Top 13 Film Stocks for Every Occasion | Our Favorite Film Brands

We asked a team of professional and hobbyist film photographers what each other their favorite film stocks were, including sample images across various formats.

Steven Gold 200 1

This year has been an incredible feat for the film photography community. With Kodak releasing their beloved Kodak Gold 200 in 120 formats, CineStill successfully Kickstarted 400D, Leica re-released the famous M6, and Nikon is now launching a film-lookalike of one of their digital mirrorless cameras.

While exciting, we must recognize how expensive film can be, and spending hard-earned dollars on film is a delicate choice. As such, we've put together this guide to walk you through most of the film stocks we carry to help you decide what film will serve you best.

I've enlisted the help of my fellow film shooters here at Creative Club Chicago to help give you a broader perspective on the myriad of film stocks. They're all wonderfully talented photographers — please check out their work, linked in each section, and give them a follow.

Creative Club Chicago Members

Kodak Ektar 100

Picked By: @stevenmschultz

I will champion Ektar all day long. While not only film stock I have reached for, it works beautifully when I do. The roll's extreme colorways are beautiful for landscapes and street photography, and the 100-speed gives you a healthy level of fine grain and detail in every image. Pro tip — rate it for 25 or 50, and the colors will gradually soften to grant you a cleaner palette.

Photo By: @stevenmschultz on Ektar 100.

Photo By: @stevenmschultz on Ektar 100.

Moment kodak 6031330 Professional Ektar100 Film 135 36 thumbnail

Kodak

Professional Ektar 100 Color Negative Film 35mm

Your film camera will thank you for feeding it the Kodak Professional Ektar 100 film! It offers the finest, smoothest grain of any color-negative film

Buy for $16.99
Moment kodak 8314098 Professional Ektar 100 Film 120 Propack 5 Rolls thumbnail

Kodak

Professional Ektar 100 Color Negative 120 Film - Open Box - 5 Rolls

Your film camera deserves a treat! Ektar 100 120 film offers the finest, smoothest grain of any color negative film available today coming at you in a 5 pack

Buy for $64.99

Kodak Ektachrome 100

Picked By: @braxtonwallis

Ektachrome is my favorite slide film available. Seeing your photos as positives rather than negatives after development makes this roll unique and charming. Ektachrome tends to lean on the cooler side, so I prefer to capture images during blue hour for an even chillier image of dusted blues.

Photo By: @braxtonwallis on Ektachrome 100

Photo By: @braxtonwallis on Ektachrome 100.

Photo By: @braxtonwallis on Ektachrome 100.

Moment kodak 1884576 Professional Ektachrome Film E100 135 36 thumbnail

Kodak

Professional Ektachrome E100 Color Reversal 35mm Film

Your film camera told us that it needs some love! Treat it with Professional Ektachrome E100 35mm Film which delivers outstanding image quality and performance

Buy for $21.99
Moment Kodak 8731200 Professional Ektachrome Film E100 5 Rolls Thumbnail

Kodak

Professional Ektachrome E100 Color Reversal 120 Film - 5 Rolls

Feed your Medium Format film camera some tasty E100! The extremely fine grain Kodak Ektachrome E100 will give you a wide dynamic range, great color accuracy.

Buy for $81.99

Kodak Portra 160

Picked By: @melissatassone_

I appreciate Portra 160 because it offers the most refined, neutral tone. With its leaf shutter, I consistently achieve the most use out of the 160-speed in my GA 645. I've had a lot more range in editing the scans because the base colors of 160 stay true to life.

Photo By: @melissatassone_ for Portra 160.

Photo By: @melissatassone_ for Portra 160.

Photo By: @melissatassone_ for Portra 160.

Moment kodak 6031959 Professional Portra 160 Film 135 36 Propack 5 Rolls thumbnail

Kodak

Professional Portra 160 Color Negative 35mm Film - 5 Rolls

Treat your film camera! The Kodak Portra 160 35mm film features a significantly finer grain structure, exceptionally smooth, and natural skin tone reproduction

Buy for $69.95
Moment kodak 1808674 Professional Portra 160 Film 120 Propack 5 Rolls thumbnail

Kodak

Professional Portra 160 Color Negative 120 Film - 5 Rolls

Treat your film camera! The Kodak Portra 160 120 film features a significantly finer grain structure, exceptionally smooth, and natural skin tone reproduction

Buy for $54.99

Kodak Gold 200

Picked By: @stevenmschultz

I was pleasantly surprised after testing Kodak's famous Gold 200 in 120; I didn't expect to love it as much as I do. I consider it an in-between option for Ektar 100 and Portra 400 — more saturated than Portra, a little less than Ektar, and offers plenty of sharpness, fine grain, and fantastic color. I'm not particularly fond of skin tones from this stock, but when there's sufficient light, it thrives for landscape imagery.

Photo By: @stevenmschultz on Gold 200.

Photo By: @stevenmschultz on Gold 200.

Photo By: @stevenmschultz on Gold 200.

