Winter Film Photography: Comparing 30 Different Film Stocks

[@patrickrostker6693]

Very thorough and honest, a real breath of fresh air to make a hard decision easier! I will be trying out E100 this winter, so thanks for the sample pics and review man! I have to say, your videos are worth the run time and even tho some films are hared to get due to scarity and being out of date/production, its nice that they're included alongside readily available options. Keep up the stellar content 🎉🎉🎉

[@NathanTrimbach]

Thank you so much! I really appreciate the kind comment. I want to make videos are helpful and sometimes they are detailed and run long so I'm glad you enjoyed it. Excellent choice! I really don't shoot a lot of E100 throughout the year but found myself loving it for winter. Hope you get some amazing shots!

[@antnguyen]

I’m going on my first winter backpacking trip in a few weeks and I’ve been searching KZbin for the last few weeks for something like this. You’re a legend, thank you.

[@NathanTrimbach]

That’s awesome! Sounds like a great trip. Where about are you backpacking? Hope you get some amazing photos!

[@ferrariz5069]

My guyyyy! the way you speak about the colour in winter Sound very much like a poet May you continue to shine like the golden hour

[@NathanTrimbach]

Oh man you just made my day. Thank you for the kind compliment! My English literature degree is coming in handy.

[@KristopherMichael20]

Hell yeah dude! Snowy climates are so rarely represented in general, let alone film photography. HUGE props.

[@NathanTrimbach]

Thank you!! Yeah I love seeing photography from places that I’ve never been or live so I’m glad you appreciate the video.

[@tristan-deniet]

Definitely something I've been thinking about as snow starts rolling in. Thanks for sharing!

[@NathanTrimbach]

Thanks Tristan! Let me know what films you end up shooting this winter.

[@tristan-deniet]

For sure. Lomo 100 looks kinda goated?? Prob wouldn't have ever considered that.@@NathanTrimbach

[@NathanTrimbach]

Yeah for sure it turned out way better than I expected!

[@HumanClouds]

Nice work, valuable information. Thanks!

[@NathanTrimbach]

Glad it was helpful! Hope you get some great photos

[@chriscard6544]

thank you. You rock, I was lazy to test

[@NathanTrimbach]

Thanks haha! Hope you found some good inspiration.

[@GregoryDai]

thankyou for all these information

[@NathanTrimbach]

For sure glad you enjoyed!

[@jaxmanf]

As someone moving from somewhere warm to the mountains up north in the middle of the winter, this was great. Thanks!

[@NathanTrimbach]

Oh wow that’s a big change! Best of luck. Any film stocks you plan on shooting first?

[@jaxmanf]

@@NathanTrimbach Got a roll of Portra 400 and a roll of Ektar saved for the road trip, might pick some more up some before the move!

[@Xisbrezatsgzormd]

Crazy work done. Video is very nicely composed and recorded 😮

[@NathanTrimbach]

Thanks so much! Glad you enjoyed it

[@NathanTrimbach]

Hope you enjoyed the video. I know it was a long one but hope you got inspired to shoot a couple of these films for winter. Which ones were your favorites? (Correction: 2:44 to 3:12 the B&W film was Fujifilm Neopan 100 Acros II, not Ilford XP2 Super 400)

[@GreatNini]

Thank you, this is exactly the video I was looking for! I am planning my trip to Lappland right now and this is helping me to decide on which film stock to spend my income. Thank you!

[@NathanTrimbach]

Oh nice! That sounds like an exciting trip. What are you planning to do up there? That's great glad that this video could help make your choices. Which films do you plan on using?

[@GreatNini]

@@NathanTrimbach It will be a camping-in-the-car roadtrip :) I will mostly bring Kodak Gold 200 and some rolls of Kodak Ultramax 400 because it is the easiest to get (and the cheapest) where I live... But now I can check the prices for the more "rare" filmstocks and come back to this video to see if it is worth it, so thanks a lot!

[@demz3514]

Thank you for conducting the science sir! A great review of film stocks for winter.

[@NathanTrimbach]

Glad you enjoyed! Hope you find a good stock to try this winter.

[@yixiaozhang4674]

Thank you for bringing this informative and in-depth film review for winter photography! You inspired me to try Ektar100 for this winter. I'm happy that you tried and well-documented those long discontinued film. They're the gems.

