Too often people look at cameras first, then they might look at lenses (which are really more important than the cameras) and lastly they might think about the films which are, arguably, more important still. I predominantly use black and white film as you can see from the above selection I took from my drawer for the purposes of taking the photo, but I did spend many years with Kodachrome (ahh....) and jobbing 200 asa Kodacolour Gold in my OM's when I had no time for developing etc. Now I have time and also the inclination to go back to my first love; black and white photography. In many ways black and white is a cop out - for me it's easier to get interesting images in black and white than it is in colour so I suspect the native graphic generosity of black and white images covers my lack of ability.
I have recently bought a 6x9 camera and am very much enjoying Portra 400, so colour is re-entering my life post digital. If I want a picture of some stuff for general webbery or showing someone something I'll just use digital, and probably "just" my iPad. It works, but colour film is fun and just seems to give me something. I'll probably come back to this because it's still quite new to me.
I do have favourite films:
Tri-X
Now very expensive in the UK, though the developer I use (HC-110) is almost free. Tri-X has the "pepper and salt" grain that many, including me, like, and together with a very light green filter I have on my Leica it gives me great landscapes in which the foliage stands out in the mid-tones. Close up definition is also fine, though it is a 400 asa film and the grain is grain. I generally expose it at 250 asa and go easy on the agitation in the developing tank and this controls the contrast and the highlights and puts more detail in the shadows. I sometimes forget myself and agitate too much which I always regret! My regime is expose at 250 asa, develop in Dilution B (6.3ml syrup to 300ml) at 20 degrees C for 6.5 minutes. I agitate it very gently at the start, then at 1,2,3 and5 mins.
