Updated - April 2023
One of the most common questions from fellow photographers is about the types of color films I use and why I use them. I figured this would be a good subject to write about to provide some insight on film types. The question frequently comes from someone who may have just gotten their first film camera and wants to know what kind of film to use for landscapes, as well as those who are committed to one film type but curious about trying something new. This always excites me as I'm glad there are still loads of people just starting out with film, with popularity seeming to grow even more since I first wrote this post a decade ago. As a disclaimer, all of this is just based off of my personal experience and what works for me. Also, this information mostly applies to landscapes, as that is my expertise. If a film gives me the results I want for a certain situation then it's a winner in my book.
“Autumn Barn” - Ektar 100 4x5 (cropped for panorama), 125mm lens. 1/15th second at f22, one stop soft GND filter. Ektar showing off its ability to capture rich color and a remarkable dynamic range during harsh late morning light. Prints available.
This blog post was originally created back in 2013, but is now in its fifth revision! It’s time to revisit the topic again as I’ve created many new images using several of these film types and continue to grow my experience with most of them. There have also been some changes in availability (mostly with Fuji, boo!) so I will touch on that here. The last revision was made shortly after kodak released the new E100 in large format, and now that it’s been a few years I have far more nuanced thoughts on this lovely slide film.
Comparison of color positive (left) and color negative film (right).
Firstly, there are two basic types of color films I'll go over. Then I'll go through the brands and lines of film that I have used. In the image above, I have two sheets of 4x5" film sitting on my light table. The one on the left is a color positive (also called a transparency or slide) and the one on the right is a color negative (also called print film). As you can see, they are quite different.
Positive film creates an image the way you saw it when you snapped the shutter. It also produces rich, saturated colors and strong contrast. Due to these characteristics, it is very important that the exposure is perfect when using positive film. There is not much room for error, overexposed areas will quickly become completely white and unusable, underexposed areas will be very dark or even black and only recoverable with some very expensive scanning equipment, if it can be done at all. When using positive films, it's important that the scene not be too contrasty, or that it be controlled using graduated neutral density filters. However, when the scene is just right for positive films you get rewarded with fantastic colors. This type of film is also typically easier to scan and work with digitally.
Negative film looks like an orange mess when viewed on a light table, with only very saturated colors showing up as odd purple and cyan tones. It is meant to be inverted during the scanning or optical printing process to get the correct colors. This film creates softer, more natural colors and lower contrast than positive films, allowing for a much greater latitude with exposure and dynamic range. Highlights in the scene are usually handled wonderfully and these films can take quite a bit of overexposure. They tend to require a little more care when scanning to get the colors to match what you remember when you took the photo. It will often appear too cyan for my taste or have some other color balance oddities and need some extra love with corrections. To learn more about my negative scanning methods, read this post. Now on to specific lines of film, starting with positive films:
Fuji Velvia 50
"Taughannock Fog" - Velvia 50 example showing off the rich yet accurate colors. 20 seconds at f22, no filters.
Fuji Velvia 50: This is the film that created what a lot of us consider the modern “landscape look” and has been a bit of a gold standard for decades. Originally released in 1990 and revamped minorly a few times since then, it’s known for incredibly fine grain, tons of detail, and colors that really punch. The fame that followed this film made it one of the first film types that I grabbed when starting out many years ago and it’s one that I still use today. It’s not the easiest film for a beginner to learn on, but I think it’s a film that anyone who wants to shoot landscape should try at some point. That is, if you can find it.
"Bear Lake Sunrise" - Velvia 50 example showing its strong rendering of sunrise and autumn colors. 4 seconds at f32, 1 stop soft GND filter. Prints Available.
Velvia 50 is a fantastic film when the scene doesn’t have too much contrast for the film to handle. It's great at bringing out the vibrant detail in intimate scenes that are in open shade or overcast conditions. Typically if there is going to be sky in the photo you may need to use a graduated ND filter to darken it or Velvia may not be able to deal with the range, depending on the time of day and the scene. Only use Velvia when you really, really want strong colors. While I find the colors to be rather accurate in hue, it's easy for it to go over the top with saturation. The longer your exposure the more saturated the colors will become, particularly in those minutes well after sunset or before sunrise. Meter it very carefully; its true speed may be closer to 40 than 50. If you overexpose the highlights just a tad they will be completely lost. Most exposure times will be rather long if you're using this film during golden hour, so plan on using a tripod.
