Choosing the right film can feel surprisingly complicated when you are new to analog photography. With different emulsions, formats, ISO speeds, color characteristics, and processing options to consider, it is easy to feel overwhelmed before you have even loaded your first roll.
In reality, your decision usually comes down to three main things: the camera you are shooting with, the look you want to achieve, and the kind of photography you enjoy. Whether you are carrying a classic 35mm compact, stepping up to medium format, or taking a more considered approach with large format, the film you choose will have a major influence on the character of your final images.
This guide focuses entirely on traditional photographic film, so you will not find instant options such as Polaroid or Instax here. Instead, I have selected some of the best film stocks available today, ranging from long-established favorites with decades of history behind them to newer and more experimental emulsions bringing something different to analog photography.
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Best color negative film
Kodak Portra 400 is one of the most revered colour negative films in modern analog photography, with a reputation that’s well earned among professionals and enthusiasts alike. Designed originally for portrait and wedding work, Portra’s balanced colour palette, gentle contrast, and signature fine grain have made it a go-to favourite for capturing everything from skin tones to landscapes with beautifully nuanced hues.
In practical use, Portra 400 excels because of its wide exposure latitude; it remains forgiving even when your meter isn’t perfect, which is especially helpful when shooting in changing light conditions or with older mechanical cameras. Its grain structure is exceptionally fine for a 400 ISO stock, lending itself beautifully to large prints and high-quality scans. While Portra is typically sold in multi-pack form rather than single rolls, the quality of results, neutral but rich colour reproduction, subtle tonal gradation, and reliable performance across varied lighting means many shooters consider it worth stocking multiple rolls.
Portra’s consistency also makes it ideal if you’re planning to digitise your negatives; the film’s smooth rendition takes well to scanning and scanning correction, meaning you can achieve usable results without heavy post-processing. Whether you’re creating portraits, landscapes, or daily life images, this film’s adaptability is part of why it’s one of the most recommended stocks for advanced shooters and beginners willing to invest in a versatile all-rounder.
See our full Kodak Portra 400 review
If your priority is razor-sharp images with vibrant, punchy colours, Kodak Ektar 100 is a standout choice in the world of colour negatives. As Kodak’s claim to having the “world’s finest grain” among colour stock suggests, the imagery from Ektar is notable for its exceptionally smooth grain structure and high definition, attributes that particularly shine when scanning or enlarging.
Ektar’s aesthetic differs from high-speed films like Portra 400; it’s optimised for well-lit conditions and landscape, nature, or commercial photography where crisp detail and saturated colour are paramount. Its colour palette leans towards bolder, punchier hues that give images a vivid quality straight out of the lab. Because it’s a slower film (ISO 100), you’ll generally want good light or tripod support, but in return, you get explosive colour depth and incredibly clean results.
While the cost per roll can be higher than standard consumer stocks, many shooters feel the investment is justified by the level of detail you can retrieve from each negative, especially when working with premium lenses or larger formats such as 120 or sheet film. If you prefer scanning your negatives or printing large, vibrant images, Ektar 100 is a compelling choice.
Read more: Kodak Ektar 100 review
Fujifilm Superia X-TRA 400 is widely recommended as a workhorse film that punches above many entry-level stocks. Its biggest draw is versatility: with an ISO of 400, it performs reliably in a broad range of lighting conditions, from bright outdoors to tricky indoor shots. In real-world use, the film demonstrates smooth, minimal grain and solid sharpness when exposed correctly, characteristics that make it suitable for everything from travel snapshots to everyday street photography.
Colour rendition on Superia tends towards a cooler, slightly muted palette with a notable magenta bias. This means hues are less punchy than some Kodak films, and some photographers might find the tonal shift less pleasing for portrait work. However, when you’re shooting scenes where fidelity, ease of use, and broad dynamic range are priorities, Superia remains a practical choice, especially considering how easy it is to find at retailers and labs.
