Ranking the BEST Film Stocks | 35mm Tier List

[@MGrose407]

Nice explanation of the video, but my critique is having that grainy moving background took away from looking at how each film looked. They all looked the same because of that background in my opinion.

[@thejerkyshack8040]

Yeah legitimately unwatchable tbh.

[@DanielFewchuk]

100% agree - love the analysis, but I found it so hard to concentrate on the example images because of the background, as well as their relatively short time on screen and also looking down at the username of the photographer, but really good comments otherwise

[@metalfingersfilm]

Thanks for the suggestion, noted for the future!

[@coryschiltz]

Lomo 400 is literally rebranded ultramax. Data sheet comparison shows they are the same stock, but you have put one in S and the other in C?! 😭

[@emmanuelalvarez3926]

Sheep tier 🤷🏽‍♂️

[@totesmacgrotes]

hipsters man

[@RAYY_WILD]

based lol

[@emilbuchberger50]

but why Lomo 400 is more expansive here in Austria?

[@emmanuelalvarez3926]

@@emilbuchberger50 import taxes and transportation?

[@hugohabicht6274]

you did kodak gold dirty. in countries outside the US its pretty hard/very expensive to get fuji c200, so gold is by far the best value for money. its both cheap and has decent colours

[@maykruvi]

I can't with these price increases. A single roll of Portra 400 would send me back over $30 (I don't live within the us, and film labs love charging more for importing) so I shoot film sparingly I'm afraid. I agree with majority of your tier list and love that you mentioned colorplus 200 - such an underrated film stock.

[@metalfingersfilm]

Yeah, it's crazzzzzy out there now

[@supeergelay]

I'm new to film photography and this video is one of the most straightforward videos I've seen regarding film. Love this, thanks for this feedback and will try Lomo soon.

[@sneakingelephant]

For non professional work I’ve found Kodak gold 200 and fuji superia to basically be A and S tier respectively for me. A 3 pack of each is $27 and $24 respectively iirc. I stocked up slowly whenever I saw them in stock during 2022 because I was learning the ropes of film shooting and wanted something cheap to practice with. I find superia 400 looks so nice when I shoot it with 1/2 to 1 stop more light and gold always looks solid for me when I’m aiming to shoot it at box speed or slightly slower. HP5 plus and Portra 400 are the other stocks that I have mainly used and I find it hard to disagree with those ratings you did because they’ve consistently provided amazing flexible results for me. It’s made me wary of trying many other film stocks because they are so good for their prices. I’m going to try seeing if I can get my hands on lomo 400(800 is impossible to find for me). Provia doesn’t exist in my area anymore but my first roll came out fantastic so I’ll miss it. I agree that ektachrome is a bit overpriced(but has had great results for me). I’m interested in trying some respooled ektachrome because I’m assuming it should be the same thing as ektachrome but cheaper? Also agreed on ektars skin tones being whack. I thought it might work well on brown skin but I shot some at sundown and my wife looked like an Oompa Loompa…. She was not entertained LOL

[@metalfingersfilm]

lmao Oompa Loompa!! that's ridiculous haha, thanks for watching, homie!

[@benjaminbuljevic7977]

I used to buy 3 packs of Kodak gold 200 for 8 Euro 😭

[@kenyeltv]

Kodak Gold as a D tier is laughable. I love KGold.

[@daniellefernandes8423]

Kodak Colorplus was $13 a week ago, now it went up again to be $16-17 a roll. It is insane, why would someone shoot it over portra?

[@metalfingersfilm]

Exactly my thoughts; not sure where their logic is heading lol

[@YanGuly]

Hipsters

[@phabio7839]

It was 3-4$ a few years ago

[@thanhhuyvo6540]

I think Kodak raised the price because their old machine isn't upgrade for more than 20 years, so it can't produce enough rolls to meet the demand from all over the world, and also they just came out of bankruptcy so investors, bankers, who are only interested in profit are not willing to risk money for Kodak to upgrade the machines. So Kodak decided to balance supply and demand by raising prices until demand fell to equilibrium.