"Twilight Over Floe Lake" - Velvia 50 example showing the warm and purple colors of twilight. 2 minutes at f22, 1 stop soft GND filter.
In the last few years I've taken a liking to how this film deals with twilight hues well before sunrise. In the image above there was that special predawn light where the peaks begin to glow before any direct light has hit them. There's just a few minute window where it's light enough to pull off an exposure on Velvia - if you wait too long the sky quickly lightens and the peaks appear darker in comparison. With this two minute exposure Velvia gets very saturated and brings out the warm purple hues in the sky that exist during twilight hours.
Filter Usage: I typically don't recommend using any color correction filters with Velvia 50. It tends to shift to the warm hues and doesn't need a warming filter unless the light in open shade is exceptionally cool. It's very rare that I use a warming filter with Velvia 50, aside from the very subtle warm tone that's built into my polarizing filter.
“Fireweed Forest” - The typical scene that would have me reaching for Velvia, with even light and details that can be brought out with increased saturation. Velvia 50 4x5, 125mm lens - 10 seconds at f32, no filters. Prints available.
Other Notes: It's worth mentioning that Velvia 50 has a rather extreme reciprocity failure as the exposures get longer than a few seconds which is quite easy given the slow speed of this film. Here are some basic reciprocity times I keep in my when using this film, you’ll want to make note of this when shooting in dim light:
Meter reading of 4 seconds: expose for 5 seconds
Meter reading of 8 seconds: expose for 12 seconds
Meter reading of 16 seconds: expose for 25 seconds
Meter reading of 30 seconds: expose for a full minute
Beyond one minute, expect some personal experimentation (that’s part of the fun!)
Availability: As of 2023, it’s becoming much harder to find this film. It is intermittently in stock at US retailers in roll film sizes, but now nearly impossible to find in sheets. Prices have become steep if it’s available, and you may have to go to eBay to find it in sheets for let’s just say “market price.” Fuji has been struggling with supply over the last few years and they have never been very transparent about their future plans for any film type.
Fuji Velvia 100
"Kebler Aspen" - Velvia 100 example
Fuji Velvia 100: I’m leaving this section in here for archival purposes, just in case someone has gotten their hands on this now-discontinued film. Sometimes you want the strong colors but can't deal with the long exposure times of Velvia 50. Velvia 100 does a good job of filling in that gap, but it doesn't produce the same colors that Velvia 50 does at all and it is by no means a similar emulsion. In my experience, it tends to have a strong magenta color cast, especially in the shadows that usually needs corrected after scanning. Don't get me wrong though, it's a good film and has been used quite a bit by me for those times when there just weren't long enough breaks in the wind to be able to take the several second exposures I'd need on Velvia 50.
"Last Light on the Badlands" - Velvia 100 example showing the strong magenta cast in the shadows.
This would be a good example of Velvia 100's strong magenta cast. It renders the deeper tones of open shade in a far more magenta tone that most other films in my experience. As long as you know what results you can get out of your films it can work to your advantage. I think it worked rather well for a saturated sunset over these mystifying rock formations.
I have come to find in recent years that Velvia 100 seems to have the lowest dynamic range of any film that I've ever used. At first I thought it was perhaps just a bit faster than box speed (perhaps more like 125), but then I realized that when exposed at that speed to save the highlights it still doesn't retain the shadow detail of a properly exposed sheet of Provia or Velvia 50. This has made it a very special-use film for me as you must be even more careful to expose it perfectly and use GND filters for the sky, it really can't handle much in the way of overexposure and those magenta sunset colors will quickly block up into an unusable mess. I save it for those times when I think the colors will enhance the landscape like in the image below:
"South Rim Sunset" - Velvia 100 example where the magenta tones added to the soft sunset colors. 8 Seconds at f32, 2 stop soft GND filter.
