Topic: Favourite Film Format

[Nigel]

In the five years I've been on the forum I don't remember this question being asked and as a bit of a statistics geek I'm interested to know the spread amongst the membership. To try to catch most regular members I've left it open for three weeks.

[Late Developer]

Hi Nigel.

I'll always use 35mm as it's just so convenient but I'm shooting a bit more d*g*tal instead of 35mm these days on the basis that if I'm serious about what I want to shoot, I'll usually use one my other cameras that takes 120.

Having just got my mitts on an MPP, once I've had it spruced up, got a lens and the new type 55 is available in the new year, I might step up to 5x4 a bit more often.  However, as of now, 120 gives me pretty well everything I want.

[Terry]

5x7!!!!!!

127 in second place I suppose

[Chalky]

Always instant for me if I can only choose one, 120 after that. Don't shoot much 35mm, I like the larger negs. Good survey!

[Bryan]

It depends on the situation but if I had to choose a favorite it would be 120.  I travel a lot so I tend to use 35mm more because I can use a smaller more portable camera and get more shots per roll.  By the way, you don't have 620 on your list but I guess that could be lumped in with 120.

[AJShepherd]

In terms of which I've used most over the last year, that'd be 35mm.
I do keep thinking I need to use more 120 though.

[jharr]

No 828?? C'mon, there's got to be someone out there shooting that! 

[limr]

Why do I have to choose just one??

By far, I've shot more 35mm than anything else, but I love 120 and I love love instant. Haven't had the chance to try large format film yet, though I've done 4x5 paper shots on the Harman Direct Positive. Since that is at least temporarily unavailable, I might try some sheet film soon.

I do not know what to choose...

[Pete_R]

5x7!!!!!!

127 in second place I suppose

Where do you get your 127 from Terry? I've been looking for some.

[Nigel]

5x7!!!!!!

127 in second place I suppose

Where do you get your 127 from Terry? I've been looking for some.

Peter - if you're happy to buy bulk Ilford are offering it as part of their special order this year.

[Pete_R]

5x7!!!!!!

127 in second place I suppose

Where do you get your 127 from Terry? I've been looking for some.

Peter - if you're happy to buy bulk Ilford are offering it as part of their special order this year.

Hmmm. If I understand the info correctly, they will sell 46mm x 50ft lengths with a minimum order of 23 rolls. It would then need to be spooled. I don't think I want it that badly. Or have I misunderstood it?

[Terry]

Peter--Nigel is right; they only sell in bulk rolls on the weird-format sale.  And this year they introduced a 23-roll minimum.  I get color 127 from Frugal Photographer and Blue Moon camera.  There's a guy in Canada who spools Portra (both 160 and 400) onto 127 and sells it ready-to-go.  He does limited runs, but last I checked there was some in stock.  I'll order some and send it on to you if that's the best way to get it.  Have you got a 127 camera?

[Francois]

Rollei still makes 127 film. It's pretty darn expensive though 

[Pete_R]

Peter--Nigel is right; they only sell in bulk rolls on the weird-format sale.  And this year they introduced a 23-roll minimum.  I get color 127 from Frugal Photographer and Blue Moon camera.  There's a guy in Canada who spools Portra (both 160 and 400) onto 127 and sells it ready-to-go.  He does limited runs, but last I checked there was some in stock.  I'll order some and send it on to you if that's the best way to get it.  Have you got a 127 camera?

No, I don't have one but have looked at the Rollei and Yashica 4x4 cameras several times.

Thanks for the offer. I was looking for Black and White though. I can get it on ebay from a guy in Croatia who seems to be selling up the remaining stock of Efke but it's £10 a roll if you buy 10 and a lot more if you buy less. That's a bit too steep for me.

[Ed Wenn]

I've voted 120, but I hardly ever use it these days (time, time, time), so I waste most of a frame of 100 series instant film instead in an effort to continue shooting 6x6 with my Bronica. I do also like 127 a lot, mainly because it means I can use my beloved Coronet 4x4 MkII cameras. I still have a few rolls of Efke 127 left. Mr Cad used to sell 127 for yaers after it was hard to get in the UK, but time (again) has flown by and that was probably 10 years ago now.

[John Robison]

Favorite? Well not sure I have a favorite but there is one format not listed I pick up more than the others. That is 35mm half frame (or 'single frame', or 'cini-frame').

I have several 35mm half frame cameras including a nifty Olympus Pen F with a selection of Pen Zuiko lenses for it. With the ever rising cost of film it's nice to get 2X the number of exposures per roll.

