My favorite films for analog portraits
Вставка
- Опубліковано 16 вер 2016
- In this video, I present my favorite films for shooting analog portaits. Of course, this selection represents my current knowledge. I hope to discover more films suitable for portraits in the future.
If you have any suggestions or questions, please leave me a comment below.
If you'd like to get in touch or see some early behind the scenes footage, find me on Instagram: / analog_insights
Simple and to the point. Very instructional video. I appreciate that you can cover the most important features of these films without going overboard with unnecessary technical information. Thank you!
One of the best film reviews I've seen. Thank you.
Thanks so much! I really appreciate your kind comment. I am always trying hard to provide high quality content. :)
@@AnalogInsights - Hi Max - may I ask what developers you prefer for FP4, HP5 and Rollei RPX 100 please?
@@zenden6564 Sure! In general I prefer Adox FX-39 II by now. Great developer in terms of handling, durability and results. I can highly recommend it.
Just getting back into film after going to digital many years ago. In fact, as a kid, I had a darkroom and processed all my own film! Great video, great information! Thanks so much and keep up the good work!
High quality content. Your reviews are truly engaging and educational. I attribute that to your style of presentation. I'm happy to have found you on UA-cam.
Very helpful and informative, what is great is that you show pictures that reflect what you are saying. So many youtubers just read up and do a theoretical discussion without examples - you show great shots that reflex what you are talking about. Really good work - thank you
Thanks a lot for your kind comment. I really appreciate it! :)
Awesome review, you save me a day. Thank you!
Awesome content! Thanks for these film recommendations.
Beautiful pictures and excellent information. Thank you!!!
Best films review, excellent portraits!
I have entered the world of medium format and invested in a RB67 Pro SD with a selection of K/L and C lenses.
Thanks for sharing your insights and your preferred film stocks.
thanks to share,wow i need to order some Rollei film, those tones looks amazing
You have done great job with all these films. Wonderful video. Thank you. RS. Canada
Truly beautiful images you ised as examples. Thinking more and more of going medium format. Thank you for all the information.
Very nice Film review, and BTW : Great shots ! Thanks for sharing !
Great information, Thank you. This is well worth another watch! And I will watch it again. Thank you.
Cool, thanks for your feedback. I'm glad to hear that. :)
Great review! Thank you!
Really enjoying your content mate 👏👏👏
great! i like your videos, you give useful information. I especially liked the comparison between color films and their tonality rendtion... it's a pity that you don't like tri-x as much as I do :) but I agree that for portraits, once you get to medium format and get rid of some grain, HP5 has flatter medium tones and is therefore more suited. I personally think that ultimately exposure+development+contrast management while printing affect tones much more than subtle differences between two similar films so once you know well a film+dev combination you're in control. this is just an observation as for the purpose of the video of comparing films for portraiture use I think you've done an excellent job. Thank you
A very informative and well made video. I especially liked the precise way you talked about the benefits of the different films. Thanks for showing example of use. Keep up the good work! :)
EriksonVideos Thanks a lot for your kind feedback. Makes me happy to hear that.
Man that RPX 100 looks pretty fantastic. Thanks for sharing, man.
Nicely done! I love the concise summary. Tony
Thanks a lot for your comment, Tony. I really appreciate it. :)
The HP4 has become my favorite too. You can push it a stop or two and get real nice results.
Incredible photography Max!
Davy Mike Thanks so much. Really appreciate it. :)
u have a sweet smiling attire. And you are doing quite a great job with your photoshoots. Keep up the good work its enjoyable seeing your work. Especially to know that you are working in germany :)
Thanks a lot for your kind comment. :) Really appreciate your words.
That was a good point about 400h. My all time fav color film for portraits is Fuji Natura 1600. The colors have a pastel-like, and slightly desaturated look- I just love it for women and children portraits. I wish it was available in 120, I've only ever seen it in 35mm. And man is it expensive!
Thanks so much for your comment and good advice regarding Fuji Natura 1600. I will definitely give this film a try! :)
Love the video, happy to subscribe!
Thanks a lot. Glad you liked this video. :)
Great video! Have to try that Rollei film :)
Great review !
Try Ultrafine Extreme 400. Fantastic film. Also the Portra 160 shot at 80 and developed with Caffenol C-M. 11 min at 20C
Wonderfully articulate and informative video...