[@NathanTrimbach]

Thank you for watching and glad you enjoyed. Yeah Ektar 100 is one of my favorite all time films. It definitely has some great looks in the winter. Hope you get some great shots!

[@xwingfighter999]

Holy moly that was incredible! Thank you for putting this together, it's gonna be very useful in the next months. The work you put into this video shows

[@NathanTrimbach]

Thank you for the kind comment! Glad you enjoyed and appreciated the longer video :) . Oh nice, where in Canada are you from? I bet you get a lot of good winter photography up there! Happy Holidays!

[@shurley96]

This is a huge project! Great work. Over the holidays I'm loading up on cinestill 800, and the new Harman Phoenix 200 for the halation, as well as some Ilford XP2, maybe even some Delta 3200 for the long dark days here in Ireland.

[@NathanTrimbach]

Thanks for watching and I'm glad you enjoyed it. Sounds like great choices for the films you will shoot. I just got the Harman Phoenix 200 yesterday so I'm excited to shoot it!. Oh yeah we are having long dark days here in Minnesota so 3200 will be loaded often. Enjoy your film shooting!

[@ChrisPugh]

The one you like is best for winter.

[@Xisbrezatsgzormd]

The one you can afford! 😂

[@tenfingerstentoes]

Wow, just wanted to say thanks for this! What an in depth comparison, straight to the point and such a comprehensive list. A really helpful guide! 🎉

[@NathanTrimbach]

Thank you so much! I appreciate it. Glad you enjoyed the video. Which were some of your favorite films you want to try this winter?

[@tenfingerstentoes]

@@NathanTrimbach definitely Ilford Ortho 80 - I have a friend who shoots tons of it but I’ve never been sold for whatever reason, but seeing it in those low contrast / misty winter mornings here I really really dig it!

[@NathanTrimbach]

@@tenfingerstentoes Oh nice! Yeah I had never really shot much of it but I have a friend who shoots large format and swears by it so I figured why not try it haha. Turned out to be one of my favorites! Hope you get some great shots with it!

[@tenfingerstentoes]

@@NathanTrimbach I somehow didn’t realize it was sold in 4x5 until now! 😆I’ll definitely be trying that as well! My favorite large format film recently has been Catlabs 80 (which I hear is just rebranded Shanghai GP2), but I think the Ortho 80 could be a nice complement to it in terms of different contrast and tonality!

[@NathanTrimbach]

Oh nice! I personally haven’t dived into large format yet. My Fuji 6x9 is the largest negative I’ve shot but I definitely admire those who do! Would love to check out your work, do you have an IG or Flickr?

[@dishboy14]

What a great video! Will be trying out E100 this winter :)

[@NathanTrimbach]

Nice! I have some E100 loaded up right now too and we just got some snow here! Happy film shooting, hope you get some great photos.

[@YostPeter]

This is extremely informative and thorough. Thank you!

[@NathanTrimbach]

Thank you Peter! Appreciate the comment. Were there any films that you are excited to shoot for winter?

[@YostPeter]

​@@NathanTrimbachNot sure yet, but one of the Cinestills looks like fun. I've only recently acquired a film camera after shooting digital for the last decade.

[@NathanTrimbach]

@@YostPeter Oh nice! That's great. What camera did you end up getting?

[@YostPeter]

@@NathanTrimbach I inherited an Olympus OM-2n and a couple rolls of expired fujifilm superia x-tra 400

[@writershootsfilm]

When I went to Iceland, the only film I had was Tri-X 400 and I pushed Tri-X a stop. The grain and the starkness of the landscape - just whites and blacks - combined with the grain made the photos look almost like hand drawn pencil sketches done by a very detailed illustrator. Certain things, I just couldn’t capture well or at all, like the volcanic fields covered in cushiony soft green moss, or a rainbow that showed up next to a waterfall, or the Northern Lights so I was glad to have a DSLR for that.

[@NathanTrimbach]

That sounds so lovely! I definitely need to shoot more Tri-X. I appreciate the tip from your experience. Iceland seems like a great place for black and white. I’d probably bring Ektar too when I visit someday. Thanks for sharing!

[@writershootsfilm]

@@NathanTrimbach Your welcome. Thanks for the vid. I'm seriously giving portra 800 a 2nd look thanks to your thoughts on it.

[@NathanTrimbach]

@@writershootsfilm That's awesome! Hope you get some great shots on Porta 800 this season!