[@kleanish]

Have seen it for 10 recently!

[@MichaelJohnsenOslo]

Portra is $25 a pop here in Norway, plus $25-35 to get it developed. So it basically costs me a mint Nikkormat camera to just shoot and view a single portra 160 (which is insane).

[@michaeljohnson8825]

Hello other Michael Johns(e)n, that is absolutely brutal. If you want advice, you should look into getting a scanning set up with an older mirrorless or DSLR. It has saved me so much money, alongside at home developing (BW only). Cheers!

[@MichaelJohnsenOslo]

@@michaeljohnson8825 Thank you fellow MJ, I did see a video from grainydays detailing how to do this, so I might use my sony a7r3 as a scanner in the very near future :)

[@RraMakutsi]

Uff Da!

[@Nitidus]

​@@michaeljohnson8825C41 developing at home is incredibly easy if you use a sous vide machine to keep the chemicals at the perfect temperature in a water bath. And it's really fast as well, but you can also develop more slowly at lower temperatures. Some people are afraid to do it at home, but it's really not scary at all!

[@malypavel25]

Same in Czechia, but i’ve never seen a camera that cheap.

[@lgude]

Just an old photographers perspective, not a criticism. Boy have things changed from when I started when there the main choice was between orthochromatic and panchromatic - the former the choice for home development because you could develop it under a red safelight. I suppose panchromatic was considered more professional. For color there was Kodachrome ASA25. So for me both Ektachrome and color negative films were welcome innovations. For perspective I bulk rolled just outdated Kodak XX ASA 200 for a penny a shot and put a roll of film a day through a Leica lllg to train myself to recognise the moment in that dim little viewfinder. Just re-engaging film a bit and delighted to see such renewed interest. Exercising the Nikkormat FE and Kiev 4. Otherwise very happy with m4/3 Oly and Pana cameras and lightweight lenses.

[@09Sayandeep]

I usually get Fuji C200/Gold 200 for colour, and Kentmere 400/HP 5 400 for black and white. Film prices have increased like crazy recently. Here in India, back in 2019 the prices were : Fuji c200 : Rs200 Gold 200 : Rs 500 Kentmere 400 : Rs 500 Ilford HP5 : Rs 800 Now its all much more expensive, sometimes 2x or 3x the price. Insane.

[@amaan9842]

I got Gold 200 for 1200 from Amazon 😭

[@mrnobody3952]

​@@amaan9842lut gaye bhai 😂

[@KNURKonesur]

For what and how I shoot: 1. Rollei Retro 80S 2. HP5+ / Kentmere / PanF+ 3. Fomapan 100/400 (just cause of the price and abuncance in EU) Other film to me is too expensive and/or too much work to develop and scan at home.

[@metalfingersfilm]

This is a great, and responsible list!

[@KNURKonesur]

@@metalfingersfilm that's what happens when you start photography as a teenager in a country where you can't work until you're 18 and the country has been occupied for over 150 years so you have absolutely no money :D

[@StonedSay10]

Bulk load Vision 3 500t for color and Double X for BW - those two are my go to film stocks I use the most.

[@sprocketandwheel]

I love Ilford 3200..great to have on hand for low light photography..

[@MonkeyBrains4311]

Holy shit! Just a few years ago Portra 400 was $5 a roll 35mm. I hate this inflated price.

[@Fortnite87463]

I bought a ton of colourplus years ago when it was $6-$8. Its all expired but i kept it in the fridge. I love it, it works well with the colours of where i live

[@catoi6324]

On thing to note is that I've seen Portra 400 go for $79 in a 5-pack, which has been a stable price for the last few months. If you're outside the US it may be different, but here that comes out to $15.80 a roll

[@catoi6324]

Also just other stuff I'm noticing, not sure if I just live in a pocket dimension or something, but over on B&H Fuji C200 is more expensive than Gold 200

[@metalfingersfilm]

Hmm interesting!