Its biggest strength is consistency and availability: unlike many film stocks that have been discontinued or hard to source, Superia 400 remains widely stocked globally, meaning you won’t struggle to find it mid-roll or on last-minute trips. For photographers who want dependable performance without fuss, it’s a sensible everyday stock.
Read more: Fujifilm Superia X-TRA 400 review
Kodak UltraMax 400 is widely recognised as one of the most popular and accessible colour films, often recommended for beginners while remaining useful to more experienced shooters. Boasting an ISO of 400, this film handles lower light situations more gracefully than slower stocks, and its colour rendering produces bright, impactful images with a warm, natural saturation that’s great for everyday use.
The strength of UltraMax lies in its ease of use and adaptability. Its exposure latitude and smooth grain structure help you capture decent results across a variety of conditions — townscapes, portraits, landscapes, indoor scenes — without worrying about precise metering. For photographers who want solid, dependable results without fuss, this film strikes a compelling balance between performance and value. The colour palette tends to be vibrant and punchy but also broadly natural, making it a favourite among shooters who want reliable colour reproduction right out of the lab or scanner.
That said, UltraMax’s ubiquity means it’s occasionally seen as “unremarkable” by experienced users who prefer films with more specialised looks (e.g., ultra-fine grain or distinctive colour character). Still, for everyday use, travel photography, or first forays into analog, it remains one of the most robust all-purpose choices you can make today.
Read more: Kodak Ultramax 400 review
Kodak ColorPlus 200 is one of the most budget-friendly color negative films still widely available, and its appeal lies in simplicity rather than performance. It’s easy to shoot, uses standard C-41 processing, and delivers a distinctly muted, slightly warm look that leans more toward nostalgic family-album vibes than modern punchy color.
Images tend to have soft saturation and gentle contrast, which can look pleasant in good light, especially in sunlit outdoor scenes, but can feel a little flat in dull conditions. Grain and detail are more in line with consumer film than premium stocks, giving photos character but not the crispness or vibrancy of higher-end emulsions.
At ISO 200, it’s flexible enough for daytime use without being especially low-light friendly. Overall, ColorPlus isn’t a film you choose for technical excellence — it’s one you pick for price, accessibility, and an unfussy, vintage-leaning aesthetic that makes it well-suited to casual shooting and learning the basics.
Read more: Kodak ColorPlus 200 review
Kodak Kodacolor 200 is one of the most talked-about recent colour films simply because it represents Kodak’s first new film releases in many years, and it arrives at an attractive price point relative to what many other stocks cost. Though there’s industry chatter that it’s closely related to existing films like ColorPlus 200, in practice Kodacolor 200 delivers a slightly more saturated and lively rendering that many shooters will find pleasant without being over-the-top.
Shot at ISO 200 and processed via the ubiquitous C-41 chemistry, Kodacolor 200 is designed for everyday photography in variable light, from bright outdoor scenes to casual portraits in mixed conditions. In use, it shows fine but noticeable grain, which gives images a clear analog character without overly dominating detail, and its exposure latitude handles typical daylight situations well, highlights glow gently, and shadows retain detail unless you’re up against very high contrast light.
Compared with some of Kodak’s more striking stocks, like Ultramax 400, Kodacolor 200 isn’t about flashy, saturated colour. Instead, it offers a softer, dependable look that feels familiar and pleasing, especially for shooters who enjoy the lo-fi charm of film without making colour rendition the sole focus. Whether that stems from minor tweaks to the underlying emulsion or simply optimism around Kodak’s rebranding, the result is a film that sits comfortably between affordable accessibility and attractive everyday performance.
Overall, Kodacolor 200 is a strong option for photographers seeking a budget-friendly, easy-to-shoot colour film with a classic aesthetic, particularly if you’re curious about Kodak’s newly revived film lineup and want a versatile ISO 200 stock that doesn’t demand perfect light to produce pleasing results.