As to my available formats, they are:

Minolta 16II, 16mm single perf., 10X14mm
Olympus Pen's, 35mm, 18X24mm
Olympus OM 35mm, 24X36mm
Various 6X6 for 120 film, 56X56mm
Kodak Tourist 6X9 (modifed for 120) 56X84mm
Flakey home built 4X5 (but I am a backer for the Kickstarter Travelwide, as of now 6 months late but getting closer)

One more, an almost finished, homebuilt 4X10in. pinhole that will used a curved piece of photo paper for a 120 degree FOV,
not completed, not tested.

[Jack Johnson]

You know, this was a difficult choice!

I certainly like peel-apart, and would shoot a ton more if it were a bit cheaper (or if I could ever catch the right sales). But more than format, I found a new appreciation for 3:2 proportions. Shooting 6x4.5 is close enough with a crop, but I think I'm going to shoot with my 6x9 box more this summer, and a whole lot of 35mm because it's cheap.

Not that I lost any love for square images, now I just have more cameras vying for my affection.

[charles binns]

120 for me.  The more I mess about with different cameras the more I realise only the holga really ticks all the boxes I want ticked.

[Francois]

One of the main reasons I like 35mm is the low cost.

[zapsnaps]

6x6 on 120 for me, then instant. I love the predictability of 120 and the total randomness of instant - I find it's a good mix.

[FiatluX]

5X4 for me, even if sometimes it takes months before I actually shoot anything..
I do however use 35mm too on occasion.

[Aksel]

Pola 667 / 669 as long as my stock lasts, 120 on a good 2nd. place folloved by 4x5, but i guess 80% of my shots are made with 35mm and again 60% of those are snapshots with T3 / Mju II. Intend to do more 4x5 this summer, just need a rucksack to bring it along in first.

[Francois]

just need a rucksack to bring it along in first.

I actually settled on a beer cooler on wheels. I can either roll it or carry it with a shoulder strap. It saves my back.

[irv_b]

Favourite-120 all the way for me, although thanks to Chalky, I have also picked up the peel apart bug!

[Chalky]

great stuff Irv, can't wait to see some results!

[minicoop1985]

My favorite is 120, 6x6. I could be convinced otherwise if something like a 6x7 or 6x17 landed in my lap, of course. 6x4.5 is still pretty good, but 2nd is 6x9, then 35mm.

[Aksel]

just need a rucksack to bring it along in first.

I actually settled on a beer cooler on wheels. I can either roll it or carry it with a shoulder strap. It saves my back.

I would never abuse a beer cooler that way  Jokes aside, it´s a good suggestion! but unfortunately not really covering my use (on a bike/in the woods/by the sea etc)

[tkmedia]

general preference list 120 in 6x6 TLR, instant peel, panoramic in 120 (Panon) or 35mm (TX1), 8x10

[LT]

I voted 5x4 but I really like 120 too. I'd say  it's an exact tie between the two.

[mcduff]

120 is my fave, or to be a bit more specific, 220 (for as long as I can get my grubby little hands on it). Regarding format, I know some will look down their noses at my preference but I really like the 645 format. Mainly because of the number of shots I can get on the roll (esp 220) and the smallish camera size.

This is dumb, but for some reason I love loading and unloading 120/220 film. I even like the little sticky tab haha.

[limr]

I finally voted for 120, but like Leon, I had an even tie. Mine was between 120 and instant.

Now I feel like I've 'betrayed' my K1000

[Ezzie]

120. Not because it is best. But because it is relatively easy to get in many different stocks, is reasonably convenient, and gives adequate results technically. The best trade off in other words, for me that is.

[Nigel]

Only a week left to get your votes in!

I'm amazed there are no disk film fans lurking out there! 

[Moiz]

Well, I wanted to vote 5x4 but I I really don't think I have mastered it enough to say whether I like it the most. I'm much happier working in 120 so that's where my vote went.

[thatguychad]

I voted 120. Unfortunately, I don't have room in the place I'm currently living for a darkroom (I'll try to clean the garage out enough to make one this summer), so I have to scan all of my negatives with a flatbed and 135 doesn't give me satisfactory results.

I started shooting film again in April of 2013 after a 19-year hiatus (my senior year in high school), and I had never shot anything but 35mm. Since then, though, I went on a bit of a camera buying spree. I now own a little over 20 cameras running the gamut: 35mm, rangefinders, TLRs, folding 6x6 and 6x9s, and a couple of Bronica SQs since the lenses were much cheaper than everyone's favorite 6x6.

Over this past year I've expanded from processing my own black and white to color development. So far, I've only used the Unicolor 3-bath kit, but I've been satisfied with the results. I'm curious how the Unicolor kit compares to the (slightly) more expensive Tetenal Kit, but I have another 20+ rolls to process with my current kit, so I have some time to decide