Filter Usage: As with Velvia 50, there's really no reason to use a warming filter with this film. Even in cool open shade where the white balance is naturally blue, Velvia 100 will render it a purplish tone and a warming filter will not help with that at all.
Availability: As of 2023 this film is completely discontinued for sale in the US due to an EPA ban for a particular chemical used in Velvia 100. You can find it on eBay or Etsy… but lets be honest, why? It just isn’t worth the hassle or high price. Note: This film is not to be confused with Velvia 100F. The F version is again a completely different film, one that I have never heard anyone mention a good word about. That version has been disappearing from the market it most places.
The NEW Kodak E100
“Glacier Curves" - Kodak E100G example showing off its impressive dynamic range. 4x5 film, 200mm lens, 1/30th at f22, no filters. Prints available.
Kodak E100: Kodak released this film in roll sizes about 5 years ago, and then brought it out in sheets at the end of 2019. Since then, they’ve done a great job of keeping it on store shelves so I’ve been shooting with it extensively. It didn’t take long to realize that this does not resemble a Fuji slide in any way whatsoever. Gone are the magenta colors that have defined landscape photography for the last 30 years. In its place are neutral, real colors and unbelievable dynamic range for a slide film. With Velvia and Provia becoming much harder to get, this film has taken their place in my bag and after a few years I’m very happy with that shift. On my long Alaska road trip in 2022, E100 made up at least 90% of the slide film that I shot. The extra dynamic range was extremely helpful in those deep mountain valleys.
Comparison between Fuji Velvia (left) and the new Kodak E100 (right) taken during the same light. Notice how much more magenta the Velvia slide is, but also note the more delicate highlights in the soft pastel colors of the sky in the E100. This comparison just shows how very different the film types are.
First off, it’s obviously a wildly different formula and approach to slide film than any of Fuji’s modern slides. It comes out of the developer looking all sorts of weird and turns my chemicals into the color of kool-aid. The film itself looks nothing like any Fuji film. Where Fuji tends to shift towards magenta in highlights, E100 has a mild but notable green cast throughout much of the scene and particularly the highlights. This modern tendency to have landscapes appear more magenta than real life is probably due to the color palette we’ve been seeing in Fuji films for decades. This Kodak competitor is perhaps more close to reality (though with a touch of green), and maybe it’s time for us to embrace some change and shift our ideas of what a landscape image looks like.
“Redwood Fog” - Rich greens are looking to be a signature of the new E100. Note the impressive highlight detail in the bright light hitting the trees. 12 seconds at f45, polarizing filter.
I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that the new E100 is the negative shooter’s slide. In so many ways this film behaves more like a negative, and that’s completely ok. It seems to have an extra stop or two of dynamic range over most slides, particularly in the highlights. You might be ok bumping up the exposure a tad more than typical (1/3 to 2/3) to recover some shadows while not having to worry as much about losing highlight detail. It also has more of that soft, natural color palette that we are used to seeing in negative films. For fans of highly saturated colors in landscapes, this film may not be your first pick.
This film also handles edits after scanning more more easily than Fuji slides. Feel that it looks to green or blue? Just a tiny bump down on the green and blue channels in a curves layer and it’s perfect. When Fuji films go too magenta, there’s no bringing them back to the world of reality. This film behaves more like a raw file. You may want to make some minor corrections to color or add a little contrast, but it’s so easy to tweak the scans!
“Autumn Mist Sunset” - Denali National Park, Alaska. There is still plenty of rich color in this film, it seems to do well with autumn foliage mixed with greens. 200mm lens, 1 second at f32, 1 stop soft GND and 812 warming filters. Prints available.
Filter Usage: In general this film seems to be on the cool side, with a slight greenish tint. After using it for a few years, I prefer it with a warming filter, but a more magenta hued one like the Tiffen 812. Others have also noted good results with the KR2 or KR3 filters. If the conditions make using a filter challenging, don’t sweat it. It’s easy to reduce the coolness during or after scanning.