Thanks a lot for your kind words. Really appreciate it. :)
very helpful, thanks!
Very interesting, many thanks
Thank you Max as always! I can't wait to buy the Rollei Film and try it on my Mamiya 645Pro!!! Thank you!
Another film I will try is the Ilford PanF to shoot headshots in studio.
Thanks a lot for your comment. I'm glad to see that you're interested in the Rollei RPX 100. Let me know how your results turn out.
I've heard lots of great things about the Ilford Pan F and will give it a try soon as well. I only have slight reservations due to its low ISO.
Great stuff. Love the mic as well!
Thanks, I just followed your advice. :)
Very interesting video. Thank you for sharing your oppinion ✌
Love Kodak Portra pushed a stop, was so great for a Marilyn shoot :D
Great video! Thanks a lot for all the info and examples :D
Irene Aracil Sure, you’re welcome. Thanks for your comment! :)
My opinion of the t-grain films changed when I started developing myself. Using a non-solvent developer like Rodinal or Ilfosol-3 really brings out a wide tonality, and gives them a grain look like traditional films.
I agree fp4 has an unmistakable glow to it, but I find it hard to avoid black shadows. I prefer Delta 100 and 400.
this is asmr to my ears
It is interesting. I have never liked Kodak Tri-X. When there was only film, I was generally shooting Panatomic-X and even Tech Pan 25. I loved the Tech Pan as there was virtually no-grain and it had the most beautiful grey graduation when developed properly. I shot it in 35 and 4x5. I never shot a 120 Tech Pan and I'll confess I don't know if they even had one. For 35mm it was magic. I had hoped to try Adox CMS II 20 pro but it has been out everywhere for ages now. I'm looking forward to trying that. My work with HP5 gave me more (or at least different) grain than Kodak Tri-X so I never acquired a taste for it although I do shoot HP5 on 4x5 where grain is less of an issue. I really loved TMAX when it first came out and still enjoy it using both 100 and 400. I sometimes also shoot Illford Delta 100 and 400 but I prefer the TMAX. I do love Portra both the 160 and 400. Thanks for an interesting video and hearing you experiences is also very instructive.
Just discovered your channel, love it! :)
Tom Allen Oh wow! Thanks so much. :)
Great video, very informative.
Thanks a lot for your nice comment. :)
Very useful video Max, and well done! I get a lot out of your channel here and appreciate your doing it. Now that we know what films you like and use regularly do you think you might be open to exploring some films that you either haven't used before or use rarely, such as Foma, Bergger, Adox or even Lomography? Agfa is still kicking about too, though in 135 and they are only down to a few films now, which saddens me as Agfa was a legendary brand that goes way back to the early days of photography. Actually the Rollei film you reviewed here is made by Agfa. But then, other films branded Agfa are not made by Agfa, so go figure. Anyway, thanks again for the video, keep up the good work and look forward to seeing more of you videos and work.
Thanks a lot, Steve! Really appreciate your in-depth comments and knowledge. You hit the nail on the head here. The video shows the films I use for portraits on a regular basis but I am currently in the process of exploring other films (both 120 and 135 film). I have used some Agfa and Foma film in the past but no Adox, Bergger or Lomography so far. I'll take a closer look at these soon. :)
Hey Max! I really enjoy this episode and have my sister with family in Munich get my hope up to get some Rollei for a good price. I don't own a medium format camera and I'm wondering if you will make a similar video for 35mm cameras and also if your experience with films for that format are more or less the same?
Thank you for a really good channel.
/Robert
good stuff !
I recommend you to give a shot to Rollei Retro 400S, nice contrasty film. And a hint, to get better contrast with Acros it is recommended to push it 1 to 2 stops.
Nice review! One thing I was surprised by, was that you find Acros 100 a "low contrast" film. In my own experience it is a high contrast film. Maybe we shot under very different circumstances there. Anyway, keep up the nice content!
Thank you very much for your kind words and comment. This is interesting that our experience seems to differ so much with respect to the Acros 100. I will give the film another look focusing on its treatment of contrast. Maybe my exposure affected how the results turned out...hm. Thanks for the hint!
Thank you.