[@VadimkaaAAaaAa]

i don't agree on kodak gold 200, in europe its possible to buy it for 8 euro per roll(i bought a few packs of 3 for 25 euros each) and for this price its amasing

[@kackenderkevin]

gold 200 ist 6euro at my local store

[@toxotis70]

@@kackenderkevin here is double that price!!!

[@planeteatrr]

Lately I paid 19€ for a 3 pack. Much cheaper than fujifilm.

[@peruperu-jj8zs]

never shot 35 but gold in 120 is absolutely amazing. but the price is ridiculous so i only shoot when i go on a vacation

[@Bhethar]

Thank you for this list. I’m super new to film photography it’s crazy how today there are so few film options but are so incredibly expensive compared to when I was a kid 😱

[@moshdee456]

It would be nice to see a summary of this tier list

[@nanimuwu]

That double exposure image at 11:13 is SO COOL!!!

[@scotteaton4868]

I handled all these films in a commercial lab and know them inside and backwards. Fuji Pro400H, or NPH outclassed all the others. Drops Mic. It did everything superbly, and in 120 format was astounding. However, no commercial photog before dSLR would be caught dead shooting color print for landscape. Provia 100 rules for this. The one print film that needs to be brought back is Kodak RG-25. Dude, you would soil yourself if you Royal Gold 25 for landscapes.

[@Pow_Mafia]

Great tier list! I'm getting into film photography and this helped a bunch! The only tier list where I didn't just skip to the end to see the results! :) Thanks

[@beueuehebedududhdh]

Kodak Gold D Tier but Ektar in A Tier is crazy😂😂

[@Joel4JC]

I think you did the Black & White films an injustice in your ratings. There is so much more to Black & White photography than popularity.

[@bigonlineguy]

love this list and your notes! pretty new to shooting stills on film, but really enjoyed the results i got with lomo 400 - glad to see i’m not alone! :)

[@honkhonkler7732]

It's just Kodak Ultramax, like the new Fujicolor 400.

[@christianlabus4886]

Did a double take when I saw the pictures of the vintage gas station with the Sinclair dinosaur. Cool to see you visited Oshkosh haha.

[@sherrishoots35mm]

I agree on most of your choices. Although I would switch Fuji 200 and 400.

[@sketchyunicornslab]

Porta 400 has been my favorite for many many years. Was really sad when the 5 pack went from being $35 to $175.... So now I have been searching for other film rolls at 400 iso (my preferred iso to shoot) and have been trying quite a few but this video was a nice help. A small tip for those in cities, I have had really good luck going to goodwill or thrift stores and finding unused (often expired but I like those) rolls. I just bought a 10 pack of kodak Ultramax for $10 and Ektar 120 x3 for $5.

[@SomeUnremarkableGuy]

I picked right time to start with film photography

[@DcookC]

Awesome video man, love the descriptions as someone who goes to the store and is bombarded by all these brands and numbers. Thank you.

[@psajgal]

I think ranking c200 as the gold repack version isn't super fair. You can still get REAL c200 on the market if you're lucky. So I'd do new c200 (gold) rank it as just discount gold and then real c200 as an actual fuji stock. I personally love gold, be it in an orange or green package

[@metalfingersfilm]

Maybe you're right, but I can't seem to find C200 anywhere reliably, and eventually that will run out, and the new stuff will be all that's available, I presume,.

[@segarallychampionship702]

Also they're two different films, at least in Europe. Fujicolor C200 is the original stuff while Fujifilm 200 is the Gold rebrand.

[@catoi6324]

@@metalfingersfilm from what I've heard, Fuji is planning on moving back to their own film, but these are strange times we live in

[@honkhonkler7732]

The death of Fuji Superia is sad. It was the best cheap portra alternative. Just overexpose and the results are incredible for the price.