[@av.punk.801]

My plan is Cinestill 400D pushed to 800 for colour, and Accros pushed to 200 or Delta 400 pulled to 200 or 160 trhough my AE-1 with Helios 44-2 on the front. Maybe pick up a nice star filter for lights

[@NathanTrimbach]

Oh dang those are some cool ideas. I have been thinking of getting some of the creative effect filters especially for night / Christmas lights. What effects are you hoping to get from Pushing the 400D or Acros?

[@davealbers252]

this was a great video! Informative and a great walk through,,,,, I have a goal to do more winter shooting, and like to experiment with film - so have some ideas now

[@NathanTrimbach]

That’s great! Glad you enjoyed it and inspired you to try some films for winter. Any particular ones you want to try most?

[@davealbers252]

@@NathanTrimbach my go-to film is Ilford Hp5 if I just want a film that is forgiving and has a lot of latitude. Other reliable ones are Kodax T-max, Fuji Acros, fliclilm, etc... I have some cinestill and lomo I've been meaning to try. Also, I have a showbox or 2 full of expired film that I've picked up along the way! Some you had in this video

[@davealbers252]

i will let you know what some of the old ones are when I dig them out....

[@NathanTrimbach]

I haven’t shot much HP5 but might be a good one to try in the winter. I will pick up a few rolls. I shot a roll of Flicfilm last year and it turned out pretty cool!

[@davealbers252]

@@NathanTrimbach Flicfilm is a local success story, made in a very small town in alberta ranch country - breathtaking landscape of the prairies, foothills and mountains all around it.... I drive out there once a year to personally pick up the film

[@GirdHerd]

Nathan, I really enjoyed this comparison. I shoot mainly B&W film with some color negative film ( no slide film). For B&W I shoot mainly Kodak Tmax and Ultramax and for color Kodak Gold 200 and Portra 400. Since film is so expensive nowadays I don't do a lot of experimenting so that's why I really enjoyed this comparison. Hopefully you plan to do a comparison for Fall and Summer tones and colors. A couple questions: 1) How do you digitize your film images? and, 2) Did you change the image tones/colors in post processing? I'd love to see a video on your scanning process if you do your own scanning. I just set up a DSLR scanning station using a converted Beseler 23Cii XL enlarger and Valoi 360 Advancer with CS-Lite light source. I used to use an Epson V500 flat bed scanner but I much prefer the DSLR scanning with my Nikon D600 or D850 and Tamron 90mm macro lens. Good luck with your KZbin channel.

[@NathanTrimbach]

Hey Gird, thanks so much for the comment and I'm glad you enjoyed the video. I appreciate it. I don't shoot a ton of B&W but T-Max 100 is probably my favorite. I am always wowed by the results esp on medium format. I actually already made a Fall Comparison one! I might have to make one for summer too. I really get excited by which films tend to accentuate which color combinations best. I really miss a lot of the Fuji films because I think Pro 400H and C200 handled greens beautifully. I am eventually planning a Costa Rica and Hawaii video where those two films were used quite a bit. In terms of development and scanning, I don't do any of my own processing or scanning. I have a local lab in Minnesota do my C41 developing and scanning, they have been in the business for 35+ years scanning on a Noritsu. I usually choose pro medium and they do some color adjustments. I will then take those a make a few more slight adjustments but overall I'm usually happy with what they sent me. For B&W and E6 most of the time I send out to The Darkroom in California. And usually happy with the results especially for the slide film. Quite frankly I don't have a ton of time to do more own developing and scanning (busy job and parenting), but I admire those who do! Maybe once my kids are in college or I'm at retirement age I can get back into developing and scanning on my own (I did it in high school and college years ago). Personally I don't enjoy lots of computer editing time for film or digital work. I want to get as much right in camera or in the composition as possible. Thanks again for watching the video and great comment!

[@ManyDoors777]

Really good video! You have a great eye for winter shots! I tried some Ektar 100 during winter last year, and wasn’t crazy about it. Currently trying Rollei RPX 400, and going back to Fujifilm 400 ( one of my favorites!) keep up the great work!

[@NathanTrimbach]

Thank you so much for watching and your comments! Yeah, I liked Ektar in certain scenarios in the Winter if it was sunny and some color but cloudy/overcast days didn't do much. I enjoy it more in the other seasons. I haven't tried Rollei RPX 400 yet, what do you like about it? Oh nice, I just shot my first roll of Fuji 400 and liked it!