I use FP4 for black and white landscapes in my Mamiya 645. I tend to find FP4 to be the best black and white film stock. Ive had consistent Issues with Tri-x
Please review more films!
thaaanks!!
You're welcome! :)
Great video, thanks for sharing. I also love the Ilford films. Do you have an opinion on the Delta films?
Thank you for your review!
May I know which medium format film camera do you use?
Max, wonderful video! Very helpful for a newbie to film like me :) As you're based in Munich, whereabouts are you getting your film developed? Or do you it yourself?
I’m glad I discovered your channel when I did. I don’t have a lot of experience shooting black & white film but I’m hoping to change that soon. With these 120 film b&w stocks, do you still use a color filter on your lens?
Gut gemacht, Maximilian! Could you reveal which camera and lenses you use?
This question might have already been asked/covered in another video, but how would you compare Provia to Ektachrome? This video was made before Ektachrome was re-released so I'd be curious to hear your thoughts. I find Ektachrome to be much more available here in Canada than Provia (at least in 35mm), so I have much more experience with that, but I'm curious whether Provia is worth hunting down in 35mm. Frohes Neues Jahr!
Love this video, I realize you take great care and time producing this video and I learn a lot. FYI I notice some parts of the video become blur for a short time for some reasons you may want to check it out.
Love your portraits shots but Two questions:
1. What medium format camera do you use?
2. What lens(fixed lens) do you use to give such nice bokeh?
Looking towards more videos from you.
Thanks a lot for your comment! Yes, I increasingly do put more effort into these videos and this particular one took some time creating. :) You are right, the occasional blur/unintentional out of focus scenes are the result of my camera's auto focus. I will simply refrain from using any auto focus when recording video in the future. Even if it means some additional effort here and there.
With respect to your questions:
I currently use three different medium format cameras. A Mamiya 645 Pro TL with a 80mm Sekor f/2.8 and a 150mm Sekor f/3.5 lens for 6x4.5 images. All my 6x6 images are taken with the Yashica Mat 124G with its built-in 80mm Yashinon f/3.5 lens. And I recently purchased a Mamiya RZ67 with the legendary 110mm Sekor f/2.8 lens for 6x7 work. Shooting digital and 35mm film cameras taught me how important the quality of your lenses is. Mamiya is known for its high-quality lenses and I am usually very happy with the results.
If you're currently in the market for a medium format camera, you should also take a look at systems that support Carl Zeiss lenses like the Contax 645 or Hasselblad cameras. Unfortunately, these are typically more expensive than Mamiya cameras.
You can find overview videos about the first two cameras in my channel. There is one in the making for the Mamiya RZ67 as well. :)
I hope this helps.
Max, thank you for your insights on portraiture films. I suppose the colour images with the Portra and the Fuji were shot with flash since most of them are backlit but still very well exposed for the face of your model. It would be nice to see a video of yours with using on or off-camera flash on location and with a medium format camera. Maybe I'm wrong but there aren't so many videos out there describing the use of flash in conjuction with analog cameras. Thanks again!
Thanks for your comment. No flash was used in any of the images. I would, of course, have mentioned that. Your assumption is wrong. :)
@@AnalogInsights Well it's not a crime even if you didn't mention it :)
My personal favourite b&w film was, Agfa APX 100. I haven't shot film in ten years, but I do have a lot of APX 100 & 25asa in the freezer!
I loved the apx series as well.
Hi
Have you push Rollei 25+? Is it Rollei good for pushing? thanks
If you like the Rollei film, here's a tip from me: Try the Rollei Infrared! Even if you don't use an infrared filter and just use it as a standard ISO 400 black and white film, it looks really nice. It's probably my favourite multi purpose b&w film.
Thanks, I've wanted to try this film for a while now anyways. I'll definitely take a look at it and try it as a regular film as well. :)
Highly recommended :-) Keep up the good work, love your videos!
Excellent Max... Always love your helpful insights... Not sure if you can get Kodak's Color Plus 200, but check it out for 35 mil... I have had good results with it, more than with Portra. What medium format cameras are you using? Favorite?
Cheers,
Sean
Thanks for the time and effort you put into your videos! Which developer did you use for the Ilford films?
Thanks a lot for your kind feedback. These were developed in Xtol.