[@benbunch4159]

I like Ektar a lot for half frame because of the contrast, resolving power, and fine grain.

[@mjofthewall]

Would have been nice to see you compare Velvia 50/100 to e100

[@randy25rhoads]

Seriously.

[@DartzIRL]

I would disagree with you on slide films ---- they make an excellent treat. I've used a mix of ektachrome, provia and Ultramax for holidays (And Velvia 50)

[@josiemheadley]

I'd love to see a video about trying budget friendly films that are not created by well known brands

[@vld-mr]

Beneficial video for someone who is just entering the film world (me), thanks! Also, many shots are from Maine, I believe. I recognized the Cutler Shore and Moosehead Lake area, wish I had a film camera there too

[@Carrotsandbeans]

Lomo 400 my now go to. I used to shoot with Portra 400 since I shoot portraits most of the time but the continuous price increase is too much for me honestly

[@de.velop519]

I watched another film tier list right before this and I can tell 10 seconds into yours I’m going to like it way better lol

[@lipzi2]

Kodak gold 2 here is actually 7-8€ per roll. It's the cheapest film I can find in germany but then again yeah not sure how it's like over there in the US

[@MultiSigil]

Personally shoot Hasselblad v system and really love Kodak Gold, actually prefer the results I have got from Portra 400... By far my favourite colour film to date. Don't currently shoot 35mm so can't comment on if the resolution would make me change my mind.

[@pixeljess2057]

I would love to know where you would place the Rollei Retro series films. 80s, and 400s. My personal favorite is the Retro400s. (Edited to fix the film names)

[@MultiSigil]

B&W side i really rate Ilford FP4, nice and contrasty and also super tight grain. Probably wouldn't use it in a 35mm as its quite restrictive ISO wise, but with interchangeable backs its brilliant or if you blow a full roll in a day.

[@ajuk1]

I don't know why CineStill is so low, I never used to be able to shoot colour film outside handheld at night before this came out. Were is Tmax?

[@PolyFilmLabs]

Good summary! Ektachrome is a real 'photographers' film, hard to tame, stretches every ounce of skill you have, but when you get it, IMO it's epic. I have a bugbear with Cinestill though. To me it's a marketing gimmick. The ONLY selling point is this halation but that can be easily achieved and better controlled with just a bloom filter. The advantage of the remjet being removed means it must be compared against other c41 films and when it is the value proposition goes away. Better to find a good lab that can handle ecn2 and buy the repackaged motion pic films with the remjet on and a bloom filter 😂

[@graffdad2827]

Fuji xtra 400 has been replaced as well! Maybe it’s now repackaged Kodak 400 speed film

[@robertchavez3362]

fuji Velvia 50 makes your Ziess lens shaper.

[@southpawmediaagency]

kodak gold >

[@goldenhourkodak]

B&H still has a 400H for sale, over a year after being discontinued.

[@metalfingersfilm]

Is it super expensive or not too bad?

[@goldenhourkodak]

@@metalfingersfilm As cheap as Kodak Gold

[@RickScheibner]

First of all, it's good to see this list being updated for 2023. Some things have changed since the last one was put out a few years ago, and I mostly concur with where you ranked these. Thanks for the work that went into putting this together. I do have to say that I'm wondering about your placement of Ektachrome on here. No, it's not the easiest film to shoot; it's definitely not for the run-and-gunners. It's expensive and you have to meter carefully. For those who can slow down and take time to get a good exposure, though, even bracketing occasionally, the payoff can be well worth it. Have you seen David Hancock's excellent review on this film? He makes a strong case for E100 being one of the best films on the market, objectively with faithful color renditions throughout the spectrum. It's possible that we're using different criteria, but even with cost and exposure latitude factored in, it deserves no less than a B on the scale here. In strict terms of quality, it belongs right up there with Portra.

