The film you choose for your camera matters far, far more than your choice of camera and lens. There are three kinds of films you are likely to encounter: colour negatives, E-6 slide films, and traditional black and white films.

As a general rule, any 35mm camera can use any 35mm film, whether it’s color or black and white. Medium Format cameras require 120 film, and pocket 110 cameras will need to use 110 cartridge films. Some cameras may require a certain ISO speed to create a proper exposure.

The Best 35mm Color Film for Vivid Images

• Kodak Portra 400. We have zero hesitation in crowning Portra 400 the supreme choice among color films.
• Fuji Superia X-Tra. Fuji’s distinguishing characteristic is right on the box.
• Lomography Color Negative Film.
• Kodak Ultramax 400 Color Print Film.
• Fujifilm Fujicolor C200.

135 film, more popularly referred to as 35 mm film or 35 mm, is a format of photographic film used for still photography. It is a film with a film gauge of 35 mm (1.4 in) loaded into a standardized type of magazine – also referred to as a cassette or cartridge – for use in 135 film cameras.

Decide what colors you like, and choose a film accordingly. This will depend on your subject. For example, super-saturated films like Velvia might be great for landscapes, but terrible for people (at least lighter-skinned ones). Subtle colors or black-and-white is often much better for this sort of thing.

The last way to describe types of 35mm film is by the type of output once the pictures are taken. First there is color negative film; then there is color positive film. Lastly, there is black and white film. Color negative film is the most common type of 35mm film.

Intended for versatility and reliability, the Fujicolor Pro 400H is the best color film 35mm for wedding photographers, who wish to capture the rich details of skin tones, nature, and balanced highlights with shadows. Analog photographers employ it for portraits with a real character.

The Tri-X is incredibly sharp and super-high-contrast, which makes it the best 35mm film for the speedy panchromatic shooting of poorly-lit objects or fast movements. The Tri-X will do the heavy lifting for you with its exaggerated black and detailed depth.

Color negative film is one of the most popular types of film, commonly available from everywhere from specialist camera shops to Amazon. It’s particularly useful when digitizing film, as it’s relatively easy to handle the orange mask and negative tones of color negatives.