Hi Max, thank you for this thoughtful video. I just thought about checking your way of measuring light. Many visual results are not only a result of the choice of film, but also the way of measuring light. How do you approach this? Thank you, Jody
amazing video, i am from Germany, just small question, where to develop photos cheaply and effectively?
Love your stuff man! Are all those BW shots done on your Hasselblad?
Thanks for your comment. These shots were taken with a variety of cameras. The 6x6 are mostly taken with the Yashica Mat-124G if that helps.
Good work! Really like it :)
Can You give some advice about how you shoot fp4, are you using standard EI of ISO 125 or maybe it's better [in your opinion] to pull or push it a little bit?
It will be great if you will make such video as for bergger pancro 400 ;) but I guess it is no one day task
Thanks a lot for your comment and please excuse my late response. I usually shoot Ilford FP4 rated at ISO 100 and meter for the shadows underneath the model's chin. The film is not well-suited for push-processing.
Unfortunately, it would be too much effort to create such a huge review video like the one for Bergger Pancro for each film I regularly use and really like. It took us almost three month to create this video. :D
Good talk - thank you. I’m curious; how do various B&W films render variations in skin tone? What happens with dark skin vs light skin and everything in between?
Hello Max. Isn't Rollei RPX 100 made by Harman/Ilford (possibly rebranded Kentmere 100)? Also, do you sometimes shoot with expired film?
Nice one! Afaik the Fuji Pro was design with Asian skin colour tones in mind in contrast to the Kodak Portra, that might explain a bit the differences. Funny that you don’t like T-Max, great for portraits and landscapes. Maybe I like it because I am mainly using soft lenses from the thirties. I would advice you to give it a try with a Planar/ Hassy or Rollei at full aperture, trying out different light situations.
Senti mental Thanks for your comment and pointing out the Portra/Fuji Pro difference.
And yes, by now I also appreciate T-Max and even sometimes use it as a primary film during shoots. The video is over a year old after all. ;)
Have you had time to compare Rollei RPX to Rollei ortho 25 plus? I got ortho on order and was thinking of trying rpx in the same session
I don't think I've ever seen anything as sharp as those rpx 100 pics, I was literally flored! Absolutely beautiful pics as well. Which camera did you make these on? They are the best I have ever seen truly. Cheers and I LOVE your channel
And which scanner did you use for these? Cheers!
Super video. Thanks.
Thanks a lot. I'm glad you like it. :)
Subscribed. :)
Great, thanks! :)
I find the FP4 very smooth, not contrasty at all...
great video! what's your preferred method of metering?
Thanks a lot. For portraits, it's spot metering. :)
Analog Insights thank you!
Good stuff Max. Which camera did you use for the shots? Was it the Hasselblad? I see you are more fan of traditional BW film type, I guess you dont like Delta that much :)
Why do federal marshals document in 35mm film or poloroid ?
Hi Max, has your opinion on films remained the same in the 3.5 years since this video? For example, you seem to be shooting more with Kodak Tri-X in your Instagram posts from summer and fall of 2018. If not, I'm curious how has your preference for film changed since this video. Thanks!
Hi Trevor, thanks for your interesting question. There was a brief time when I tried the Kodak black and white films extensively as well but I have reverted to using primarily Ilford films and - by now and only for 35mm - also the Ferrania P30. For color I prefer Kodak Portra stock for most occasions by now. Hope this helps. :)
Max, do you use any filters in your B and W portraits?
Thanks!
Chuck all your filters in the bin.
Filters can be as important as choosing a developer. Example Red and Green become almost the same shade of grey, a colour filter will lighten its own colour and darkens other colours, and this why B&W has endless possibilities.
@@petervanorsouw2858 But the results are not real. It's like photoshop, lightroom etc. The ugliness is stomach-churning. It should be against the law to use them(!)
@@alicedell8595 Wow, I've opened up a can of worms, OK I'll bite. Black and white is not real eather, but an interpretation of the event seen. Film type, Developer and filters are an aid in the way we can interpret our vision. An example is, a softening filter, not everyone has smooth skin tones. All is fair as they say.
Really good explanation. Did you ever try the RPX-400 or compare it with the HP5?