Read our full Kodak Kodacolor 200 review
Harman Switch Azure is not a film stock for everyone, but that is exactly what makes it so interesting. Its wild, unpredictable color shifts give images a strange and often haunting atmosphere, turning even flat or uninspiring light into something far more memorable. Where a more conventional color-negative film might deliver safe, familiar results, Switch Azure leans into the unexpected.
That unpredictability does come with compromises. Skin tones can be particularly divisive, often drifting into blue in a way that will not suit portraits or serious professional work. This is not a film I would choose for anything that requires accuracy, consistency, or clean commercial results. Instead, it is best approached as a creative experiment, where the surprises are part of the appeal.
What makes Switch Azure so enjoyable is the sense of adventure it brings back to shooting film. Every frame feels like a gamble, and the final look can vary depending on lighting, exposure, processing, and even the scanner used. For photographers who enjoy control, that may be frustrating; for those who like analog photography at its most playful and unpredictable, it is genuinely exciting.
As a buying guide choice, Harman Switch Azure is best recommended as a fun, experimental color-negative film rather than an everyday stock. It will not replace Kodak Ultramax, Portra, or Gold for dependable results, but for strange colors, atmospheric scenes, and a completely different shooting experience, it is a wonderfully bold addition to the growing world of new film stocks.
Read our full Harman Switch Azure 35mm reivew
Best black and white film
Ilford HP5 Plus is one of the most enduring and widely used black-and-white films available today, a true workhorse that’s earned its reputation among students, hobbyists, and experienced monochrome shooters alike. Rated at ISO 400, HP5 Plus strikes a balance between speed, grain structure, and tonal range that makes it easy to shoot in a wide variety of lighting conditions.
From the very first roll, it’s clear why HP5 Plus remains so popular: it produces rich, textured images with a classic silver-grain look that retains character without overwhelming detail. Its grain sits comfortably between ultra-fine stocks and coarser high-speed films, giving images that traditional film feels while remaining sharp and legible when scanned or printed.
One of HP5 Plus’s most appreciated qualities is its forgiveness. It responds well to over- and under-exposure, and developers often push it to EI 800, 1600, or even 3200 for low-light work with surprisingly usable results, a flexibility that beginners find reassuring and advanced shooters use creatively.
For photographers embarking on their first roll of monochrome film, or those who want a reliable all-rounder that won’t penalise exposure missteps, HP5 Plus is a dependable and affordable choice that sits comfortably in any kit bag.
Read our full Ilford HP5 Plus review
Kentmere Pan 200 is a welcome new addition to the budget black-and-white film scene, carving out a useful middle ground between the softer, flatter look of Kentmere’s 100 and the grainier utility of its 400-speed sibling. It’s a 200 ISO panchromatic negative stock that’s designed to deliver a bit more contrast and visual oomph than other Kentmere films, while still keeping price firmly down.
In real-world use you’ll find Pan 200 performs best in daylight or well-lit indoor conditions, where its classic B&W characteristics really come through. The highlights are clean and bright, the blacks go reasonably deep, and shadows still hold detail — giving images a pleasing level of drama without tipping into overly harsh territory. That makes it easy to work with when light is good and fast-changing, and it rewards careful composition with results that feel more deliberate and expressive than cheaper low-contrast stocks.
The grain on Pan 200 is noticeable but controlled, adding character without dominating the frame, and its exposure latitude is generous enough that a few mis-metered shots still yield usable negatives. Compared with stocks like Ilford HP5 Plus, it’s a bit less elastic in every lighting condition, but it hits a sweet spot of texture and punch without feeling muddy or washed out.
Importantly for this guide, Kentmere Pan 200 is very easy to shoot and develop, and it’s one of the most accessible black-and-white films you can buy — ideal for beginners finding their feet, or anyone who shoots monochrome regularly but doesn’t want to pay top-tier film prices. Its balance of contrast, grain, and price makes it a compelling choice if you want a classic film look that feels lively and fun to work with, without stepping up in cost to premium stocks.