[@simonwilliams6140]

Kentmere PAN 400 just launched in 120 and it's super cheap here in Canada. Not as flexible as HP5 but it's usefully punchier at box speed. Less than six bucks a roll...(USD)

[@FluorescentApe]

Damn, i'm new to analog film and haven't used it since early 2000's. Just bought 2 rolls of Kodak UltraMax because i was gonna get some nice retro photos and now it's almost at the bottom of the list, lol! Really sucks that our local store doesn't offer any other film than Kodak Gold, UltraMax and ILFOCOLOR Vintage. Maybe i should have bought the Ilford after watching this video.

[@emptypixels]

Great video and tier list. Odd that the only film stock I can ever find at Walmart, CVS, or Walgreens is XTRA 400 which I do personally enjoy quite a bit.

[@metalfingersfilm]

Thanks for watching!

[@back40canoe]

You left out the best two Colour Films available today. Velvia 50 and Ektachrome E100

[@hoapacharm1928]

The photos are so impressive and beautiful.

[@justinlaturno]

excellent video man!

[@metalfingersfilm]

thank you Justin!

[@michael_177]

I recognise some of these pictures as Durdle Door, in Devon, England. nice

[@qvarfoto]

A solid watch. Loved it. Cheers!

[@metalfingersfilm]

Great to hear! Thanks for enjoying and supporting!

[@dr.s5688]

Hey man! Just started following you, just wondering, where do you get your reference photos from? Can you put a link to Reddit?

[@ehname1]

The only thing I would have swapped is superia and c200. Superia can be hit or miss, but sometimes those vibrant colours really hit.

[@MultiSciGeek]

Awesome review! Really helps!

[@YummehPyroFlakes]

So glad i can still get Gold for around 6€ per Roll regularly and Ultramaxx for 9€

[@richardsimms251]

Great video. RS. Canada

[@Nitidus]

Current prices in my country: ColorPlus 200 - 9,50€ // Portra 160 - 16,99€. One roll of Portra therefore costs 7,50€ more, pretty much 80% more. I stopped buying _any_ new film last year, but if I needed like one roll here and there, I could not justify paying almost twice as much for a roll of Portra. At the end of the day I now spent _significantly less_ money on film than before, all due to Kodak's insane pricing policy. They shot their own foot with that one and I'm sure I'm not the only one. Funnily enough, what kills film off eventually might not be a lack of interest at all but just another case of common corporate greed.

[@cansayil330]

What about Velvia?

[@AndresRodriguez-xq5kb]

Sad to see Tri-X 400 in A and not S tier 😪 Tri-X is the OG of black and white film, but I can see how HP5 is currently reining the charts. Tri-X just has a special place in my heart so I’m being a bit biased in that aspect

[@sprobertson]

yo we have the same fridge. the gaps on the bottom of the door shelves are super annoying

[@metalfingersfilm]

lmao wow; real ass comment.

[@alexhaselden4623]

Generally agree, but the list is incomplete. Many currently available black and white films are not covered: Kodak T-Max series. Ilford Delta 100, Delta 400 and FP4+, Fuji Neopan Acros II, Fomapan…

[@MultiSciGeek]

The best thing is where I live the "overpriced" Kodak films are like one third of the "cheap" Fujifilm version. Interesting indeed.

[@Burritosarebetterthantacos]

Priced 5 rolls of portra 400 and 5 of c200 and they were the same price??

[@alponton]

thanks 4 the list

[@antoine22]

I've shot both kodak gold 200 and fuji c200, and they don't appear identical to me 🤔 kodak gold still has its goldish warmer tones, which are really noticeable when i look at the clouds on my kodak gold 200 pictures versus my fuji c200 ones May i know where you heard that both rolls are the same?

[@chimmychungus]

He messed it up, fujifilm is kodak gold, and fuji c200 is different

[@m.l1690]

What about Kodak ProImage 100?