Moment Kodak 6033997 Gold 200 35mm single roll 36 exp Thumbnail

Kodak

Gold 200 Color Negative 35mm Film

Shoot with the Legendary Kodak GOLD 200 35m Film! A low-speed color negative film, offering outstanding color saturation, fine grain, and high sharpness

Buy for $11.99
Moment Kodak 1075597 Professional Gold 200 120 Film 5 Rolls thumbnail

Kodak

Professional Gold 200 Color Negative 120 Film

Shoot with the Legendary Kodak GOLD 200 120 Film! A low-speed color negative film, offering outstanding color saturation, fine grain, and high sharpness

Buy for $44.99

Portra 400

Picked By: @geneyoon

This is my go-to film stock. It's the film stock I've shot the most so far as a film photographer, and I love how it renders color and saturation. For budget, it's slightly more affordable than Portra 800 and is the perfect choice for portraits, landscapes, and general use.

Photo By: @geneyoon on Portra 400.

Photo By: @geneyoon on Portra 400.

Photo By: @geneyoon on Portra 400.

Moment kodak 6031678 Professional Portra 400 Film 135 36 Propack 5 Rolls thumbnail

Kodak

Professional Portra 400 Color Negative Film 35mm

Eyeing the go-to choice of pro film shooters? Kodak Portra Film at true ISO 400 delivers spectacular skin tones and color saturation in 35mm format

Buy for $79.99
Moment kodak 8331506 Professional Portra 400 Film 120 Propack 5 Rolls thumbnail

Kodak

Professional Portra 400 Color Negative 120 Film - 5 Rolls

Looking for a film with great skin tones, exceptional color saturation? At true ISO 400 speed, Kodak Portra 120 delivers in a wide range of lighting conditions

Buy for $64.75

Fuji Pro 400H

Picked By: @geneyoon

This film stock I've reserved for landscape use. I adore how it looks with lots of available sunlight, particularly its mesmerizing blues and greens that emulate storybook visuals.

Photo By: @geneyoon on Fuji 400H.

Photo By: @geneyoon on Fuji 400H.

Moment Fujifilm 16326078 PRO 400 H 135 36 thumbnail

Fujifilm

PRO 400H 35mm Film

Professional PRO 400H 35mm Film-quality, high-speed, daylight-type, fine-grain, color negative film, incorporating Fujifilm's proprietary 4th color layer.

Buy for $11.99
Moment Fujifilm 16326119 PRO 400 120 5 PK thumbnail

Fujifilm

PRO 400H 120 Film - 5 Pack

Need pro-quality 120, high-speed, daylight-type, fine-grain, color negative film? The PRO 400 120 will deliver with Fujifilm's proprietary 4th color layer

Buy for $58.00

Lomo 800

Picked By: @melissatassone_

Lomo 800 is a favorite because of its natural glow, vibrant colors, and a deep touch of grain. I naturally lean for magenta in my digital editing to impersonate this stock's natural tone. While it may seem gnarly to push to 3200, it holds up well for low-light conditions. Lomo 800 is the only film stock I use that has made my red hair pop while maintaining its hue.

Photo By: @melissatassone_ for Lomo 800.

Photo By: @melissatassone_ for Lomo 800.

Photo By: @melissatassone_ for Lomo 800.

Moment Lomography F836 C3 Color Negative 35mm 800 ASA 3pack thumbnail

Lomography

800 Color Negative 35mm Film - 3pack

Shooting in challenging lighting? Lomography Color Negative 800 35mm film for quick shutters, small apertures, fast subjects, and low light.

Buy for $34.99
Moment Lomography F8120 C3 Color Negative 800 120 3 pcs thumbnail

Lomography

800 Color Negative 120 Film - 3 pack

Shooting quick shutters, small apertures, fast subjects, and low light? The Lomography Color Negative 800 120 film will be a perfect choice

Buy for $27.99

Portra 800

Picked By: @stevenmschultz

My go-to film stock for almost every scenario. It's perfect for shooting when the light gets low, and I generally value this film's stellar saturation, textured grain, and subtle contrast. It's the first film I reach for regardless of the situation because I know it'll deliver the exact results I envision before I pick up my camera.

Photo By: @stevenmschultz on Potra 800.

Photo By: @stevenmschultz on Potra 800.

Photo By: @stevenmschultz on Potra 800.

Moment kodak 1451855 Professional 800 Film 135 36 thumbnail

Kodak

Professional Portra Color Negative 800 35mm Film

You want all the advantages of a high-speed film along with finer grain, higher sharpness, natural skin tones? Kodak Professional Portra 800 35mm film delivers!

Buy for $18.99
Moment kodak 8127946 Professional Portra 800 Film 120 Propack 5 Rolls thumbnail

Kodak

Professional Portra 800 Color Negative 120 Film - 5 Rolls

In need of a high-speed film with finer grain, higher sharpness, and more natural skin tones? Kodak Professional Portra 800 120 film delivers in a 5 pack!

Buy for $75.99

CineStill 800T

Picked By: @eric.floberg

I don’t shoot CineStill that frequently, but when it works, it really works. Since it is technically Vision 500T (commonly used film for motion picture films) with the remjet layer removed, it has a visceral cinematic look unparalleled to any other film stock. Stereotypically, photographers use this stock on urban landscapes at night for the red halation’s, but I love experimenting with it in broad daylight, for portraiture, and during blue hour.