Read our full Kentmere Pan 200 review
If there’s a black-and-white film that instantly conjures gritty streets, decisive moments, and documentary heritage, it’s Kodak TRI-X 400. This stock has been the backbone of photojournalism and reportage since the 1940s, and its legacy persists because of a compelling combination of tonal character, grain, and versatility.
At box speed, TRI-X delivers a punchy, moderately high-contrast image with pronounced grain that many photographers find appealing for street, portrait, and expressive documentary work. That grain isn’t a flaw here; it’s part of the film’s signature aesthetic, adding texture and mood that often looks almost nostalgic.
Where HP5 Plus leans slightly smoother, TRI-X embraces grain and contrast, which can give visuals a raw edge that suits subjects with graphic shapes, dramatic light, and narrative intent. Reviewers and photographers often note that pushing TRI-X to EI 800 or even higher enhances its character without losing significant detail, making it ideal for low-light environments or creative experimentation.
While the grain and contrast aren’t to everyone’s taste, some find it too assertive for fine art or smooth portraiture, TRI-X’s enduring appeal lies in its ability to render scenes with feeling and presence, and to do so reliably roll after roll.
Ilford XP2 Super 400 is a unique and practical entry in the black-and-white film world. While it’s technically a black-and-white stock, it is processed using the standard C-41 colour negative process that virtually every lab offers, no specialised B&W chemistry required.
This chromogenic film stands out for its exceptionally fine, smooth grain, noticeably subtler than conventional silver-based stocks at the same ISO. That, combined with its forgiving exposure latitude and broad sensitivity range, makes XP2 Super highly practical for everyday shooting and travel, especially if lab access is limited.
Because you’re not tied to black-and-white chemistry, you can drop off rolls at virtually any photo lab along the way and return home with usable scans or prints. XP2’s tones skew slightly more neutral and less gritty than traditional mono films, which makes it a good choice if you want a refined black-and-white aesthetic without heavy grain.
Photographers who enjoy colour negative convenience but prefer monochrome imagery often find XP2 Super a compelling bridge between worlds, and its ability to take slightly higher or lower exposure indices without drama adds to its everyday flexibility.
Read our full Ilford XP2 Super 400 review
For a more traditional fine-art black-and-white experience, Ilford FP4 Plus is a medium-speed (ISO 125) film that delivers fine grain, rich tonality, and excellent sharpness. This makes it a favourite for landscape, architecture, and still-life work where detail and control are priorities.
FP4 Plus’s lower sensitivity compared with ISO 400 stocks means it shines in well-lit conditions, and its grain structure is noticeably smoother, ideal if you plan to make large prints or seek a more subtle microscope of detail. Its tonality reads as classic and balanced, with deep blacks and luminous midtones that give prints depth without feeling heavy.
Though a slower film necessitates more light or tripod support, the visual payoff for those willing to meter and expose precisely is excellent, especially for photographers who prioritise tonal range and crispness over speed.
Best transparency film
Slide film occupies a distinctive place in analogue photography: instead of negatives, it produces positive transparencies that can be viewed directly or projected without printing. This transparency yields extremely vibrant colour, fine grain, and very high resolution that appeals to landscape photographers, travel shooters, and anyone who loves colour rendered with immediacy.
Kodak’s Ektachrome E100 is a revival of one of the most storied slide films of all time. It excels at producing natural but richly saturated colours with smooth tonal transitions and excellent detail, making it a compelling choice for daylight shooting and well-lit scenes.
While more demanding of precise exposure, slide film’s limited dynamic range doesn’t forgive error as colour negative film does, Ektachrome rewards careful metering with transparency slides that showcase colour depth, tight tonality, and sharpness that’s hard to match with negatives.
Used creatively, Ektachrome slides have a distinctive pop and clarity that render landscapes, architecture, and even portraits with a classic slide aesthetic. However, because of the necessity for good light and accurate exposure, this stock is often chosen for intentional shooting situations rather than everyday snapshots.