Thx in advance
Thanks a for your comment, Maurice. I've tried RPX 400 at some point in spring/summer but then mostly stuck to RPX 100 due to the amount of light available on a typical day at the time. I'll take another look at the film this winter. Thanks for the suggestion.
Thx and have a great weekend.
What you mean push It to 3200
When you develop it or when your shoot treated as iso 3200 ???
What I wonder about when it comes to 120 Ilford-films is whether you never had problems with the background-paper creating a kind of heavy wet snowflakes on the negatives? I repeatedly had such problems even with films that had not yet expired and was told by the staff of my lab that I am not alone with it. Therefore I keep using Kodak B/W-films without any annoyance even with rolls which were "over the hill" already. Please let me add one more information about the Fuji Provia: A professional lab like Prolab in Stuttgar is capable of pushing or pulling that film. They even clip the film if you - for example - have taken 15 pictures at box speed and continue to expose the rest of the roll at 200 ASA. Of course this kind of service comes with a significantly higher price...
I never had any success with Kodak TMax except development in D-76. I stopped using it and rely now almost exclusively on HP-5Plus developed in ID-11, diluted 1:1 in water.
What would be the today's equivalent of the 400H?
Hi, you are truly brilliant and chocolate Guy...
HP5 looks so much richer and more luxurious han Tri-X. Besides, it's always very difficult to work with contrasty Tri-X in the darkroom. Plus-X was different and was, moreover. sharp in an old-fashioned way and very different than T-Max.
Nice reviews max ;). No velvia though ?
Gaius Buterwohl Velvia is not a portrait film.
Hi, habe kürzlich deinen tollen Kanal entdeckt da ich gerade in die analoge schwarzweiss Fotografie einsteigen möchte mit meiner Rolleiflex 3,5 Tessar. Nun bin ich am überlegen wie sich Entwicklung und Druck am besten gestalten lassen können hier in Deutschland, da ich natürlich auch gerne die geschoßenen Fotos sowohl digital als auch auf Papier haben möchte. Kannst Du eventuell einen guten Entwickler-Shop und Drucker empfehlen der beides in Kombi macht? Und als weitere Frage, entwickelst Du selbst und wenn ja wie gehst du vor und welchen Scanner und Drucker verwendest Du? Da ich gerade erst anfange sind die Investitionskosten natürlich gut zu überlegen. Vielen Dank für Deine Hilfe. LG Sonja
sumsemarie Hi Sonja, danke für deinen netten Kommentar. Für professionelle Entwicklung und Abzüge (bisher leider nur auf Color-Papier) kann ich www.meinfilmlab.de empfehlen. Das Thema „guter Scanner“ ist sehr komplex. Für Mittelformat und „normale“ Ansprüche sollte beispielsweise ein Epson V800 vollkommen genügen. Bei professionellerem Bedarf wird es sehr schnell sehr teuer. Hoffe, dass dir das hilft. Beste Grüße, Max
I really enjoyed the video but I have definitely not found Acros 100 to be low contrast and it is known for the opposite.
Yes, you are right. This is me starting out back then. Sorry about that. :)
I was thinking the same thing :) I love Acros 100 for it's contrast. I struggle to scan it though sometimes unless the exposure is perfect. Prints amazingly in the darkroom though.
I was really impressed with the RPX scans though. I will have to grab some of that myself to try out.
Great video
Thanks for your kind response. Glad to see that the video made you want to try RPX 100. :)
you can push and pull slide film you just got to make sure you meter it properly.
I wouldn't recommend pushing or pulling expired slide film otherwise the film turns out milky... in fact, any expired film over 10 years you should pull at least 1 stop when metering.
max, nicely done! one question: do you know what developer does the lab use? the right choise of the film is just the beginning...
Sure, you're absolutely right. I probably didn't mention that specifically in the video. I happen to have this information from my lab since I was curious at some point but would not want to share it publicly just like that. I hope you can understand. Of course, feel free to ask them directly. :)
Jules and I intend to do at least one video on the role the developer and different development processes play for black and white film. So stay tuned if you're interested in that.
Everyone has some secrets.. so do I.. I think that everyone should try to find his own combination... looking forward to another video! Take care
Is the Rollei film actually made by Agfa?
What are your experiences with Bergger BW film from France?