Other Notes: I do not think this film is actually ISO 100, to me it seems closer to 80 or maybe even 64. I’d always recommend adding a little extra exposure to this film to make the most of the dynamic range and pull out all the shadow detail. Kodak doesn’t tell us much in the way of reciprocity for this film. It seems to do pretty well, but I think a little extra exposure is needed when you get beyond 30 to 45 seconds for your exposures. I’m adding about 15-20 seconds of additional exposure when my meter reads about one minute, if that gives you a ballpark starting point for your experimentation.
Kodak E100G: This film is not the old Kodak E100G, which was a film that was discontinued in 2012. I think it still has some of the “Kodak feel” of that old film, but I was never able to extensively test the older emulsion. Since any E100G you’d be coming across at this point is well past its expiration date, I’ve decided to remove that film from this post and replace it with the new E100.
Availability: This film is regularly available in all sizes with only intermittent supply issues.
Read more about E100 in my new blog post here
Fuji Provia 100F
"Heart of Stone" - Provia 100f example showing off its accurate and subtle color when used with a warming filter. 12 seconds at f32, warming filter.
Fuji Provia 100f: This is a great all around slide film and until recently was readily available. Let’s hope Fuji figures it out soon. Colors are still strong as it is a slide film but not over the top and it has reasonable dynamic range. It's a jack-of-all-trades slide film and works well for a wide variety of scenes. With Velvia becoming increasingly hard to find in sheets, Provia is a good substitute if you prefer Fuji colors over Kodak’s E100. It’s also a true 100 speed film so it’s possible to work with slighter faster shutter speeds than Kodak’s slide.
"Soaptree Yucca" - Provia 100f example. 1 second at f45, polarizer and warming filter.
It can really excel when photographing in the desert as it keeps the colors tasteful in rock formations and other bare earth. Above is a good example of Provia's usefulness in desert landscapes. It still has strong enough contrast to bring out the textures in the sand ripples, but it doesn't oversaturate the delicate hues of the morning light. When it comes to photographing sand dunes I tend to have most of my film holders loaded with Provia.
"Logan Run Falls" - Provia 100f example. 40 seconds at f45, polarizer and warming filters.
Its general usability means that Provia can be great for roll film cameras where you can’t change the film midway through the roll. I ended up using it almost exclusively in my Panoramic 6x17cm camera and have found it to be able to work with nearly every scene I throw at it. Another strong point of this film is that it doesn't have much at all in the way of reciprocity failure so even a long 40 second exposure like the image above doesn't need any additional exposure correction.
"Sneffels Range Autumn" - Provia 100f Example. It's able to capture reasonable colors and contrast in most any scene. 1/2 second at f32, 1 stop soft GND and warming filter.
Provia is an excellent choice for extremely long exposures. Fuji recommends no reciprocity adjustment up to two minutes and even beyond then it is very minor and something that doesn’t usually need to be worried about. When I’m in the desert and the twilight glow just seems to go on forever, my last shot of the evening is almost always on Provia. 5 to 10 minute exposures are no trouble, and even if you want to try some star trails this film is a great option for you.
As much as I’ve come to love Kodak’s new E100, there is something special about Fuji magenta hues in the desert. Since dunes are so low in contrast there’s also no worries about the narrow dynamic range. It’s a film worth keeping around if you can get it.
“Twilight Yuccas” - Provia in twilight. 5 minutes at f32, warming filter and one stop soft GND
Filter Usage: Provia tends to lean towards cool tones, particularly in open shade and twilight. I would strongly recommend using a warming filter (such as an 81B) to correct this in just about any scene unless you desire some strong cool blues. In certain scenes the blue highlights can actually block up to where they can't be saved after scanning and a filter will definitely help with that.
Availability: As of 2023, Fuji does not seem to be very good about keeping supplies of this film available over the last two years. This was generally the readily available slide film, lets hope it happens again!