[@ManyDoors777]

@@NathanTrimbach RPX 400 is a medium/low contrast black and white. It has really beautiful, even grey tones. I shot a couple rolls last year on the Oregon coast without any color filters. It handled beautifully! Hope you try it soon!

[@NathanTrimbach]

That sounds lovely! Did you shoot mainly in the overcast days or sunny? Sounds like it could be great for snowy overcast days. Thanks for the tip!

[@ManyDoors777]

@@NathanTrimbach mainly sunny daylight. I tried to send you a link to my Flickr page for an example but it’s not working. Anyway, daylight and near sunset.

[@NathanTrimbach]

@@ManyDoors777 I'd love to check it out! What's your username on Flickr? Otherwise send me a DM on IG (same name).

[@newenglisharchitecture1012]

Very thorough and well presented video. Thank you. Need some of that T64! Wish Fuji would stop cutting their film stocks...

[@NathanTrimbach]

Thank you glad you enjoyed it! Yeah Fuji is really dropping the film part out of their name. T64 has such a unique look!

[@bobbytoubtoub6606]

Hello ! you have done an incredible work ! congratulations ... and thanks for the help you give to me to choice the films i will bring with me to my next travel to New York in january 2024 (i'm in France now 😉)

[@NathanTrimbach]

Glad you found the video useful and hope you have a great trip to NY! Are you going to the city or traveling around the state?

[@pierrewikberg]

Great video! Love the comparison photos. Where is that road at 11:41 btw?

[@NathanTrimbach]

Thank you! Glad you enjoyed. That road is on the drive up Pikes Peak in Colorado.

[@pierrewikberg]

That's what I thought it was. Thanks for the quick reply @@NathanTrimbach

[@NathanTrimbach]

@@pierrewikberg For sure! Thanks again for watching

[@k2blades540]

Awesome and well done comparison. Far more useful than most. How many cameras did you carry with you at once? lol

[@NathanTrimbach]

Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it and found it useful! Haha well, I do have 3 Nikon N80s so I will sometimes load all of them up. I used to have a Bronica SQ-AI with 2 swappable backs but have since paired down a little. Many of these places are close to where I live so I revisit a lot of places just out of curiosity how they will handle different film stocks, time of day, season, etc.

[@confrontingphotography4815]

Great topic for a video, I hope a lot of people watch it. One question though, did you do the scans yourself or have a lab do them? I’m curious because I’ve never seen 50D look like that, even in flat light I was expecting more contrast.

[@NathanTrimbach]

Thanks for your comment and question! I don't do any self scanning, wish I had the time to do that. I send all my C41 rolls to a local lab here in Minnesota (all scanned on a Noritsu) and then send out 95%+ of my E6 and B&W to The Darkroom lab (I will try a new lab for E6 and B&W every so often). Interesting note on 50D. I have always found it to be low contrast (especially on Medium Format). Perhaps that is how my local lab scans it.

[@confrontingphotography4815]

@@NathanTrimbach yeah the scanning and the contents of the shots themselves could certainly move 50D in that direction.

[@explosivebricks4395]

Brooo you missed pro image 100 is good in winter too

[@NathanTrimbach]

Haven’t had a chance to shoot that one in the winter but love it for spring and summer! Definitely an underrated film stock

[@kevin-parratt-artist]

"Winter" varies enormously from the equator to the poles. The whole world doesn't live within your frame of reference. 😳

[@NathanTrimbach]

Thanks for your comment. I’m aware that other parts of the world don’t see snow in the winter. I grew up in one that didn’t get much but now I live somewhere that does get a lot of snow. As mentioned in the video it wasn’t comprehensive and was just my shooting experiences. However if you search for “winter photography” over 90% of the results on Google, Instagram or Pinterest are snow and frosty conditions. Just like Fall Photography is associated with changing colors on the trees and Spring Photography is associated with blooming flowers. I find there’s beauty in the nuance. I’d love to see what winter photography looks like all over the world, What does winter look like in Arizona, India, Costa Rica, Iceland etc. Happy film shooting!

[@mismis888]

1) if you're just a troll, I'd recommend twitter, or "x" as it's now called :-) 2) if you aren't, then you really need something of value in your life, because this is a sad thing to get trigged by.