Thanks for your comment. I don't have any experience with this film yet but will try it sometime soon. :)
i love this video too
but i would like to know why u didnt recommend kodak ektar 100 and how did u scan the film, coz they look fantastic to me, thank you
Thanks a lot, Peter. Glad you liked the video. I didn't mention/recommend Kodak Ektar 100 since it's primary use is landscape photography. I wouldn't recommend Ektar for portraits since it does not render skin tones as nicely as Kodak Portra or the Fuji Pro 400H for instance.
As mentioned in a different comment, I have all my medium format film developed and scanned by MeinFilmLab here in Germany. They're doing an amazing job and I can highly recommend them.
oh, i thought the scanning was done by you, however, i live in hong kong so it is impossible to me to send the film to germany, haha
but i would like to know how is the price for both developing and scanning of a roll 120 film
There are similar labs all around the world by now, at least in the United States, the UK, the Netherlands and Germany. I am fairly certain that there are similar offerings in Asia as well.
As mentioned before, I prefer the kind of quality that my lab can achieve with its Noritsu scanner. There's not a ghost of a chance that I could achieve similar results with a regular flatbed scanner. In addition to that, I am currently more interested in taking photos than the post-processing. :)
Prices start around 11-13 Euros for development and scanning of one roll of film.
but to me, doing the post-processing well should be as equally important as taking great photos 'coz it will greatly affect the outcome IMHO, thx for your sincere reply letting me know more about taking photograph in germany
Yes, of course you're right about that. What I meant is that I generally prefer to spend most of my time actually taking photographs and planning shoots, and not so much time post-processing them in Photoshop/Lightroom (if digital) or with developing/scanning (if analog). I hope I made my point clearer.
Kodak Pro Portra 400H
I came back to this video recently for a refresh. I have a question or two, if I may: how do you store your film? Do you do the fridge/freezer thing, or just somewhere cool? Where do you keep it after exposure if there's ever a gap between then and developing?
Thanks Philip. I store my film in the fridge and usually try to work through it rather quickly. I am not the kind of person who has a giant archive of (expired) film. I usually have ten+ roles of my preferred "standard 120 films" (e.g. Ilford FP4, Kodak Portra 400 and Kodak Tri-X) plus a few roles of specialty films that I occasionally shoot. Then a similar setup for 35mm films. This leaves me with all the flexibility I need for spontaneous shoots. For planned photo shoots, I sometimes purchase film specifically for that shoot in advance.
After exposure, I usually take the films out of the camera and put them into a light-sealed Adox container that carries one film each (www.fotoimpex.de/shop/filme/adox-rollfilmcontainerrollfilmdose.html) and usually store it only a day or two at room temperature until it is developed. This works perfectly fine by for so far. But I am sure there are more advances ways of taking care of your film. :)
Appreciate it, Max..thanks. :)
Did you try cinestill film?
Johnny Fotografie Yes, of course. There’s a review on the channel. :)
Non-redundant title: "My favorite films for portraits".
Great video , thanks..do you develop your own film ?
Thanks for your comment, Sami. I am copying my response to a similar question connected to another video here:
I send almost all my medium format film and some of my 35mm films to a professional film lab for development and scanning to ensure maximum quality of the results. I am personally very fond of the Germany-based MeinFilmLab. In the United States, you should look for the Indiefilmlab and the FINDlab. In the UK, there is the UK Film Lab and in the Netherlands AG photo lab. There are similar services in many countries by now.
I can highly recommend giving it a try, especially if you put quite some effort (and film) into a portrait shoot. The actual resolution depends on the quality you choose. The labs usually give you several options and some even different scanners like the famous Fuji Frontier SP3000 or Noritsu scanner. All these aspects affect the final result.
Hope this helps!
I send almost all of my film to MeinFilmLab, too and I am very pleased with the service and the scans. Have you tried the ViertelVor8 lab in Berlin? They offer their services at a little bit of a higher price than MFL and I looked into them when looking for a lab, but haven't tried it. I'd like to know if their services are comparable, if you know that already.
They are called Canadian Film Lab by now. Here's there story: canadianfilmlab.com/about/
Cool, glad to hear that you are pleased with their services as well. No, I haven't tried ViertelVor8 in Berlin. Sorry.
RIP 160 NS 😢