Fuji Astia 100F
"Peak of the Clouds Sunrise" - Fuji Astia 100f example. 6 seconds at f16, 2 stop and 1 stop soft GND filters
Fuji Astia 100f: This film was known for it's softer colors for a slide film, making it famous among portrait and fashion photographers but made it less popular with landscape photographers. I have only made a few good photographs with it, the one above being a standout. This was possibly the strongest aplenglow colors I had ever seen. I knew that any other slide film would have likely made the mountains an overly powerful red that would have just been too much so I took the shot on Astia. This film has a bit of an odd warm, yellowish color cast in most cases that isn't always flattering for landscapes, though I have seen some photographers make outstanding photographs of river scenes with it. I never quite found the right scenes to make this film sing.
"Snowstorm Layers" - Astia 100F example. 1/15th second at f16, no filters
Filter Usage: Astia was designed to be flattering for portraits, resulting in a soft color palette that leans towards warmer hues. I could not see any reason to use a warming filter for this film because it always turns out somewhat yellow as is. The above image would have certainly turned out quite blue on Provia even with a warming filter so Astia worked to maintain the tones in the forest.
Availability: I decided to leave this film in the blog post as archive material as the film was discontinued in 2011 or 12. As of 2023, Astia is mostly gone aside from some occasional ebay auctions that are getting more expensive and the film is getting even more expired. Next up is color negative film!
Kodak Ektar 100
"Sunflower Sunset" - Ektar 100 example showing the extreme dynamic range in this backlit scene. 2 seconds at f45, no filters. Prints available
Kodak Ektar 100: Kodak has used the name “Ektar” for film types in some form or another for decades, but the film I’m talking about here is the one that came out in late 2008. It has colors nearly as strong as slide film, but the dynamic range is just plain ridiculous. I find it to have very good greens and reds, and have had great luck using it to photograph waterfalls and rivers with lush green foliage around them. Often the water appears too bright or the foliage too dark when using slide film so Ektar is a great choice for these scenes.
When shooting grand landscapes at golden hour I still try to use graduated ND filters with Ektar, as keeping the exposure right around the middle zone will give the most accurate colors. I wouldn't recommend intentionally overexposing it the way you might with other color negative films, but don’t be afraid to let the highlights suffer some abuse if needed. This film really works for all situations. The scene above would have previously been impossible for me to photograph. Using this incredible film, I was able to keep the backlit sunflowers bright while maintaining detail in the sky even around the sun.
“Buffalo Pass Aspen” - Backlit forests on Ektar are a total breeze. 15 seconds at f64, no filters. Prints available.
Working in bright aspen forests like the scene above is a joy, as I never have to worry about using a filter which might add for the potential of lens flare. Make sure to check out my blog post on getting the most out of your color negative film to understand how I meter for these tricky scenes.
"Ruby Pond Sunrise” - Ektar 100 example showing off the incredible dynamic range. 125mm lens, 4 seconds at f32, no filters. Prints available.
Ektar has pretty much become my go-to film for backlit scenes. When I'm ever worried at a scene may be too contrasty for any of my slide films I will often also take a shot on Ektar just to make sure I get something out the shoot. It's always able to handle details in the shadows and even with the sun directly in the frame it does a good job of keeping it from washing out the sky. As a note, I will say that underexposed areas will become rather saturated which is common on negative films. Try to use that to your advantage but beware that it can easily become too much as the colors and tones get muddy.
"Clearing Fog at Loch Vale" - Ektar 100 example showing the wide variety of colors and contrast it can handle. 2 seconds at f32, 2 stop soft GND filter.
If you’re not sure what you might run into and want to have an incredibly versatile film in your camera, Ektar is a truly excellent choice. From harsh midday light through sunset, you’ll be able to capture vibrant images of just about any subject you throw at it. This makes it a solid option for roll film shooters. When backpacking in the mountains, Ektar is typically the negative film that I will take with me.
“Glacier Boats” - Ektar 100, 200mm lens, 20 seconds at f45, 4 stop ND filter. Prints available.
Filter Usage: With all negative film I don't really recommend using a warming filter unless the color balance outside is extremely cool. In the modern scanning process you will do color correction during and after the inversion of the negative, meaning that you won't really be able to tell a difference whether or not you used a color correction filter unless you're under some extremely out-of-whack color scenario such as poor quality tungsten or fluorescent light.
Availability: This film is readily available in all the common formats. It's not a very old film and it seems that Kodak is making continuous fresh supplies.