Photo By: @eric.floberg shot on CineStill 800T.

Photo By: @eric.floberg shot on CineStill 800T.

Photo By: @eric.floberg shot on CineStill 800T.

Moment Cine Still Cine Still 800 Tungsten 135 36 Boxed thumbnail

CineStill

800 Tungsten Color Negative 35mm Film

Are you pushing the limits of light? CineStill 800 Tungsten is the ultimate low light film for your film camera! Rated ISO 200-2000! Can be pushed to 3000!

Buy for $17.99
Moment Cine Still CINE800 T120 Film 800 Tungsten 120 Boxed thumbnail

CineStill

800 Tungsten Color Negative 120 Film

Are you pushing limits of light? CineStill 800 Tungsten is the ultimate low light film for your film camera! Rated ISO 200-2000! Can be pushed to 3000!

Buy for $16.99

CineStill BWxx

Picked By: @braxtonwallis

I love BWxx because of its effortless cinematic vibe. As essentially repackaged Kodak Eastman Double-X 5222, you can recreate the countenance seen in movies such as Raging Bull, Schindler's List, and Kill Bill Vol. 1. It sports stunning tonality with pleasing contrast and grain structure.

Photo By: @braxtonwallis on BWxx.

Photo By: @braxtonwallis on BWxx.

Photo By: @braxtonwallis on BWxx.

Moment Cine Still CINE Bw XX36exp Film Bw XX 135 36 roll thumbnail

CineStill

BwXX - Black and White Negative 35mm Film

Are you a B&W shooter? CineStill BwXX is a variable speed, classic black & white film emulsion, with an EI of 250 under daylight and 200 under tungsten lighting

Buy for $13.99

Ilford HP5+

Picked By: @braxtonwallis

HP5+ Is the most versatile B&W stock; it offers tons of exposure latitude to shoot in any condition. It also provides a softer, less contrasty face if that's more your style. I love carrying this around when I don't know the constraints. Furthermore, this is the best budget B&W stock you can find.

Photo By: @braxtonwallis on HP5+

Photo By: @braxtonwallis on HP5+

Moment Ilford 1574577 HP5 35 MM 36 EXP thumbnail

Ilford

HP5 PLUS Black and White Negative 35mm Film (36 Exposures)

Looking to get a 35mm B&W film that will deliver outstanding sharpness, fine grain, under all lighting conditions? Feed your film camera Ilford HP5 PLUS 35mm

Buy for $9.99
Moment Ilford 1629017 HP5 120 ROLL thumbnail

Ilford

HP5 PLUS Black and White Negative 120 Film

Looking to get a 35mm film that will deliver outstanding sharpness, fine grain, under all lighting conditions? Feed your film camera Ilford HP5 PLUS 120 film

Buy for $8.99

Kodak Tri-X 400

Picked By: @braxtonwallis

My favorite film stock for almost everything. I love shooting this stock at 800-1600 ISO, but it can handle 3200 without a problem. It gives a more contrasty look than most, which I love.

Photo By: @braxtonwallis on Tri-X 400

Photo By: @braxtonwallis on Tri-X 400

Photo By: @braxtonwallis on Tri-X 400

Moment Kodak 8667073 Professional Tri X 400 Film TX135 36 thumbnail

Kodak

Professional Tri-X 400 Black and White Negative 35mm Film

Feed your film camera with the world's best selling B&W 35mm film! This classic B&W film allows for maximum pushability when needed with wide exposure latitude

Buy for $12.99
Moment Kodak 1153659 Professional Tri X 400 Film TX120 120 Propack 5 Rolls thumbnail

Kodak

Professional Tri-X 400 Black and White Negative 120 Film - 5 Rolls

Feed your film camera with the world's best selling B&W 120 film! This classic B&W film allows for maximum pushability when needed with wide exposure latitude

Buy for $44.95

Kodak TMax 400

Picked By: @braxtonwallis

This is my favorite b&w stock for portraits. It features Kodak's T-Grain emulsion and maintains a fine-grain structure with potent levels of sharpness and detail. It also pushes very well if you're seeking additional contrast.

Photo By: @braxtonwallis on TMax 400.

Photo By: @braxtonwallis on TMax 400.

Photo By: @braxtonwallis on TMax 400.

Moment Kodak 8947947 Professional T Max 400 Film TMY135 36 thumbnail

Kodak

Professional T-Max 400 Black and White 35mm Film

You want the sharpest 400-speed B&W film in the world? Kodak Professional T-MAX 400 35mm Film is it, in addition to being the finest-grained!

Buy for $11.99
Moment Kodak 8572273 Professional T Max 100 Film TMX120 Propack 5 Rolls thumbnail

Kodak

Professional T-Max 100 Black and White Negative 120 Film - 5 Rolls

Explore the extremes of images quality and enlargement! The Kodak T-Max 100 120 film lets you do this with nearly invisible grain

Buy for $39.99

Photos By: @stevenmschultz shot on Portra 800.

Photo By: @stevenmschultz on Ektar 100.