Fujifilm’s Fujichrome Provia 100F is often cited among slide film shooters as one of the most versatile and reliable transparency stocks available. Designed to produce colours that closely match the scene as you remember it, without the extreme saturation of some other slide films, Provia offers rich but natural hues and fine grain that make images feel balanced and lifelike.
Where films like Velvia push contrast and saturation to the limit, Provia’s more controlled palette and rendering make it suitable for a wider range of subjects, including landscapes, portraits, and travel scenes. Its versatility also extends to decent reciprocity performance in longer exposures, meaning it can hold colour and exposure integrity up to around two minutes without correction.
One thing to keep in mind with slide film generally, and Provia specifically, is that it doesn’t offer the same latitude as colour negative stock, so careful metering and consistent lighting help ensure the best results. But when you get it right, Provia 100F’s slides deliver crisp detail and faithful colour that make them a joy to view straight from a lightbox or projector.
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.
How to choose the best film
Film photography generally falls into three main categories: color negative film, black-and-white negative film, and transparency, or slide, film.
Color negative film is probably the most familiar and widely used option. It is readily available from specialist camera stores and online retailers, and is developed using the common C-41 process, which is offered by most film labs. It is also well suited to scanning and digitization, making it a practical choice for photographers who want an easy route from shooting film to sharing their images digitally.
Black-and-white negative film has long been a favorite among enthusiasts, students, and photographers looking for a more traditional shooting experience. One of its biggest attractions is that it can be developed relatively easily at home, giving you greater control over the entire process. Of course, home developing does require more time, equipment, and patience than simply sending a roll to a professional lab.
Transparency film, more commonly known as slide film, works differently by producing a positive image directly on the film rather than a negative. It was once widely used by professional photographers, particularly for editorial and commercial work, because of its sharpness, color reproduction, and ability to be viewed or projected without making a print first. Slide film is less common today, but several excellent options are still available, and most modern stocks are processed using the E-6 development method.
What types of film camera are there?
You can read our extensive best film cameras guide for a more detailed breakdown, but film cameras generally fall into three main formats: 35mm, medium format, and large format.
35mm cameras are by far the most common and accessible, which is why they are a great place to start. Medium format cameras are also hugely popular, particularly with photographers who want larger negatives, greater detail, and more flexibility when making high-quality scans.
Large format cameras are a much more specialized proposition. The cameras themselves are larger, more expensive, and slower to operate, while the film comes in individual sheets that need to be loaded into holders before shooting. Each exposure takes time and careful preparation, but for many photographers that slower, more deliberate process is exactly the appeal, alongside the exceptional image quality large format film can deliver.
Why do people still shoot film?
If you want a deeper look at the cameras themselves, our best film cameras guide covers the subject in much more detail. Broadly speaking, though, film cameras are divided into three main formats: 35mm, medium format, and large format.
35mm cameras are the most common and usually the easiest entry point into film photography. They are widely available, relatively compact, and use film that is still easy to buy and process. Medium format cameras step things up with a much larger negative, which can deliver greater detail, smoother tonal transitions, and excellent results when scanning.
Large format cameras are a different proposition altogether. They are bigger, slower, and more involved to use, while the film comes as individual sheets that need to be loaded into holders before you head out shooting. It is certainly not the quickest way to take a photograph, but that careful, considered process is a big part of the appeal, as is the exceptional level of detail these huge negatives can produce.
How we test film
At Digital Camera World, many of our reviewers and other contributors have been shooting since the heyday of film, so we're more than prepared to lend our critical eye to analog photography kit as well as digital. When we test film, we do exactly what you would expect – load it up into a film camera and shoot a few rolls. We assess the film's colour palette, consistency, dynamic range, grain and tolerance for over/underexposure.
We shoot a variety of different subjects – human, vegetable, animal and mineral – to get a sense of how the film performs in different situations, and will generally do our shooting at the manufacturer's recommended box speed. Learn more about how we test and review at Digital Camera World.