Kodak Portra 160 and 400
"Coffee Creek Barn" - Portra 160 example showing the delightful and subtle color palette. 2 seconds at f45, 1 stop soft GND filter. Prints available
Kodak Portra 160 and 400: Portra is all about the subtleties. Soft colors, tons of detail and a dynamic range even better than Ektar. It handles highlights unlike anything else and usually looks good a bit overexposed. I find it to be a film for special purposes when it's qualities are exactly what you want; it's not always ideal for landscapes if you are going for more of a strong color and contrast look. I use it frequently for my recent project on the prairie and my oil project as the soft colors and contrast are exactly the look I'm going for. The Portra VC (vivid color) and NC (natural color) lines were consolidated into this new film several years ago and no longer exist. The new film is somewhere in between the two on color saturation and, as Kodak claims, it really does seem to scan better with more accurate colors. It's availability in 400 speed is fantastic for handheld shooting. It's my go-to film when walking around with my medium format camera. This film is in a league of its own.
"Frosty Solitude" - Portra 160 example showing its use in bright sunlit snow. 1/15th at f22, no filters
Portra can truly excel in bright, sunlit snow scenes. The low saturation of the film and high overexposure tolerance give a true white look to the snow without any unwanted color casts. Don't be afraid to really add a lot of exposure for a sunlit snowy scene with this film. Two stops over neutral grey can make sunlit snow look perfect.
Portra 160 in the wilderness, an excellent film choice for any situation. 2 seconds at f32, 1 stop soft GND filter
If you’ve been following me on Instagram lately, you’ve probably noticed that I’ve been using Portra quite extensively both on the prairie and in the mountains. There’s so much you can do with this film depending on how you meter it, making for an incredibly flexible film that can suit many needs. To get the most out of this film you might want to check out my post on how to meter it for different scenarios.
Portra 400 exposed at box speed gives rather medium to strong color saturation. 1/15th at f16, 1 stop soft GND filter.
Coincidentally, I have only used the 160 version in 4x5 and the 400 version in medium format sizes. I find that the higher speed is perfect for those times when you just want to walk around with a camera and not worry about a tripod. When using the 160 version I tend to be going for very soft colors so I expose it at 100 and err on the side of overexposure. For me, I tend to use the 400 speed version as a general landscape film so I expose at box speed for the midtones and don't worry too much about highlights or shadows as the film can handle it. I feel like it may be possible that the 400 version has a bit more color saturation. Do be warned if your goal is to make large prints: the 400 speed version is significantly more grainy that 160.
"Redwoods" - Portra 400 example. 1/60th at f8, no filters.
Quick Tip: Portra can be a very versatile film depending on how you expose it. Overexpose it and you'll get very soft colors and dreamy highlights, underexpose it just a tad and you can get strong colors that look almost more like a slide film. This makes it a very attractive for roll film use as you can have multiple purposes out of just one type of film.
Availability: It's currently available in all the common formats in both speeds. The 400 version usually costs a bit more than the 160 version.
This concludes the list of color films that I have personally tried. Of course there are so many other types out there ranging from great to bad, discontinued to available. Many of the other film types out there are geared more towards portrait or general use photography so I just haven't tried them.
Quite often, someone will ask me what my favorite film is. As you can see, there is a reason to use just about each film so it is hard to choose favorites. They all have their purposes. One of the major benefits of shooting large format is that I can change the film type with every shot, instead of having to burn through a whole roll before moving on to the next one. While I recommend that people at least experiment with several types, I think that the best films to start with for landscapes would be E100 and Ektar. They are both good, all-purpose films and trying both positive and negative film will help you get an idea of what works best for you. In then end you might find yourself using many film types, or you may want to just keep it simple and stick with a few once you find the right ones.
Next up is what to do with the film once you've gotten your perfect exposures. I get a lot of questions on how I scan and edit my color negative film, so I've written a blog post showing you my entire workflow for a sheet of Ektar. Check it out here.
Did you find this blog post helpful? You might want to check out my ebook: "Film in a Digital Age" which is packed with this sort of info and so much more.