200. As such, this is the better choice of the two if you are shooting in bright outdoor conditions - as this should give marginally less grain than its ISO400 sibling. Widely available - and if you shop around this should be more affordable than many other color print films on the market (but do note that 24-exposure rolls can cost as much as a 36-exposure one!).

35mm black and white film

Ilford's latest version of its classic fast film can be developed in traditional black-and-white chemistry. It is a great all-round film, suitable for those who just want to try monochrome – or for those who are looking for a film that will respond well to push processing for lowlight use. 

What can you say about Kodak Tri-X? Made famous by a generation of documentary and war photographers, it's pretty tolerant of exposure variations and push/pull processing and produces strong gritty images with good detail rendition. Maybe a bit rough and ready for today's tastes, but it still has 'the look'.

Ilford's XP1 'chromogenic' film caused quite a stir when it first appeared, offering black and white photographers the exposure latitude and easy lab processing of color negative film, with smoother, finer grain than other ISO 400 mono films. The updated XP2S is still an interesting option for 35mm black and white fans who like latitude and not grain!

Lomography is one of the main driving forces behind the film photography revival. And as well as producing its own range of beautifully-designed Lomo cameras, it also has a range of films too. This black-and-white film has been given a twist with imaginative branding – and is sold in three-roll packs.

35mm transparency film

Velvia has gained a reputation as the world's richest, most super-saturated, and sharpest color transparency film ever. Kodachrome used to carry that crown, but it looks positively restrained by comparison. Not everyone loves Velvia 50's strong colors and contrasts, but it's now gained immortality among Fujifilm's digital Film Simulation modes.

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This film has just been revived by Kodak (the new Kodak film-making spin-off following the break-up of the old company). It offers the same ISO rating as Velvia 100, but you might find it has slightly less exaggerated colors. It uses the same generic E-6 transparency processing chemistry, though, so getting your films developed shouldn't be a problem.

Velvia 100 arrived as Velvia 50's more responsible, more usable sibling. It's one f-stop faster, which makes it a fraction easier to use if the light's not good, and the colors are perhaps a bit more natural-looking than Velvia 50's, but there's not much in it. Both films use widely-available E-6 processing, unlike the other old favorite, Kodachrome.

What best film types can you get?

Film can be split into three main types: color negative film, black and white negative film and transparency (slide film).

Color negative film: this is one of the most popular types of film and is widely available from specialist camera shops as well as Amazon. The film is developed using a process called C-41 which is available in all labs and is particularly useful for digitizing film as it easily handles the orange mask and negative tones of a color negative. 

Black and white negative film: images without color are often deemed a more arty choice and black and white shooting is popular among film enthusiasts. It can be easily processed at home which is why film students and anyone who wants to develop themselves might choose to shoot with it – although it's a much more involved process than sending it off to a lab.

Transparency film or slide film: used to be a favorite option for professionals, as there wasn't an intermediate printing stage to lower the quality and add to the cost. You could also easily send off slides to editors and picture libraries. Because this isn't as popular today, however, the range of transparency films is a little more limited than it used to be. All slide film is developed using the E-6 process that's widely available in labs.

What types of film camera are there?

You can read our massive Best film cameras guide to find out more, but generally they split into three types: 35mm, medium format and large format cameras. 35mm cameras are the most common, so that's what we'll start with, but medium format cameras are popular too as they offer better quality from their larger negatives and easier high-quality scanning with a flatbed scanner. 

Large format cameras are specialized tools used by particularly dedicated photographers. The cameras are expensive, unwieldy and more complex to set up. The film is supplied in sheets and has to be pre-loaded into holders for swapping plates out in the field. Every exposure is an occasion, but that's part of the charm (that and the extraordinary image quality) for fans of large format cameras.

Read more:

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