[@thomaspopple2291]

I am surprised you didin't mention halation with the 400d. Don't dig highlight halation on landscapes. I would consider this more of a niche film.

[@O82C82]

Just checking if Portra 400 is in S tier. All good...

[@ToskaForsite]

Fuji Pro400h my favorite.

[@timothyplatt6053]

New 400spd Fuji film is repackaged Kodak stuff I think.. Pretty decent. Have found it for $22 for a 3 pack.

[@ChrisDN]

I'll never understand the love for Portra; the disgusting greens are reason enough for me to never touch it. Ultramax is the only color film stock I currently like.

[@RhettAnderson]

Tri-X is my favorite. HP-5 I shoot sometimes but it doesn't grab me.

[@kjak94]

I'm an HP5 enthusiast, but ONLY when I push it at least a stop. Otherwise I'd agree, it gives a pretty flat look.

[@goatman7362]

Just any fyi, Ilford HP5+ can be pushed to 3200 and still look beautiful

[@Ivaninterpol]

where is the Silbersalz35 Filmstock?

[@igotwect3174]

i was under the impression that kodak gold 200 gave warmer tones while fuji c200 gave cooler tones. this this an inaccurate statement?

[@brentbrown51]

Not sure how to download the completed tier list…

[@Awayne429]

I been getting great results with Ektar 100 (portraits) on my medium format cameras, I really don’t see no value for it on 35mm. Fuji 400 has been my go to for the past year, I am sad they changed up and it looks like it will be a Kodak film with Fuji packaging. It better not be Kodak ultramax

[@yahelmalmazada7875]

Is S the best and D the worst?

[@whothennow24]

Oh, hey, they make mic stands and mic clips now. Think they came out only a few months ago. You should check them out so you don't have to be like everyone else and hold your mic.

[@ericzedd]

Damn lol I got baited with the Luminar 100 boxes on the thumbnail.

[@sciguyisanerd]

I remember when ColorPlus was $7 per roll

[@sashakurpa]

Don't agree with Delta 3200. I think its need to be at least at A. If we are talking about situations, where you NEED bigger ISO for making dark pictures normal, the Delta 3200 the best choice. It is good for specific goals (you wouldn't buy Gold 200 for making pictures in night-evening, innit?). Also, I don't agree with Gold 200 and E. For price of Gold 200, you can make VERY good pics (saw that even pros using Gold 200 than Portra at all). So, I think Gold 200 should be like an B at least.

[@evertking1]

Wow... LOMO 800 is an S tier film fooo shooo blood

[@AC-gg4ck]

i like C200 but i dont know why it's more expensive than kodak 200s in my country

[@KNURKonesur]

12:13 "being that pretty much anyone has a Walmart close to them" - not sure man, 3280 miles in a straight line to the nearest one :P

[@metalfingersfilm]

Where tf do you live..!?

[@KNURKonesur]

@@metalfingersfilm Scotland :D

[@alexw335]

~6500 miles as the crow flies for me here in New Zealand

[@alexw335]

Though I think the crow would be long dead by the time it could fly that far

[@metalfingersfilm]

Haha, my bad. I have this perceived notion that mostly Americans watch my videos. SO COOL to see people around the world commenting!

[@foramuris]

An interesting look.

[@romanveloz7488]

So hard to notice the difference with the grain background it’s like a optical illusion

[@CryptoJones]

The pro400h on ebay is crazy.

[@Bean42078]

bruh where are yall getting these prices

[@andrevaudrin3164]

Ektar has a strange extra blue taint touch that I find quite annoying.

[@malypavel25]

Those are very different film prices compared to what I am seeing. Lomography branded films are more expensive than kodak films in Europe.

[@user-rs2lq6eo7j]

I have shot ultramax in the subway for some amazing tungsten like results

[@Leptospirosi]

Ferrania P30: tier S++ 😱